Jigsaw [Gun Moll] * (1949, Franchot Tone, Jean Wallace, Marc Lawrence) – Classic Movie Review 13,566

The 1949 American noir crime drama film Jigsaw [Gun Moll] is first feature as producers of the Danzigers, and stars Franchot Tone, Jean Wallace and Marc Lawrence.

Director Fletcher Markle’s 1949 American film noir crime drama film Jigsaw [Gun Moll] is written by Fletcher Markle and Vincent McConnor, based on the story by John Roeburt, and stars Franchot Tone, Jean Wallace and Marc Lawrence.

It makes movie history as the first feature film as producers of the Danzigers, the American-born brothers Edward J Danziger (1909–1999) and Harry Lee Danziger (1913–2005), who produced many British films and TV shows in the 1950s and 1960s .

But they got off to a poor start. Jigsaw is an unimpressive, plodding thriller in which lawyer Franchot Tone pieces together the puzzle of a writer’s murder and exposes a group of white neo-fascist racists in the process.  The appearance of several stars, such as Marlene Dietrich, Henry Fonda, John Garfield, Marsha Hunt, and Burgess Meredith, in bit parts lends some curiosity value and arguably even a little stature.

The poster suggests that ‘anything can happen’, but very little does, and it is all very dull, especially considering the themes of the murderous white neo-fascists and racial prejudice and organized crime.

It is co-produced by Franchot Tone, who gives himself the main role of assistant district attorney Howard Malloy, who investigates the Crusaders, the white neo-fascist organization, apparently backed by organized crime. Marc Lawrence plays the crime boss named Angelo Agostini, or Angel, who helps Malloy unsolicited into the position of special prosecutor.

Also in the cast are Myron McCormick, Marc Lawrence, Doe Avedon, Winifred Lenihan, Hedley Rainnie, Walter Vaughan, George Breen, Robert Gist, Hester Sondergaard, Luella Gear, Alexander Lockwood, Alexander Campbell, Robert Noe, Ken Smith, .Alan MacAteer, Manuel Aparicio, and Brainerd Duffield.

The film also features cameo appearances by American model and actress Doe Avedon, American character actor Everett Sloane, newspaper columnist Leonard Lyons and the film’s director, Fletcher Markle.

Jean Wallace and Franchot Tone married on October 18, 1941, in Yuma, Arizona, but divorced in 1948, with Tone awarded custody of their two sons. Wallace’s third marriage was to Cornel Wilde from 1951 to 1981.

Jean Wallace and Franchot Tone also appeared together in The Man on the Eiffel Tower (1950). Tone was previously married to Joan Crawford (1935 – 1939) and they made seven films together. He said: ‘First prize, four years with Joan; second prize, eight.’

Tone, Clark Gable and Charles Laughton were all nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), the only film with three Best Actor nominations, and leading to the creation of the Best Supporting Actor category the following year. None of the three won, and Mutiny on the Bounty is the last Best Picture winner to win in no other category.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,566

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Derek Winnert