Big Sam Hannigan sees himself as a righteous, truth-seeking patriot, defending the American way against a rising tide of left-wing unionism, strikes, and disruption that plague his home town. Every month, he also makes secret overnight trips on behalf of 'Cousin Joseph' a mysterious man on the phone he has never laid eyes on to pay off Hollywood producers to ensure that they will film only upbeat films that idealize a mythic America. But Sam, himself, is not in for a happy ending, as the secret of his unseen mentor's duplicity is slowly revealed to him.