Eva Lovelace (Katharine Hepburn), a girl from a New England country town, has but one burning ambition: to become a successful stage actress. Arriving in New York, she manages to make friends quickly and even lands a small part in a Broadway show. Eva's big chance comes when the show's star (Mary Duncan) tries to strong-arm producer Louis Easton (Adolphe Menjou) for more money just before the curtain goes up. Easton resists, fires the star and puts Eva on stage in her place. Naturally, she's a smash. Success also brings romance, and Eva becomes entangled in a love triangle with Easton and writer Joseph Sheridan (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.).