Ma Quail robs the till in her husband's drugstore in order to finance singing and dancing lessons for her eight year old daughter Sally. Years pass, and domineering, ambitious Ma Quail drives her daughter into a career in show business, guiding her from amateur nights to vaudeville and finally to the Broadway big time. Although Sally becomes a fine dramatic actress, her mother never allows her to develop a personality of her own and strictly forbids her any romantic life; whenever Sally falls in love with a young fellow, Ma drives him away. Sally eventually has a nervous breakdown, and a doctor makes Ma realize that she is ruining her daughter's life. Ma then reunites Sally with the boy she loves, and Sally returns to her former prominence as an actress.