Peter Falk does a spoof of Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, and probably The Big Sleep and some other stuff. There's the search for a priceless treasure by a fat guy, a woman constantly changing her name (played by Madeline Khan, but I wish they'd given her more to work with), Falk's old flame that ditched him run off with a French Resistance leader, who is in danger from the Nazi's Cincinnati consul (despite being in San Francisco). Falk's suspected of murdering his partner, because he was sleeping with the guy's wife. The whole nine yards.
I was expecting more of a straight murder mystery, albeit with a comedic bent. Something closer to the Thin Man films, where it can be lighthearted, but there's still a real mystery to solve. This is more like Airplane! but not anywhere near as funny.
Which isn't to say there aren't amusing parts, but I think the better moments are when the movie goes further from what it's spoofing. Falk coming up with different excuses to stiff the cabbies. (Would have enjoyed his being framed being the work of irate cab drivers.) The gag about the murderer's victims all staying in the position they were in when they were shot. Falk's bad luck when he goes to meet Mr. Blubber.
Really, if they'd just junked all the Casablanca stuff, it probably would have been fine. It clutters the movie and doesn't do anything but get annoying, since both the DuChards are so irritating I can't understand why Falk wants Marlene back. I want them off the screen every time they appear.
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