过气演员诺玛（葛洛丽亚·斯旺森GloriaSwanson饰）已经将近50岁，已经的风华旷世正在她居住的芜秽豪宅里慢慢干涸，身旁只有密友马克思（埃里克·施特罗海姆ErichvonStroheim）伺奉。她没摒弃重燃光辉的胡想，《莎乐美》的剧本正待编写，而回躲债权逃至此地的衰败编剧乔（威廉·霍尔登WilliamHolden饰），恰是这项事业的最好候选。诺玛收收留他住…

Lady Mary Lasenby is a spoiled maiden who always gets her way until shipwrecked with her butler, then learns which qualities are really admirable in a person.