Upstage stars Norma Shearer as Dolly Haven, an aspiring actress. Applying for a secretarial post at a theatrical agency, Dolly makes the acquaintance of vaudevillian Johnny Storm (Oscar Shaw), who has shown up at the office looking for a partner. Before long, the team of Storm and Haven is trodding the boards in every small-time house on the East Coast. When the reviewers single out Dolly at the expense of Johnny, she begins developing a swelled head, and before long no theatrical manager wants to have anything to do with her. She makes her comeback -- and proves that she's a "good sport" in the process -- when she serves as a last-minute substitute for the "target" in a knife-throwing act. But when one knife comes too close to her head to suit her, Dolly faints, awakening in the arms of the forgiving Johnny Storm.
by Hal Erickson
synopsis
