It is the fall of 1924 in Los Angeles. Darla Darling, a veteran vaudeville actress, has been performing for most of her life.

Suddenly, without any notice, she finds herself fired because she’s too old. Forced to take odd jobs, Darla slips into a deep depression—a feeling that her true calling has left her behind.

Can Darla escape her tawdry world of cigarettes and alcohol to reclaim her natural place among the stars of a new era?

Can Darla chase her barely whispered dream of conquering the new age of the Motion Picture?

No, she can’t.

She can’t because no one will take her seriously.

She can’t because she hasn’t learned to read or write.

She can’t because Darla Darling is only five years old.