Break the News (film)

Break the News
Directed by	René Clair
Produced by	René Clair
Written by	Geoffrey Kerr René Clair
Based on	novel by Loïc Le Gouriadec
Starring	Jack Buchanan Maurice Chevalier June Knight
Music by	Cole Porter (songs & lyrics) Theo Mackeben (incidental music) Van Phillips (musical direction)
Cinematography	Philip Tannura
Edited by	Frederick Wilson
Production company	A Jack Buchanan Productions Picture Trio Productions
Distributed by	General Film Distributors (Uk)
Release date	June 1938 (U.K.)
Running time	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. 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).

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" ; as The New York Times put it, "there is little to suggest the old Clair wit and humor." 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."