Atalanta Studios is in financial trouble, and the board hires Atterbury Dodd, a no-nonsense efficiency expert from Wall Street, to assess its value. Dodd's lack of experience in the film industry leads to awkward but insightful encounters with studio personnel. Among them is Lester Plum, a former child star turned stand-in, who helps guide Dodd through the chaotic world of moviemaking.

Dodd discovers that entrenched studio politics, lavish productions, and questionable business practices are contributing to the studio's downfall. He develops an unexpected bond with many of the studio's workers, particularly Lester Plum, who stands by him in tough times. As Dodd begins to navigate these intricacies, his analytical methods clash with Hollywood’s creative spirit, but the hints of a hidden agenda behind the studio's mismanagement begin to surface.