Jigsaw (1962)

After discovering a dismembered woman's body in a secluded beach house, a pair of Brighton detectives (Jack Warner, Ronald Lewis) painstakingly assemble a jigsaw puzzle of clues to track down her murderer. Based on the novel SLEEP LONG MY LOVE by Hillary Waugh and directed by Val Guest (THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE). The book was set in Connecticut but since this is a British film, they changed the location to the Brighton seacoast. I'm always delighted when I discover some obscure (to me anyway) cinematic gem and this police procedural is a winner. Almost documentary in its approach (there is no film score), director Guest doesn't give us any movie pyrotechnics. No car chases, shoot outs or fist fights! Instead, a detailed look at the minutiae involved in solving a crime. Sound boring? Not a bit! As a murder mystery fan, I found it absorbing and the killer's identity came as a complete surprise. It's not the kind of film where the performances take center stage but Yolande Donlan as a woman who had a one night stand with the killer stands out. Highly recommended. With Moira Redmond, Michael Goodliffe and John Le Mesurier.