In 1915, Kansas theatre usher Merton Gill is a rabid silent-movie fan. When he brings Mammoth Studios free publicity by imitating star Lawrence Rupert's heroics, they bring him to Hollywood to generate another headline; he thinks he'll get a movie contract. Disillusioned, he haunts the casting offices, where he meets and is consoled by Phyllis Montague, bit player and stunt-woman. When Merton finally gets his "break," though, it's not quite what he envisioned.

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
• Red Skelton
• Virginia O'Brien
• Gloria Grahame
• Leon Ames
• Alan Mowbray
• Charles D. Brown
• Hugo Haas
• Harry Hayden