Hollywood's glittering stars and starlets have always been the envy of the movie-going public. With their fame, wealth and lush lifestyles, they epitomize the "good life" we find so glamorous. Yet every pleasure has its price, and sometimes bearing the burden of fame can be an overwhelming task. All too often, celebrities find refuge and solace in a bottle of booze, a vial of pills, or a dirty syringe...and destroy their careers, families, and lives in the process. Through exclusive footage and little known facts, When the Applause Died (1990) (V)takes an uncensored, shocking look at Hollywood's brightest stars and music's hottest rockers who burned out and faded away due to their own self-abuse. Spencer Tracy, William Holden, Errol Flynn...names that conjure images of self-satisfied greatness. And yet despite their fame and fortune, these stars and many others featured in this documentary were unable to enjoy the fruits of their labor without numbing themselves to what should have been an idyllic existence. Written by Ray Etheridge