''This Man is News'' is a 1938 British

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

mystery film A mystery film is a film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, ...

directed by David MacDonald and starring Barry K. Barnes,

Valerie Hobson Babette Louisa Valerie Hobson (14 April 1917 – 13 November 1998) was a British actress whose film career spanned the 1930s to the early 1950s. Her second husband was John Profumo, a British government minister who became the subject of the Pro ...

Alastair Sim Alastair George Bell Sim (9 October 1900 – 19 August 1976) was a Scottish actor. He began his theatrical career at the age of thirty and quickly became established as a popular West End performer, remaining so until his death in 1976. S ...

and

Edward Lexy Edward Lexy (18 February 1897, in London – 31 January 1970, in Dublin) was a British actor. He was born Edward Little. Career He made his London stage début in 1936, and his first film the following year. His film roles were a mixture of s ...

. The screenplay concerns a journalist who solves a crime of which he himself is suspected . A "

quota quickie The Cinematograph Films Act 1927 ( 17 & 18 Geo. 5. c. 29) was an act of the UK Parliament designed to stimulate the declining British film industry. It received royal assent on 22 December 1927 and came into force on 1 April 1928. Description T ...

", it was made for a mere £6,000, but "was among the highest grossing films of 1938". It was loosely modelled on the American '' Thin Man'' series of films. A sequel, ''

This Man in Paris ''This Man in Paris'' is a 1939 British comedy mystery film directed by David MacDonald and starring Barry K. Barnes, Valerie Hobson and Alastair Sim. It was a sequel to the 1938 film ''This Man Is News''. It was made at Denham Studios. Pre ...

'', was made in 1939.

Plot

Simon Drake (Barnes) has predicted the death of a prominent man in advance, which makes him Scotland yard's top suspect for his murder; the only one who believes in his innocence is his loyal wife Pat (Hobson). Meanwhile, Macgregor (Sim) is Drake's beleaguered city editor, who hires and fires him multiple times depending on how guilty or innocent he looks at the moment.

Cast

* Barry K. Barnes as Simon Drake *

as Pat Drake *

as Lochlan Macgregor *

as Inspector Hollis *

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 Sergeant Bright *

John Warwick John McIntosh Beattie (some sources give Beattle) (4 January 1905 – 10 January 1972), known professionally as John Warwick, was an Australian actor and television dramatist. who was also active in the United Kingdom. He was born at Bellinge ...

as Johnnie Clayton * Philip Leaver as "Harelip" Murphy * James Birrie as Doyle *

David Keir David Keir (1884–1971) was a British film actor, who also appeared on stage Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the ...

as Brown

Critical reception

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 ...

'' gave the film three out of five stars and wrote, "Though Barnes and Hobson may not quite be another

William Powell William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor, known primarily for his film career. Under contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the ''The Thin Man (film), Thin M ...

and

Myrna Loy Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams; August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. As a performer, she was known for her ability to adapt to her screen partner's acting style. Born in Helena, Monta ...

, they handle the assignment with humor and great style. The film is directed with energy and the dialogue helps carry the brisk pace along. This is the first screenwriting credit for Basil Dearden, who would go on to do many stories, both serious and topical, in association with noted British producer and art director

Michael Relph Michael Leighton George Relph (16 February 1915 – 30 September 2004) was an English film producer, art director, screenwriter and film director. He was the son of actor George Relph. Films Relph began his film career in 1933 as an assista ...

References

External links

* 1938 films British comedy mystery films 1930s comedy mystery films Films shot at Pinewood Studios Quota quickies Films produced by Anthony Havelock-Allan Paramount Pictures Films with screenplays by Basil Dearden British black-and-white films 1938 comedy films 1930s English-language films 1930s British films English-language comedy mystery films {{1930s-UK-comedy-film-stub