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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

funny whodunit play script

MURDER AND OTHER FUN THINGS – OFF THE WALL WHODUNIT PLAY SCRIPT

Murder is the mischief in this grand tale, when a burglar wanders into the Von Cash household but does not make it out alive (lucky for him if you ask me). The butler, the chef, the gardener, the maid,
the clairvoyant and even the madam of the house, Ms. Chattel Von Cash herself (an outrage if you ask her, darling), are all suspects when Detective Schenectady takes it upon himself (poor
unsuspecting sod) to investigate the case.

Old money meets new money madness as the detective discovers this will not be a routine examination of the events of this one day. From the body popping up in different locations within the house itself, to the chef insisting upon using it as his next main ingredient, Schenectady has to defy the amazing obstacles set before him by the extreme
personalities who run the Von Cash mansion. When the culprit is exposed, all hell not so muchbreaks loose, as explodes into something Von Cash would dread to see on her carpet, darling.

Truth will out! But don’t expect to love the consequences, darling.

PRODUCTION HISTORY

Badhuis Theater, Almere, Netherlands – 2023

Author: Geoffrey Stoddard

Genre: Off The Wall Whodunit play script, comedy

Type: Three act play

Cast: 4M 3F

Ages of the actors: Adult

Suitable for: All ages

Length: 3 hours

Set: Changes with the acts.

Act one: A living room. Center stage sits a couch with a coffee table before it. Right center is a small round table with two chairs on either side of it. Up right is a tall bar.

Act two: Operating Room. A table sits in the middle of the room horizontally with a body upon it, face up, the head on the right end.

Act three: Living room

Level of difficulty: 7/10 – the length of the play.