Frustrated film director Sullivan (Joel McCrea) is fed up with serving out easily digestible but ultimately meaningless chunks of comedy for the studios. He decides to set off across America to rediscover the daily lives of the Joe Lunchpails as research for his socially responsible next film, O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU' Giving up all his unnecessaries, he begins his cross-country road trip in hobo's clothes with barely a dime in his pocket to regain his focus.