This Man Is News (1938)

John Brown, one of the thieves in a sensational jewel robbery and subsequent trial, is set free when he turns King's Evidence on the other members. He refuses to give reporter Simon Drake an interview, as Simon thinks he will probably be killed by his associates, but Simon makes note of his address. Simon is fired by his city editor, Macgregor, for failing to cover another assignment and the editor says he would not believe Brown's murder if reported by Simon even if it happened. Simon returns home and is persuaded by his wife Pat to have a drink or two. The tipsy Simon, as a joke, telephones Macgregor and tells him that Brown has just been murdered, and the excited Macgregor hangs up before Simon can explain it is just a joke. But Brown has really been murdered and Inspector Holly learns from Macgregor that Simon had telephoned him with the news at 3:10 A.M., but knows that Brown was not murdered until 4:35 A.M. The Inspector also finds a recently fired revolver in Simon's flat and arrests him. Pat and a garage mechanic manage to provide an alibi for Simon at the time of the murder and he is released. But the next morning, Brown's son is also found murdered in Simon's flat. Then Macgregor is shot, non-fatally, while in Simon's presence. Simon is not only reporting news, he appears to the police to be the one also making it.