Lola Meredith, played by Lana Turner, is a young widow with a six-year-old daughter named Susie. She moves to New York City with big dreams of making it as a famous actress. However, after several weeks of relentless searching, she struggles to find work and ends up living in a cold-water flat, facing the harsh realities of her pursuit. One fateful summer day on the bustling Coney Island beach, Lola unexpectedly loses her daughter Susie, but luckily, she is quickly reunited with her safe and sound, thanks to Annie Johnson, portrayed by Juanita Moore. Annie, also a widow, is a young black woman with a light complexion, who has an eight-year-old daughter named Sarah Jane. The two girls instantly form a bond, as do their mothers, forging a relationship that becomes central to the story.
Since Annie has no permanent place to stay, she offers to become Lola’s servant and nanny, a gesture of kindness and support. Lola, unable to pay her, agrees to let Annie and her daughter Sarah Jane move in with her, leading to a household filled with both hardship and hope. Meanwhile, on the beach, Lola encounters Steve Archer, an aspiring photographer played by John Gavin, who takes a photograph of the two girls. Steve is attracted to Lola and begins courting her, sensing her longing for a better life. As Lola continues her job search, Annie takes care of the children, handles housework, and takes on menial jobs to help make ends meet, all the while worrying about Sarah Jane, who tries her best to pass as white due to her embarrassment about having a black mother.
Lola enlists the help of agent Allen Loomis, trying to secure acting roles by lying about her background. Loomis, played by Robert Alda, immediately sees through her deception but offers her a deal: he will help make her a star if she agrees to do whatever he asks, regardless of how degrading it might be. Outraged and feeling that her integrity is being compromised, Lola walks away from him. When she confides in Steve about her failed attempt, he encourages her to keep fighting for her dreams. However, things become complicated when Steve sells a photograph of the girls and lands a job with a magazine, prompting him to propose marriage, asking Lola to give up her acting ambitions. She initially accepts, but her chance to work with renowned director David Edwards, played by Dan O'Herlihy, changes her mind. Edwards sees her talent and gives her a small but significant role, which she impresses everyone with, leading to her becoming a star and eventually becoming his lover.
Over the next decade, Lola rises to fame, starring in all of Edwards’s Broadway productions. She, Annie, and her two teenage daughters—Susie, played by Sandra Dee, and Sarah Jane, played by Susan Kohner—move into a large, beautiful house in Manhattan. Despite her professional success, Lola begins to feel unfulfilled with her life, craving more genuine connection rather than fame. Her relationship with Edwards ends as she seeks out roles in more modest, working-class plays, trying to find herself beyond the glitz and glamour. Steve visits her during her celebration after her latest show, and she hints at wanting to reunite with him. Yet, her obsession with her career keeps her distant, and her daughter Susie grows increasingly disenchanted with her mother’s absence.
Susie, feeling neglected, confides in Annie, and their bond deepens. When Lola goes abroad to Europe to star in a movie, Steve steps in to look after Susie, who unexpectedly falls in love with him. Upon Lola’s return, it becomes clear to Susie that Steve has genuine affection for her mother, and their relationship seems headed toward marriage. This realization causes a rift between Lola and Susie, leading to a painful falling out.
Meanwhile, Annie’s health starts to decline, and Sarah Jane begins to draw away from her. In an effort to escape her feelings of alienation, Sarah Jane attempts to pass as white by dating a local high school boy. When her boyfriend discovers she is biracial, he reacts violently, physically assaulting her and ending their relationship. Heartbroken and overwhelmed, Sarah Jane spirals into depression, taking a job as a dancer in a seedy nightclub until Annie intervenes by revealing her own black identity to get her fired. Sarah Jane, overwhelmed, declares she never wants to see her mother again, and she leaves town.
Steve tracks Sarah Jane to Las Vegas, where she is working as a showgirl, and finds her in poor health, likely due to illness. Annie travels there to visit her daughter, promising to stay out of her life but encouraging her to return to New York if she needs help. Sadly, Annie passes away shortly after, leaving Lola and the family devastated. Her funeral is a grand, emotional event, attended by thousands, fulfilling Annie’s wish for a beautiful farewell.
In her final moments, Sarah Jane admits to everyone that she is Annie’s daughter and that she is black. Her raw confession brings a new understanding and acceptance among all involved. In the story's end, Sarah Jane embraces her identity, and she, Lola, Susie, and Steve come together to move forward with hope, unity, and the acknowledgment of their complex identities and shared struggles.
