John L. Sullivan
Sullivan has been a very successful director of Hollywood films throughout the years of the Great Depression. He has reached an existential crisis however; he wants to make a serious movie that is important. As such, he options a socially conscious novel titled “O Brother, Where Art Thou.” Before he feels he can do justice to such an important and serious story, however, he feels he must come to understand the common man and the realities of the harsh economic realities existing in America outside the safe environs of his rich Hollywood existence. The first few attempts to go undercover as a common man among the common men are brought up short directly as a result of his alienation from the common man. Only after he meets a young woman with a better understanding of those harsh realities does he finally manage to make it out of California.
Mr. Lebrand
Mr. Lebrand is the studio chief whom Sullivan announces his desire to go serious. As a committed capitalist who doesn’t even pretend to understand how a produce might have meaning to its creator, Lebrand’s only response is to try to press Sullivan just do funny. And then do funny some more.
Burrows
The very idea that a famous film director with absolutely no connection to the real life world outside Hollywood could go undercover among the unemployed of America when the Depression was still going strong and Pearl Harbor would not occur until three days after the film’s release in theater does not seem like a ridiculously misguided idea to anyone associated with the picture business except those who serve those in the picture business. Like Sullivan’s butler, Burrow, for instance.
Sullivan's Valet
Just as he should have listened to his butler, so should Sullivan have listened to his valet. Or so it seems at first. The valet joins his working class comrade is exhibiting far more intuition about what Sullivan can expect on his travels into the real world outside Hollywood. But then again, had the director listened to those who seemed to know better, he would probably not have learned the valuable lesson that there is something “to be said for making people laugh. Did you know that that's all some people have? It isn't much, but it's better than nothing in this cockeyed caravan.”
The Girl
The Girl is one of the plentiful who have trekked to Los Angeles in search of Hollywood dreams only to come up short. Believing that Sullivan is the poor soul he pretends to be, she buys him food only to very quickly find out he is a Hollywood connection. Pretending not to be interested in the movies, she takes off him on his travels and winds up becoming his main squeeze now that Mrs. Sullivan has proven beyond doubt that she is irredeemably unfaithful.
