 Down on his luck and heavily in debt, Charlie Raymond reads a newspaper advertisement asking for a native Londoner who is willing to accompany a British visitor on a trip from New York to San Francisco. He meets with Hendricks, the man who placed the ad, who agrees to hire him for the trip. As they drive across the country, Hendricks talks and incessantly asks questions about London, as Charlie grows increasingly bored. Charlie is just about to run off and leave Hendricks on his own, when he discovers his employer s reason for going to San Francisco, and sees an opportunity for himself.