Jigsaw (Film noir, crime drama, 1949)

Jigsaw is a 1949 American film noir crime drama directed by Fletcher Markle in his feature directorial debut. Starring Franchot Tone as a determined prosecutor unraveling a conspiracy, the 72-minute black-and-white film was produced on a modest $400,000 budget by the independent Danziger brothers through their Tower Pictures company and distributed by United Artists. Released on March 11, 1949, it blends procedural mystery with social commentary, drawing on post-World War II anxieties about domestic extremism. The screenplay by Markle and Vincent McConnor is based on a story by John Roeburt, and the film features notable cameo appearances by Hollywood stars like Marlene Dietrich and Henry Fonda. It has gained a cult following for its gritty New York City locations and anti-hate message, though contemporary critics found it uneven.
Plot Summary
The film opens with the apparent suicide of a print shop owner, whose death is quickly ruled non-suspicious. However, crusading newspaper columnist Charles Riggs (Myron McCormick) suspects foul play and publicly links it to the Crusaders, a shadowy neofascist hate group distributing inflammatory propaganda posters promoting racial intolerance and Aryan supremacy. Riggs's column draws deadly attention, and he is soon murdered in his home, his body arranged in a jigsaw-like puzzle of clues. Assistant District Attorney Howard Malloy (Franchot Tone) takes up the investigation, piecing together evidence that points to the Crusaders' ties to organized crime figures seeking to exploit the group's growing influence for profit. With the backing of a prominent judge's widow, Mrs. Hart (Winifred Lenihan), who lost her husband to similar bigotry, Malloy is appointed special prosecutor. He receives covert aid from a mob enforcer named Angelo "Angel" Agostini (Marc Lawrence), who has his own grudge against the group's leaders. Malloy's probe leads him to a vibrant Greenwich Village nightclub, where he encounters sultry singer Barbara Whitfield (Jean Wallace), whose portrait adorns the Crusaders' recruitment materials. Posing as a disinterested patron, Malloy draws her into his confidence, uncovering her unwitting involvement and a web of corruption involving the group's founder, Ben Framer (Burton MacLane). As bodies pile up and threats mount, Malloy races to expose the conspiracy in a tense courtroom climax, forcing a confrontation that shatters the illusion of patriotic fervor masking the hate group's agenda.
Main Characters
Howard Malloy (Franchot Tone): The tenacious assistant DA turned special prosecutor, a chain-smoking everyman driven by justice and personal ethics to dismantle the hate network.
Barbara Whitfield (Jean Wallace): A nightclub chanteuse entangled in the plot through her image on Crusader posters; her arc explores redemption and the blurred lines between victim and enabler.
Charles Riggs (Myron McCormick): The outspoken columnist whose murder ignites the central investigation, embodying journalistic integrity against rising fascism.
Angelo Agostini (Marc Lawrence): A cynical mob lieutenant who aids Malloy for self-serving reasons, adding layers of moral ambiguity to the underworld elements.
Mrs. Hart (Winifred Lenihan): A grieving widow and advocate whose testimony provides crucial emotional weight and historical context to the fight against intolerance.
Supporting and Cameos: Includes villains like Ben Framer (Burton MacLane) and Smiley (Harry Tyler), plus star-studded cameos—Marlene Dietrich as a nightclub patron, Henry Fonda as a waiter, John Garfield as a street loafer, Burgess Meredith as a bartender, and others like Marsha Hunt and Everett Sloane in bit parts that playfully nod to Hollywood's liberal elite.