A satire on the ups and downs of being a black actor in Hollywood. Bobby Taylor, a young black actor whose attempts to find work are dashed when told that he's not ₁black enough₂ for the roles being offered. With jobs limited to stereotypes (gang-bangers, pimps and Uncle Toms'), Bobby's struggles are told through a series of comic fantasies and dreams.

Follows the increasingly elaborate deception of a down-on-his-luck New York actor who disguises himself as a woman to get a coveted soap opera gig; while his female persona skyrockets to fame, he finds himself learning to be a better man.

One of the earliest and best-loved films of this period in his career, which balances a realistic depiction of tormented romance with staging that remains true to the director's roots in experimental theater. This unforgettable, unforgiving dissection of the imbalanced relationship between a haughty fashion designer and a beautiful but icy ingenue, based, in a sly gender reversal, on the writer-director's own desperate obsession with a young actor....

The leading lady is recovering from a nervous breakdown, another performer is soused on the set, unions threaten to walk, shooting must finish before the insurance lapses and a cat can't hit its mark. Is this any way to make a film?