| Break the News | |
| Director: | René Clair |
| Producer: | René Clair |
| Based On: | novel by Loïc Le Gouriadec |
| Starring: | Jack Buchanan Maurice Chevalier June Knight |
| Music: | Cole Porter (songs & lyrics) Theo Mackeben (incidental music) Van Phillips (musical direction) |
| Cinematography: | Philip Tannura |
| Editing: | Frederick Wilson |
| Studio: | A Jack Buchanan Productions Picture Trio Productions |
| Distributor: | General Film Distributors (Uk) |
| Runtime: | 78 minutes |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
Break the News is a 1938 British musical comedy film directed by René Clair and starring Jack Buchanan, Maurice Chevalier and June Knight.[1] 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, sung by Chevalier) and We're Old Buddies (Van Phillips, Jack Buchanan, sung by Chevalier and Buchanan).[2]
Allmovie 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" ;[3] as The New York Times put it, "there is little to suggest the old Clair wit and humor."[4] However, TV Guide 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."[2]