"T he Prophet of San Francisco" is both a true-life historical drama about a great
American hero, and a fictitious present-day tale about a passionate, charismatic
Congressman who is determined to bring George's long-forgotten, but
remarkably prescient ideas to the world.
The two stories, deftly intertwined, unfold on parallel tracks, until they merge into
a singular inspirational story of brilliant prophetic vision and the struggle to make
it real.
Over a century ago, Henry George was a wildly popular journalist and social
reformer who saw how poverty, homelessness, unemployment and suffering
continue to grow despite the ever-accelerating progress of the industrial world.
From his own beginnings in abject poverty, George carves out a name for
himself, fighting corruption, exposing greed, and developing his brilliant theory of
economics that explains why the prevailing system can never succeed in bringing
prosperity and justice for all. His proposed remedy is a stroke
of genius that captures the imagination of his
generation.
In 1879, he publishes his magnum opus, "Progress and Poverty," which sells more than
five and a half million copies and makes him one of America's most famous and beloved
leaders. By popular demand he is drafted to run for Mayor of New York City in defiance
of the crooked political bosses of Tammany Hall who – so far – own the town.
Fast-forward to present-day America, where Congressman Joshua Bannon
is running for the Senate seat vacated by his old college buddy, Presidential
candidate Bob Montaigne. Henry George has long fallen into obscurity; but
Bannon lives and breathes George's revolutionary idea of a Single Tax that will
rectify and simplify the Tax Code, and empower both labor and capital to prosper
and thrive.
History doesn't exactly repeat itself...but it rhymes: just as George went up
against the corruption of his time, Bannon must do battle with the kingmakers,
the power-brokers, the entrenched vested interests and global market
manipulators. Like the 19th-century bosses who bought the vote and stole the
Mayoral election from Henry George, these far more sophisticated modern-day puppeteers will
do whatever it takes to bring Bannon down. Josh Bannon assembles a motley, unlikely crew of
allies in his struggle, including a beautiful investigative reporter and TV anchorwoman who's
been fired by the powers-that-be for asking too many tough questions; a radical artist and
street-theater activist with a spectacular flair for technology; and a college professor and his lovely
young student, whose sharp intelligence and Madison-Avenue chops form the
brain-trust to articulate the vision...
"The Prophet of San Francisco" is a modern-day "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington".
Edgy and witty in the tradition of Frank Capra, fast-moving and sharply smart in
a Paddy Chayefsky kind of way, it is written in a hip, lyrical, contemporary yet
classical style that makes it not just a timeless story, but one that carries the
potential to spark genuine positive change.