The Madagascar Pigeon

After a dame gives him a cockamamie story about a sea voyage, an East Asian souvenir, and some unwanted attention from a trio of hooligans, a statue of a bird drops in the lap of San Francisco private eye Jaguar Beault, triggering a comic romp. The adventure pits Beault against a cluster of gun-totin, obsessed and creepy villains of both sexes who hound him to turn over the repulsive bird and the hidden jewels and gems ancient legends lead them to believe it holds. Does this sound familiar? Maybe. The Madagascar Pigeon spoofs The Maltese Falcon, the acclaimed Dashiell Hammett-Sam Spade mystery born on the foggy streets of San Francisco. He’s not quite Sam Spade in the clutches of The Falcon, so Jaguar Beault goes to his detecting roots, including pluck and friends, to try to stay alive as he looks down the barrels of a slew of pistols and plots the exposure of a murderer. Along the way, he falls into impossible love with a beautiful lesbian who says Beault’s gay brother is a dreamboat. Beault captions this “the shipwreck of his love life.” San Francisco’s top homicide cop busts Beault’s chops every chance he gets. The odds are stacked against Mr. Beault, but take the points because there could be an upset. Crime capers can be funny even when bullets are flying.