A stage-actress mother and her daughter wage a battle of wills in a "don't do this, daughter" and "don't do that, daughter" story of youthful folly and over-zealous parental devotion.

Ma Quail robs the till in her husband's drugstore to finance singing and dancing lessons for her eight-year-old daughter Sally. Years later, domineering, ambitious Ma Quail drives her daughter into a show-business career, 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 her own personality and strictly forbids her any romantic life; whenever Sally falls in love with a young fellow, Ma drives him away. Eventually, Sally 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.—Pamela short