Jigsaw (1949)

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Movie
Original title Jigsaw
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1949
length 72 minutes
Rod
Director Fletcher Markle
script Fletcher Markle
Vincent McConnor
production Edward J. Danziger
Harry Lee Danziger
music Robert W. Stringer
camera Don Malkames
cut Robert Matthews
occupation

and as guest stars:

Jigsaw is an American film noir thriller by debut cinema director Fletcher Markle with Franchot Tone and Jean Wallace in the leading roles and numerous guest stars with short appearances.

action

A New York printer named Max Borg has been murdered. District Attorney Walker takes over the investigation and soon finds out that Borg was most recently busy printing propaganda posters promoting the racist ideas of an extremist group called The Crusaders. There is evidence that Borg's killer is to be found among the crusaders. When an article about this group appears in a local newspaper, Walker's deputy Howard Malloy visits the author Charles Riggs, who is also the fiancé of his sister Caroline. Later, Charlie is followed home by an eerie figure. The stranger knocks him unconscious and then pushes Charlie down through a high-rise window.

After Caroline discovered a propaganda poster in Charlie's room and showed it to Howard, he noticed the words “Sigmund Kosterich, Rembrandt Studios” on the back. Howard visits Kosterich's shop and poses as a potential customer. However, Kosterich stiffly states that he does not print posters. Before leaving the store, Howard notices a painting of the attractive singer Barbara Whitfield. When a man later follows Howard home, the civil servant pulls out his gun, grabs the man's wallet and finds out that his name is Miller. In his wallet he also finds a newspaper advertisement for Barbara Whitfield's nightclub appearance and a card with an address and the words "See the Angel" printed on it. Howard goes to what turns out to be the location of the Mohawk Political Club. There he met an Angelo Agostini, who trades here as the boss of the store, as "Der Engel". Agostino makes it clear to Howard that he might be able to help him climb the corporate ladder at the New York City Attorney's Office.

A good friend of Howard's, the always well-informed society lioness Grace Hartley, warns him not to get involved with the shady characters of the Mohawk Political Club, as they are more than dubious. Howard attends a party at Grace's house and then leaves after receiving a message from his partner, Tommy Quigley. After her show at the Blue Angel nightclub, Barbara Whitfield, the singer, meets Howard Malloy, and although she is Agostino's queen of hearts, Howard kisses her. When "The Angel" sees Barbara and Howard together, he becomes jealous and orders his loved ones to stay away from the deputy prosecutor in the future. Barbara Howard later reports on the basic racist convictions of the "crusaders". A little later, Howard is knocked out and passed out. Suddenly a stranger appears. It is Howard's confidante Grace Hartley of all people. She turns out to be the boss of the racist underground ring. Still unconscious, Grace shoots Barbara for "chatting" to the state authorities, represented by Howard Malloy.

When Howard wakes up again, Grace has already left the room. Then Sigmund Kosterich suddenly appears. The assistant prosecutor must assume that he killed Barbara Whitfield. Kosterich, however, accuses Grace. But she is outside in the hallway within earshot and sees everything. Kosterich expresses his suspicion that Grace is behind the "Crusaders" because he once portrayed them in their house and discovered evidence of their involvement in this racist group. When Grace overhears Kosterich tell that he has hidden evidence of his claim behind one of his paintings in the museum, she immediately goes there. She is followed by her henchmen "The Angel" and Miller, called "Knuckles". At the museum, Grace knocks out the night watchman while Howard calls his buddy Quigley and tells him to come to the museum immediately. After Howard and Kosterich arrive and find the dejected guard, Howard goes after "The Angel" while Kosterich sneaks after Grace. Howard first shoots Angel, then Grace shoots Kosterich. Miller in turn shoots Howard, but does not hit him. Kosterich then grabs Howard's gun and shoots Grace. At the last moment the police approached with a great roar.

Production notes

Jigsaw was filmed in 1948 and premiered on March 11, 1949. The film was not shown in Germany.

Reviews

In The Hollywood Reporter was to read: " Jigsaw has decided the makings of a sleeper hit. This United Artists film, produced by Edward J. and Harry Lee Danziger, was shot in New York, where the action takes place. Although it doesn’t have any big names apart from Franchot Tone, there is still a lot about it that can be evaluated in terms of advertising, for example short guest appearances by half a dozen well-known film people. An interesting and exciting storyline, staged with speed and precision by Fletcher Markle, one of the radio wonder boys, who is directing this for the first time. [...] While they condemn those who preach racial hatred on the side, the producers have never lost sight of their original purpose, namely to provide entertainment. "

“An unclear, choppy script prevents the film from being more than ordinary entertainment. It is a melodramatic crime film that also targets racial and religious intolerance, as it revolves around the efforts of a prosecutor who is tasked with investigating the activities of a group of agitators whom he holds responsible for two murders. The story is overloaded with all kinds of characters and has its exciting moments; But since she lacks both conviction and motivation, she is unable to captivate. "

- Harrison Reports, New York, March 12, 1949

Bosley Crowther wrote in The New York Times : "Just considering Jigsaw ... Hollywood has no reason to look immediately and fearfully at its laurels ... The film is sluggishly directed by Fletcher Markle, who also co-wrote the script, and played almost indifferently where good play is most needed, with Franchot Tone in the lead role. "

The Movie & Video Guide called the film a "swift rip-off".

Halliwell's Film Guide characterized the film as follows: "Mediocre piece by do-gooders, strangely supported by guest stars as a gesture of goodwill."

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hollywood Reporter, March 8, 1949
  2. ^ Review in the New York Times of May 30, 1949
  3. ^ Leonard Maltin : Movie & Video Guide, 1996 edition, p. 670
  4. ^ Leslie Halliwell : Halliwell's Film Guide, Seventh Edition, New York 1989, p. 781

Web links