Jigsaw (1949)

This is a little-seen film that turns the McCarthy-era paranoia on its head. Apparently, Hollywood wanted to show their eagle-eyed vigilance against threats to America so they made Jigsaw to unmask the right-wing hate groups that are actually running the country behind the scenes. :o

While it is a fairly undistinguished production, several tinsel town heavy hitters signed on for bit parts, including Henry Fonda, Burgess Meredith, John Garfield, and Marlene Dietrich. You can play “spot the star” as you try to figure out what in heck they were thinking making this half fast story.

Franchot Tone (Mutiny on the Bounty) is Assistant DA Howard Malloy who wishes to investigate a hate group, called the “Crusaders,” who are apparently holding rallies with uniforms, banners, buttons, etc. A poster they have looks exactly like a Russian poster from the Stalin-era - “Workers of the World Unite - or some such crap, or like a piece of Diego Rivera’s art.

Malloy discovers the group through a murder of the printer who made the posters. When his future brother-in-law, gossip columnist Charles Riggs is killed under similar circumstances, Malloy is appointed “special prosecutor,” through some political clout exercised on his behalf by some highly placed individuals who appear out of nowhere. His investigation eventually turns up that these same people are the ones behind the shadowy world of the Crusaders - a sort of NYC-based KKK or Neo-Nazi group, if you will.

The production is very heavy-handed, dealing out blows thick and fast against the Right, which might make good theater, but a little scrutiny reveals the lack of logic in the story and the crudity of its fabrication.

Franchot Tone, of course, does a good job with the scanty material he has to work with. He is usually interesting to watch and professional in his work. The other headliner is Jean Wallace (The Big Combo). Here she plays a good looking cabaret performer who gets involved with some people she shouldn’t have, but finds out too late. Supporting cast includes Marc Lawrence (The Asphalt Jungle), who usually played heavies, in this case, it’s no different. Here he plays a political boss who weighs in in favor of Malloy’s appointment as “special prosecutor.” His nickname is “the Angel,” exactly the opposite of what he really is. A surprise good performance is put in by Winnifred Lenihan, who appeared in one single film, and this is it. She plays a treacly sweet socialite who has a totally evil alter ego.

Some points of interest: Jigsaw is set in NYC, c. 1949, so fans will like to see the architecture and early views of the Empire State Building and Brooklyn Museum that were used in the location shooting. Tone and Wallace were married at the time, Tone later having an affair with Barbara Payton, a notorious butterfly, and being beaten into a coma by rival Tom Neal (Detour).

Besides the paranoid story, it’s interesting to see the Hollywood leftists come out and try to depict the “good” communists defeating the “bad” right wingers. I hope they didn’t put their arms out of joint patting themselves on the back. Incidentally, all the big name cameos are uncredited.

Jigsaw is shot in the dark expressionistic manner, runs 70 minutes, and was directed by Fletcher Markle. Available on VHS or DVD from public domain publishers or in the Suspense 20 Pack, for about $8.00. I bought my copy from Deepdiscountdvd.com.

Thanks for reading!

Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day