''Break the News'' is a 1938

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

René Clair René Clair (; 11 November 1898 – 15 March 1981), born René-Lucien Chomette (), was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy was often mingled with fantasy. H ...

and starring

Jack Buchanan Walter John Buchanan (2 April 1890 – 20 October 1957) was a Scottish theatre and film actor, singer, dancer, producer and director. He was known for three decades as the embodiment of the debonair man-about-town in the tradition of George Gr ...

Maurice Chevalier Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor, and entertainer. He is best known for his signature songs, including " Livin' In The Sunlight", " Valentine", " Louise", " Mimi", and " Thank Heaven f ...

and

June Knight June Knight, born Margaret Rose Valliquietto (January 22, 1913 – June 16, 1987), was an American theatre actress, film actress, dancer and singer. Early years Valliquietto was born in Los Angeles in 1913. She was ill early in her life, ...

. Two struggling performers decide to create a fake murder scandal in order to drum up publicity for their act. It was based on the novel ''Le mort en fuite'' by Loïc Le Gouriadec which had previously been made into a 1936 French film '' Death on the Run''. Songs featured include ''It All Belongs to You'' (

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became Standard (music), standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway the ...

, sung by Chevalier) and ''We're Old Buddies'' (Van Phillips, Jack Buchanan, sung by Chevalier and Buchanan).

Cast

as François Verrier *

as Teddy Enton *

as Grace Gatwick * Marta Labarr as Sonia *

Gertrude Musgrove Gertrude or Gertrud may refer to: Places In space *Gertrude (crater), a crater on Uranus's moon Titania * 710 Gertrud, a minor planet Terrestrial placenames *Gertrude, Arkansas * Gertrude, Washington *Gertrude, West Virginia People *Gertrude (g ...

as Helena *

Garry Marsh Garry Marsh (21 May 1902 – 6 March 1981) was an English stage and film actor. Biography Born Leslie March Gerahty on 21 May 1902 in St Margarets, Middlesex, his parents were George and Laura. His elder brothers were the author Digby George ...

as Producer * Wallace Douglas as Stage manager *

Joss Ambler Joss Ambler (23 June 1900 – 1959) was an Australian-born British film and television actor. He usually played somewhat pompous and irascible figures of authority, particularly in comedy films. He was an effective foil to George Formby in both ...

as Press agent * Mark Daly as Property man *

Gibb McLaughlin George McLoughlin (19 July 1879 – 30 June 1961), known professionally as Gibb McLaughlin, was an English film and stage actor. Early days McLaughlin was born in Sunderland, County Durham, England in 1879. For about 10 years he was a sales ...

as Superintendent *

Robb Wilton Robert Wilton Smith (28 August 1881 – 1 May 1957), better known as Robb Wilton, was an English comedian and actor. He was best known for his filmed monologues during the 1930s and 1940s, in which he played incompetent authority figures. His tr ...

as cab driver *

Felix Aylmer Sir Felix Edward Aylmer Jones (21 February 1889 – 2 September 1979) was an English stage actor who also appeared in the cinema and on television. Aylmer made appearances in films with comedians such as Will Hay and George Formby. Early life ...

as Sir George Bickory * C. Denier Warren as Sir Edward Phring * George Hayes as Tribunal President *

Guy Middleton Guy Middleton Powell (14 December 1907 – 30 July 1973), better known as Guy Middleton, was an English film character actor. Biography Guy Middleton was born in Hove, Sussex, and originally worked in the London Stock Exchange, before tur ...

as Englishman *

Athole Stewart Athole Chalmers Stewart (25 June 1879 – 18 October 1940) was a British stage and latterly film actor, often in authoritarian or aristocratic roles. On stage, he played in the original production of Noël Coward's ''Hay Fever'' at the Ambassa ...

as Governor * Charles Lefeaux as Interpreter * D.J. Williams as Judge *

Elliott Mason Elliott Mason (29 January 1888 – 20 June 1949) was a British stage and film actress. She was sometimes credited as Elliot Mason. After making her screen debut in the 1935 comedy '' The Ghost Goes West'', Mason appeared regularly in supportin ...

as Dresser * J. Abercomie as Neighbor * William Fazan as Passport Official * H.R. Hignett as Prison Guard *

Wally Patch Walter Sydney Vinnicombe (26 September 1888 – 27 October 1970), known as Wally Patch, was an English actor and comedian. He worked in film, television and theatre. Biography Vinnicombe was born in Willesden, Middlesex and began working on th ...

as Prison Guard *

Hal Gordon Hal Gordon (1894–1946) was a British film actor. A character actor, he appeared in over 90 films in both comic and straight roles. He started off as a lawyer's clerk but finding it dull he decided on the stage, making his music hall debut in ...

as Prison Guard *

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American jazz fusion guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the ...

as Firing Squad Officer * Nigel Stock as Stage Boy

Critical reception

Allmovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, television series, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was ...

wrote, "What a combination! ''Break the News'' boasted the talents of English stage star Jack Buchanan, French entertainer Maurice Chevalier, legendary director Rene Clair, and songwriter Cole Porter. But what should have made for dynamite entertainment, fizzled in the eyes of disappointed contemporary reviewers" ; as

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

put it, "there is little to suggest the old Clair wit and humor." However,

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...

wrote, "the always enchanting Buchanan and Chevalier are a pleasure to watch in this funny, energetic musical that features some hilariously suspenseful sequences. Although it may not rank with director Clair's French classics, this perfect piece of British entertainment holds its own special place."

References

External links

* 1938 films 1938 musical comedy films British musical comedy films 1930s English-language films Films directed by René Clair British black-and-white films Films shot at Pinewood Studios British remakes of French films Films set in London 1930s British films Films scored by Theo Mackeben English-language musical comedy films {{musical-comedy-film-stub