Marilyn Monroe, as a young, unknown actress struggles to obtain an audition, while coping with feelings of despair as she prepares for a dinner date with the Hollywood agent, Johnny Hyde. Years later, following the New York premiere of Bus Stop, she is visited by her acting coach, Paula Strasberg, who reads aloud Marilyn's reviews from the early morning newspapers. Finally, the actress is depicted on the last night of her life in Brentwood, listening to records and drinking champagne as she awaits a mysterious telephone call.