Hollywood, 1926. At a noisy party at a producer's mansion, an aspiring actress, Nellie Laroy, and a male production worker, Manny Torres, meet. The event is not only fun, but also good for both: Nelly gets an invitation to a movie shoot, and Manny takes home a drunken silent film star, Jack Conrad, who asks the guy to work as his assistant. So both get on a movie set and start making a career in film: Nellie as an actor and Manny as an assistant producer. In the meantime, progress continues, and sound films are gaining popularity.