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film noir whodunit

CROOKED HAND – FILM NOIR WHODUNIT COMEDY SCRIPT

It’s 1938. Hot shot Detective John Samuels just wants a break after a busy week of catching criminals. When his down-on-his-luck friend Phil stops by to ask for a loan, John hatches a scheme to have Phil stand in for him at his next “easy” job. The so called job is as mediator for a merger between two feuding casino owners, but when one of the owners winds up “pushing up daisies” it is up to the absent minded Phil to crack the case in this funny film noir whodunit script.

This hilarious mystery-comedy is set at the Peppermint Pad Casino, in an unnamed city. “A Crooked Hand” was produced in October of 2009 by the Gaslight Theater Players in Georgetown, Ohio USA. It is a full length period comedy that pokes fun at Detective Stories.

Read other plays by Jeff Carlson and co write Zach Triplett – Explain the Handcuffs – a time travel adventure

Author: Jeff Carlson

Type: Three act play

Genre: Comedy, crime, film noir whodunit script

Cast: 7M, 3F

Ages of the actors: Adult characters

Suitable for: Teens up to play and watch

Length: 90 minutes

Set: The time is 1938. This hilarious mystery-comedy is set at the Peppermint Pad Casino, in an unnamed city, though the first section takes place around the office of a private detective in the same city.

Level of difficulty: 7/10 – incorporating comedy and a period feel in a full length play

Read a Sample of the Script

Cost is $6.50 for this previously produced digital play script

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Contact Off the Wall plays with any queries about Crooked Hand

Copyright © September 2018 Jeff Carlson and Off The Wall Play Publishers

Like this play? Other funny whodunits and film noir crime scripts:

He’s behind you! A comedy, whodunit and pantomime rolled into one
Murder and other fun things – comedy whodunit
The Duck of the Baskervilles – punful Sherlock Holmes spoof

MERRIWEATHER’S MURDEROUS WEEKEND – A BRITISH WHODUNIT THAT SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN

Joan, Maggie, Jane and Annie, who have been solving murder mysteries, for the love of leisure, for twenty years.

Of course the murders are not true crimes – that is before this weekend away at Dafful Hall, at least. Barry Merriweather (host and organiser at Dafful Hall) gets the ladies’ homicidal adventure off to a rocky start but as the escapade unfolds, the ladies and Barry
start to suspect that there is more to the mystery than the mystery of the murder itself – and Barry may not even be to blame for what’s going awry!

Bodies go missing, a very convincing ‘policeman’ strolls into the picture, two thieves prey on the fake crime setup and
a cougar finds a toy-boy in this three-act comedy that puts the ‘bad’ in ‘a badly organised weekend’!

Merriweather’s Murderous Weekend has been produced successfully by The Pavilion Players.

FURTHER PRODUCTION HISTORY

The Friends’ School, Tasmania, Australia – 2019
M A D S amateur group, Buckinghamshire, UK – 2020

Author: Gary Davis

Type: Short three act play

Genre: British whodunit

Cast: 5M, 7F

Ages of the actors: Adult, ages twenty to seventy

Length: 80-90 minutes

Suitable for: All ages to both perform (teen up) and watch.

Set: Dafful hall, the National Trust’s most prized possession. The building houses some fine antiques. The play takes place in the private lounge which has been set aside for the mystery weekend. there are three doors to this room and it is furnished with two sofas,two chairs a coffee table and a sideboard. It can also be embellished with other furniture to suit the size of the stage. Paintings should be hung on the walls. THE PLAY IS SET IN THE PRESENT DAY.

Level of difficulty: 7/10 – getting the British character’s accents and mannerisms right if you’re not British.