An aspiring actress (Baxter) maneuvers her way into the life of a Broadway star (Davis) and her close-knit circle of friends. As she plots her rise to the top, the ingenue is aided by the acid-pen of a shrewdly cynical theater critic (Sanders) who sees through her benevolent façade. The ultimate backstage story features one of the all-time great acting ensembles (including a young Marilyn Monroe) reveling in larger-than-life performances and trading the nastiest of barbs…a bumpy ride, indeed.