Sonny Daye arrives in Hollywood after the death of his mother. His personality is characterized by his thoughtful silence and his cousin, Franky Syde, sees in Sonny an exploitable visionary. When he takes Sonny's journal to a couple of seedy producers, their cynicism melts away as they realize the what they have is an entertainment goldmine. The producer Sid Dalgren is the most ruthless of the lot and seeks to control Sonny and to exploit his creativity for his own financial gain.