Jigsaw

I first saw this film at the ABC Golders Green on 26th September 1962.It was a film that stuck in the memory.I watched it again last night and I have to say that it has lost none of its atmosphere over the years.I have been going to Brighton for over 50 years so I remember the Brighton of the era shown in this film.The film was a very straight forward plot which it tells exceedingly well.It isn't that difficult to guess the murderer but that doesn't spoil it.The only performance out of kilter is that of Donla who is allowed to go well over the top for no good reason.One interesting point is that there is little in the way of forensics in this film just plain legwork.

This film is based on the real Brighton Trunk murders that occurred in Massachusetts. The setting is changed to Brighton England, which gives the film a special atmosphere.

The film opens with two lovers lying in bed. When her lover awakens, the woman announces that she is pregnant and nags him that they should be together always. He comes toward, she screams, and that's the end of the scene.

Meanwhile, in Brighton, the police are investigating a break-in that occurred in a rental management company. The company's book of leases is the only thing stolen. Inspector Fred Fellows (Jack Warner) is brought in on the case.

Fellows begins by looking at leases that were nearly expired. They find one of the houses deserted, except that in a trunk in the garage, they find a dismembered woman.

Really excellent and intricate story that manages to be interesting and exciting despite the fact that the police have to do grunt work and run into dead ends. The acting is very good, and Val Guest, often a director for Hammer films, does a great job keeping the film moving. He also shows how people lived in that era, which was in a very basic, economical way. Ronald Lewis, Ray Barrett, Michael Goodliffe, and Guest's real-life wife, Yolande Donlan, are all very good.

Highly recommended.

brilliant atmospheric film set on the Brighton coast in 1962. Jack Warner (66 years of age in real life) is the slightly caustic but nevertheless kindly commanding officer who runs the investigation. Great support from Ronald Lewis and a dazzling role from Michael Goodliffe(spooky to think that they both committed suicide in reality).See if you can spot the killer before Jack, believe me it is a shocker. Also there is a nice little twist at the end. The cast is top notch and there is a general seediness at the locations that the Brighton tourist board must have had concerns about.For a taut procedural police study this film is right at the top of the tree matched only by the Long Arm(Jack Hawkins) an absolute corker of a film and thanks to Nigel for providing me with a DVD of this film. This film is a must see.

Fast paced and wordy, Jigsaw tells the story of what appears to them to be a baffling murder.

Very much ahead of its time.

As in Dixon of Dock Green, Jack Warner seems too old and lacking in mobility to play a policeman, but he was good in the role and had a lot of machine-gun dialogue.

The film is shot in and around Brighton and features Saltdean and Lewes as well, which is of interest to me as I live in the area.

The film finishes very abruptly and I didn't consider the final piece of the jigsaw as being particularly significant when making a a case.

I did guess the perpetrator, although the person concerned did not really fit the role of a lothario with women swooning over him.

Despite the presence of Jack Warner as a senior policeman, the world of "Jigsaw" is a far cry from the cosy atmosphere of "Dixon of Dock Green". Effective camerawork makes Brighton a faintly sinister setting for this murder mystery. The standard of acting is generally high, (although I found Yolande Donlan's performance a little overwrought for my taste) and a strong script from Guest ensures that the detailed police investigation contains enough action (and unexpected revelations) to hold the viewer's interest to the very end.