Set in New Orleans in 1938, "Daddys Gone A-Hunting" presents a city that is rigidly separated along racial lines. Wesley Farrell is a black nightclub owner who can pass for white. He hones his skills as a private investigator on the side. Another black nightclub owner, Carol Donovan, asks Farrell for help. She claims a local gangster named Archie Badeaux is harassing her and trying to put her out of business.