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18 May 16
14:37
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07 Jan 07
jigsaw starring jack warner.the film was shot around brighton in 1962 the film is about a woman who is found murdered in a house along the coast from brighton
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Best way to solve is crime is sort out the corners of the beach first.
Very good film indeed. I think I recall taking a chick to see it late 60's when it was a support feature.
This film starring Jack Warner as a police Deputy Inspector was made during Warner's peak of fame. For 21 years, from 1955 to 1976, Warner played the policeman George Dixon in DIXON OF DOCK GREEN, in a total of an astonishing 432 episodes. This film was therefore guaranteed a good reception by the British public because Warner as a policeman had become a national institution by this time. The film was extremely well directed by Val Guest, who will probably always be best remembered for his superior science fiction films THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT (sic; also starring Jack Warner, 1955) and THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE (1959). The female lead in the film is the American actress Yolande Donlan, Val Guest's wife. He had already directed her in ESPRESSO BONGO in 1959, the film he made before this one. Donlan is very good in the part. Val and Yolande were a very pleasant couple. I visited them at their home in St. John's Wood in London and they were charming and excellent conversationalists. That was long ago, when Yolande was in her forties and very much still a vibrantly attractive woman with a lively personality. I do not know why she did not appear in more films and chose to retire in 1981. She only died a few months ago at the age of 94. This film is based on a novel by the American mystery writer Hillary Waugh, who was no relation to Evelyn Waugh. There are many Waughs in Britain related to Evelyn, and I suppose one could call them the long-tailed Waughs, in which case Hillary Waugh might be styled a short-tailed Waugh, in order to differentiate him from the British variants of his species. They all come from Ireland anyway, and in the mists of time they must all have been one big Oneness, sitting by their peat fires dug from the same bog. The story is a good one, and the title refers to the fact that the police are trying to fit together the pieces of an exasperating jigsaw in order to solve a woman's murder. There are so few clues that the story of detection is fascinating. The film is set in Brighton, and there is a great deal of location shooting there and in Lewes, which show the towns as they were back then, nearly deserted and entirely lacking the sleaze of modern commercialism and identikit chain stores. Living conditions in Britain in 1961 were so basic, and that comes across well. John Le Mesurier has a minor role in this film, and has to do a lot of emoting and crying, for which he was by means noted in his later career as a droll and comic figure. One simply is not used to seeing Le Mesurier sobbing like that, so it makes a change. Le Mesurier commenced his film acting career as long ago as 1938 so he was very much a veteran of the screen already by this early date, six years before he became a national institution as one of the stars of the popular TV series DAD'S ARMY. Le Mesurier had however already made a name for himself in comedy by appearing with Tony Hancock in various episodes of HANCOCK'S HALF HOUR (1957-1960), which are now considered prize classics of their genre. Supporting Jack Warner as the other main policeman is that stalwart of TV and screen, Ronald Lewis. It is sobering to think that he was 41 years younger than Yolande Donlan when he died. This film is certainly a very good yarn, and highly entertaining.
