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Sergius Alexander, a former Russian general, now an extra in Hollywood, is discovered by Leo Andreiev, a onetime revolutionary leader now respectably established as a movie director, and is assigned to play the part of a Russian general.  He is a decrepit old man, hardly able to withstand the wolfish competition of the other movie extras.

A flashback to imperial Russia just before the Revolution shows the former general in his full glory as head of the Russian Army and the director as a revolutionary agitator.  The General strikes Andreiev with his whip and falls in love with Natascha, a spy, but is beaten by the mob and rendered palsied and distraught as he watches the train carrying Natascha plunge into a river.  Now Andreiev orders Sergius Alexander to reenact the scene of a Russian general facing his troops in revolt.  For a few moments he tries to hold them in line, but the emotional strain is fatal, and he collapses, dying.

Notes
The working title of this film was The General.  In later interviews, director Josef von Sternberg claimed that he wrote the original scenario, basing it on an idea given to him by Ernst Lubitsch.  As part of the first Academy Awards, Emil Jannings won a Best Actor Academy Award, in part for his work on this film and for his work on The Way of All Flesh.  Lajos Biro received a certificate of honorable mention in the Best Writing (Original Story) category.