The year is 1936. Orphaned Addie Loggins is left in the care of unethical travelling Bible salesman Moses Pray (Tatum's dad), who may or may not be her father. En route to Addie's relatives, Moses learns that the 9-year-old is quite a handful: she smokes, cusses, and is almost as devious and manipulative as he is. They join forces as swindlers, working together so well that Addie is averse to breaking up the team -- which is one reason that she sabotages the romance between Moses and good-time gal Trixie Delight. Later, while attempting to square a $200 debt that Addie claims he owes her, Moses runs afoul of a bootlegger and is nearly beaten to death by the criminal's twin-brother sheriff. Painfully pulling himself together, Moses gets Addie to her relatives, whereupon she adamantly refuses to leave his side. The first example of a film shot in black-and-white as a throwback instead of a necesity.