This film starring Jack Warner as a police Deputy Inspector was made during Warner's peak of fame. For 21 years, from 1955 to 1976, Warner played the policeman George Dixon in DIXON OF DOCK GREEN, in a total of an astonishing 432 episodes. This film was therefore guaranteed a good reception by the British public because Warner as a policeman had become a national institution by this time. The film was extremely well directed by Val Guest, who will probably always be best remembered for his superior science fiction films THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT (sic; also starring Jack Warner, 1955) and THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE (1959). The female lead in the film is the American actress Yolande Donlan, Val Guest's wife. He had already directed her in ESPRESSO BONGO in 1959, the film he made before this one. Donlan is very good in the part. Val and Yolande were a very pleasant couple. I visited them at their home in St. John's Wood in London and they were charming and excellent conversationalists. That was long ago, when Yolande was in her forties and very much still a vibrantly attractive woman with a lively personality. I do not know why she did not appear in more films and chose to retire in 1981. She only died a few months ago at the age of 94. This film is based on a novel by the American mystery writer Hillary Waugh, who was no relation to Evelyn Waugh. There are many Waughs in Britain related to Evelyn, and I suppose one could call them the long-tailed Waughs, in which case Hillary Waugh might be styled a short-tailed Waugh, in order to differentiate him from the British variants of his species. They all come from Ireland anyway, and in the mists of time they must all have been one big Oneness, sitting by their peat fires dug from the same bog. The story is a good one, and the title refers to the fact that the police are trying to fit together the pieces of an exasperating jigsaw in order to solve a woman's murder. There are so few clues that the story of detection is fascinating. The film is set in Brighton, and there is a great deal of location shooting there and in Lewes, which show the towns as they were back then, nearly deserted and entirely lacking the sleaze of modern commercialism and identikit chain stores. Living conditions in Britain in 1961 were so basic, and that comes across well. John Le Mesurier has a minor role in this film, and has to do a lot of emoting and crying, for which he was by means noted in his later career as a droll and comic figure. One simply is not used to seeing Le Mesurier sobbing like that, so it makes a change. Le Mesurier commenced his film acting career as long ago as 1938 so he was very much a veteran of the screen already by this early date, six years before he became a national institution as one of the stars of the popular TV series DAD'S ARMY. Le Mesurier had however already made a name for himself in comedy by appearing with Tony Hancock in various episodes of HANCOCK'S HALF HOUR (1957-1960), which are now considered prize classics of their genre. Supporting Jack Warner as the other main policeman is that stalwart of TV and screen, Ronald Lewis. It is sobering to think that he was 41 years younger than Yolande Donlan when he died. This film is certainly a very good yarn, and highly entertaining.
twizzle, from their website....
In order to receive Talking Pictures TV on Freeview, you will need to be within coverage and be watching on a Freeview HD television or Freeview HD recorder.
In order to receive Talking Pictures TV on Freeview, you will need to be within coverage and be watching on a Freeview HD television or Freeview HD recorder.
Thanks anyway...disgraceful Virgin haven't got this channel
Thanks for the tip-off Dr Atkins and KM.
I just finished watching it now via that YouTube link I posted above, and rather good it was too. A fine police procedural.
In passing I will just say one more thing… I didn't get where I am today Reggie without being able to spot a murderer in a film.
Evening all.
I just finished watching it now via that YouTube link I posted above, and rather good it was too. A fine police procedural.
In passing I will just say one more thing… I didn't get where I am today Reggie without being able to spot a murderer in a film.
Evening all.
alun, I was actually quite pally with Bruce Bould,Reggie's assistant,and the guy who kept saying super in Perrin.
In passing I will just say one more thing… I didn't get where I am today Reggie without being able to spot a murderer in a film.
I didn't get where I am today without also spotting Doc Morrisey in the same film (also Sir Dennis, Terry Scott's boss in Terry and June).
I didn't get where I am today without also spotting Doc Morrisey in the same film (also Sir Dennis, Terry Scott's boss in Terry and June).
I saw Terry Scott many years ago,in a pub , dressed in a school uniform, eating a curly wurly, (i think they'd been filming)
he was with his wife, the actress Nina Baden Semper,
Kenny Lynch was there as well with his wife at the time, the actress Esma Cannon.
he was with his wife, the actress Nina Baden Semper,
Kenny Lynch was there as well with his wife at the time, the actress Esma Cannon.
Was Queenie Watts also there with one of her many hubbies, probably Sir Cyril Smith?
Kenny Lynch was there as well with his wife at the time, the actress Esma Cannon.
I knew she wouldn't be far away from the scene of the crime.
Great to see the name Nina B-S again btw. I had to hurriedly consult Mr Google to see some images of her in her 1970s hot pants and boots in that highly respected series 'Love Thy Neighbour'.
highly respected lol, well I loved it.
some terrific footage of Queenie here from '64
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T95dOZDDaXk
some terrific footage of Queenie here from '64
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T95dOZDDaXk
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