A lonely would-be stand-up comic is desperate to become a celebrity, an ambition that has left him with a tenuous grip on reality. After a fleeting encounter with his chat-show host hero, he imagines they have become friends. However, when the presenter refuses to endorse his career, the comic resorts to kidnapping him and hijacking the show. Martin Scorsese's black comedy, starring Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis.

Aspiring comic Rupert Pupkin attempts to achieve success in show business by stalking his idol, a late night talk-show host who craves his own privacy.