Jerome Arthur

The Journeyman and the Apprentice Jerome Arthur

It's 1954 and the post-war growth of Los Angeles has slipped into recession. Carlos Rangel's two-chair barber shop has fallen on hard times, and he spends more time playing his saxophone than cutting hair. Enter personable Jack Niel, a confident apprentice barber with a flair for cutting hair and developing a clientele. Jack is smitten by Carlos' daughter Carmela at a local drive-in restaurant, and upon learning that her father owns a barber shop, he decides to solicit Carlos for a job. Over the next nine months, Jack not only helps to rehabilitate the business, he also gets engaged to Carmela, despite the initial opposition from her mother, Teresa. This is the tale of honest, hardworking people trying to overcome the challenges of everyday life. It is also a poignant story of reconciliation and cultural acceptance which remains timeless.