Small town America: the Cohens own a movie theater; the Kellys own a diner. Kitty Kelly and Maurice Cohen are young lovers; Maurice sends Kitty's picture to a movie studio, and they accept her and make her a star. Soon, the Kelly family is living the high life; they write a postcard to the Cohens, who take a polite "wish you were here" as an invitation to sell everything. The Kellys shun the Cohens, who they now see as gauche. But when sound films are introduced, Kitty is no longer a star, and composer Maurice suddenly makes his family rich (for a while) .