Some of My Favourite Spoofs & Parodies
“Somewhere a Roscoe”
October 15, 1938, The New Yorker
By S.J. Perelman
The humourist’s affectionate tribute to pulp writer Robert Leslie Bellem and his greatest creation, Hollywood orb, Dan Turner.- “The White Rabbit Caper”
November 19, 1941, The New Yorker
By James Thurber
A parody of the tough guy P.I. in which all the characters are animals. It’s a wandering rabbit job, with hard-boiled Fred Fox called in by old Mrs. Rabbit to find Daphne, one of her descendants. - “Farewell My Lovely Appetizer”
December 16, 1944, The New Yorker
By S.J. Perelman
One of the all-time great spoofs of the entire private eye genre, zeroing in on the excesses of everyone from Sam Spade to Dan Turner, and particularly Marlowe and his band of world-weary descendants. Mike Noonan is the shamus who leads the charge… - “Kiss Me, Dudley”
January 1955, Manhunt
By Hunt Collins
Private orb Dudley Sledge is an absolutely spot-on parody of Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer by Collins (actually Ed McBain). - “Green Gravy for the Blush”
March 1971, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
By Jon Breen
A Travis McGee parody. - “The Big Recall”
February 1972, National Lampoon
By Henry Beard
Ralph Nader. Consumer advocate, political activist, presidential candidate and… hard-boiled private eye. Fasten your seat belt. - Guy Noir: Radio Private Eye
Possibly the longest-running (intentional) parody of the genre, and a regular feature on NPR’s A Praire Home Companion, which ran, as Guy himself might say, since “Jesus was in the third grade.” PHC head honcho Garrison Keillor wrote and starred as Guy Noir. - NPR’s “The Fury at Colonus”
2010
By Alexander Jablokov
The classic Greek tragedies, collectively known as The Oresteia, retold as a hard-boiled police procedural, told from the point of view of a Fury. As the author says, “Either you really want to read it… or you really don’t.” If you like this site, you will… - Mater, Private Eye
2010, Pixar/Disney
This animated short, a spin-off of the hit film Cars, with its entire cast played by automobiles, is a certified hoot—one of the goofiest, snappiest and funniest riffs on the Shamus Game in years. It’s hero? A gap-toothed, dilapidated tow truck who recalls his time as a private eye. - “Donald Trump, Private Eye”
October 18, 2016, The New Yorker
By River Clegg
Not just a spoof of the genre, but also a delicious snap-shot of soon-to-be POTUS #45 (and #47), caught just as the pre-election Access Hollywood incident hit the fan. Or it’s fake news. Take your pick. - Forks Out
2025, Netflix
This quickie, all-Muppet spoof from the Sesame Street gang gently lampoons the Knives Out movie franchise and Daniel Craig’s portrayal of Benoit Blanc (he’s called Beignet Blanc here), while offering a fair play mystery (“Who stole Cookie Monster’s pie?”), and a plot twist Agatha Christie might approve of. Not bad for something just a little over five minutes long.
FURTHER INVESTIGATION
- Are You Trying to Be Funny?
The Funniest Eyes
RECOMMENDED READING
- The Defective Detective: Mystery Parodies by the Great Humorists (1992) | Buy this book
This fantastic collection (pictured), edited by Steve Carper, contains many of the above parodies. - Gun in Cheek (1982) and Son of Gun in Cheek (1987)
Bill Pronzini sings the praises of his beloved “alternative classics” Essential reading.
Report respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.
