This Man Is News
This Man is News is a 1938 British comedy mystery film directed by David MacDonald and starring Barry K. Barnes, Valerie Hobson, Alastair Sim and Edward Lexy. The screenplay concerns a journalist who solves a crime of which he himself is suspected.[1] A "quota quickie", it was made for a mere £6,000, but "was among the highest grossing films of 1938".[2]
| This Man is News | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) | |
| Directed by | David MacDonald |
| Produced by | Anthony Havelock-Allan |
| Written by | Basil Dearden Roger MacDougall Allan MacKinnon |
| Starring | Barry K. Barnes Valerie Hobson Alastair Sim Edward Lexy |
| Cinematography | Henry Harris |
| Edited by | Reginald Beck |
Production company | Pinebrook Studios |
| Distributed by | Paramount British Pictures |
Release date | September 1938 |
Running time | 77 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £6,000 |
It was loosely modelled on the American Thin Man series of films. A sequel, This Man in Paris, was made in 1939.
Cast
- Barry K. Barnes as Simon Drake
- Valerie Hobson as Pat Drake
- Alastair Sim as Lochlan Macgregor
- Edward Lexy as Inspector Hollis
- Garry Marsh as Sergeant Bright
- John Warwick as Johnnie Clayton
- Philip Leaver as "Harelip" Murphy
- James Birrie as Doyle
- David Keir as Brown
Critical reception
TV Guide gave the film three out of five stars and wrote, "Though Barnes and Hobson may not quite be another William Powell and Myrna Loy, 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."[3]
References
- BFI.org
- Matthew Sweet (2 January 2007). "Fancy a quickie?". The Guardian.
- "This Man Is News". TVGuide.com.