George Valentin is the superstar of Hollywood cinema of the 1920s. The incomparable charmer and daredevil wins the hearts of the audience. He celebrates his fame and accidentally discovers the talent of the extra Peppy Miller. But with the turning point from silent films to talkies, the two actors are suddenly caught between fame and ruin: Valentin refuses to accept that talkies are threatening to overrun his career. For Peppy Miller, however, the new technology means a breakthrough.