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After gazing enviously at the movie stars attending a sparkling premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Gertrude Smith, a pretty eighteen-year-old aspiring actress, compares her dainty footsteps with those of her idols embedded in the theater's entrance and finally settles into Mary Pickford's.  Depressed because she has failed to become a star, Gertrude decides to drink poison in the theater's lobby.  Her attempt at suicide is prevented by Jimmy Reed, a well known but lonely columnist, who earlier had noticed the fetching girl.

Her ambition impresses Jimmy, and he tries to help her by sending her to beauty experts and dressmakers.  He also builds her up in his column and takes her out to be seen in all of the "right" places.  Gertrude changes her name to Greta Swan, and Jimmy's hard work on her behalf pays off when he secures a screen test for her.

As Gertrude becomes more well-known, she attracts the attentions of Carp, a sinister studio hanger-on who wants to become her manager, and Joe Hammond, an assistant director.  Gertrude encourages their interest and thoughtlessly gives Jimmy the brush off as she immerses herself in the Hollywood social whirl.  Jimmy is left hopelessly in love with her and begins to despair that she is selling herself to advance her career.  Gertrude, like the majority of her fellow actresses, desires to work with Frederick Landau, a brilliant, egotistical director who is notorious both for his love affairs with his leading ladies and his indifference to his long-suffering wife.  Gertrude uses all of her charm to replace actress Millie Coreen in Landau's affections, and with his direction, becomes a star in a successful film.

One night, Gertrude attends a party given by Landau, at which his weary wife begs him to stop humiliating her with his very public affairs.  Landau curtly dismisses her, and after writing a note blaming Gertrude for her misfortunes, Mrs.  Landau commits suicide.  To protect Gertrude, the loyal Jimmy suppresses the story, but the cover-up is endangered by Carp, who finds the suicide note and tries to blackmail Gertrude with it.  Gertrude asks Jimmy for his help, and the couple confront Carp in his hillside home.  Jimmy succeeds in persuading Carp to give up the note, but a fight ensues and Carp is killed as he falls down the slope.  Jimmy is arrested for murder, but Gertrude bravely reveals the whole story.  She realizes that the scandal will ruin her career, but is content to know that she has saved Jimmy's life.  Jimmy is vindicated, and Gertrude takes on the role of Jimmy's wife.