Mack and Mabel

Mack is a film creator and director in the early years of movie-making in America. He is loyal to the genre of the silent comedy, even though the films of his time were mostly tear-producing dramas or loud, showy movies. He meets Mabel in the deli where she works, and he turns her into a star of the screen. In her debut film, the now-conventional gesture of pie-throwing is seen for the first time. They also become romantically involved in the process. Mabel desires to become more than a silent comic actress, so she soon runs off with another filmmaker, who will cast her in the roles that she now desires. Much later, Mack and Mabel reunite, but she leaves again as she learns that Mack will never give up his love for silent comedies. There is no happy ending in this musical, as Mack and Mabel do not come together in a final, teary scene.