Film noir plays Archives - Off The Wall Plays

whodunnits

PARLOR CITY NOIR – WHODUNIT SCRIPTS

It is the 1940’s – the era of hard boiled detectives and gangsters. Nick Holliday, PI and his girl Friday Dora Chase are hired by a grieving widow to find the murderer of her husband, an art gallery owner named Peter DeLucci. But as Nick and Dora soon find out there is nothing routine about this case, as they run afoul of a Numbers Racketeer and a shadowy underworld figure calling themselves the Sicilian all leading to an ending that is sure to surprise.

Endless Mountains Theatre Company November production of Parlor City Noir has been nominated for nine awards including Best Drama, Best original Production and Best overall production.

Further Performance History:

University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom – 2017
Eydon Players, Daventry, UK – 2019

Read about playwright David Schmidt.

Author: David Schmidt

Genre: Whodunit, Crime

Type: Three act whodunit script

Length: Two Hours

Number of Actors: 8, eight actors. 4M 4F

Suitable for: All ages

Set: A 1940’s style detective’s office. A large wooden desk and swivel chair are CENTER. An old chair for clients sits in front of the desk. A sofa is set against the right wall of the office. A metal filing cabinet and a coat tree can be found in another corner. On the desk is a name plate that reads NICK HOLLIDAY, PI. A window with the reversed inscription SILVER SHIELD INVESTIGATIONS NICK HOLLIDAY PI painted on it looks out upon the city. A door connecting the outer office to the detective’s office bears a frosted glass pane with the reversed inscription NICK HOLLIDAY, PRIVATE DETECTIVE on it. A bottle of scotch and two glasses are set on one corner of the desk. A bulletin board cluttered with wanted posters and other papers hangs on one wall of the office.

Level of Difficulty: 7/10 – a great amdram play with fantastic audience reviews

Read a Sample of the Script

Cost $8.00 for this previously staged digital play with great reviews

Contact Off The Wall Plays with any queries about Parlor City Noir

Copyright March 2014 David Schmidt and Off The Wall Play Publishers

Like this play? More like it:

Mysterious death of Christine Wilde
Ralph – a who killed the parrot(and the wife) bizarre mystery
Jack Masterson and the Case of absurdity – a who stole it comedy

RALPH – A FUNNY FILM NOIR PLAY

Meet Ralph Spade, trying to make a living as a Private Eye in his cheap downtown office. When Sam Malone comes to Ralph, to investigate the disappearance of his girlfriend, Ralph takes the case. Ralph, the detective is a colourful character whose brain is a sharp as a knife, but has also been muddled by years of alcohol. When it turns out that the parrot is also dead in this tongue in cheek film noir play, things take a bizarre twist in this off the wall Monty Python meets Film Noir style comedy.

Performance History:

Franklin and Friends festival of one act plays – 2010
Pleasant Valley High School – 2015
Somersworth High School, NH, USA – 2020

Author: Dewan Demmer

Cast: Cast Two M

Genre: Film Noir + Comedy + Crime

Difficulty: 6/10 (Achieving the Film Noir Feel)

Suitable for: Suitable for all ages

Ages of Performers: Teen and Adult

Length: 20 minutes

Set: Simple – the crummy downtown office of a private eye with a untidy desk with drawers and a coat rack. There is a chair for a client to sit on and a telephone on the desk.