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At
the winter quarters of the Ringling Bros.-Barnum & Bailey Circus in
Sarasota, Florida, dedicated, no-nonsense manager Brad Braden meets with
Ringling executives, led by John Ringling North, and is told that the circus
cannot afford to play small towns during the upcoming season. After
Brad reveals that he has just signed popular European aerialist The Great
Sebastian, however, the executives, anticipating brisk ticket sales, agree
to a full tour. Although most of the performers are grateful for the
extra work, Holly, the circus’ ambitious trapeze star, is devastated, as she
knows that Sebastian will demand the center ring. Despite being in
love with Brad, Holly tearfully reminds him that he had already promised her
the center ring and accuses him of betraying her.
That night, still brooding, Holly discusses her
feelings with kind-hearted clown Buttons, who helps her to see that Brad was
merely putting the best interests of the circus first. Holly also
admits she is confused about her love for Brad, whose obsession with the
circus overshadows their romance. Buttons comments that people often
kill the thing they love most, then states that he "loved once" and will
never love again.
Later, as the circus train is about to depart on
its tour, Sebastian zooms up in his sports car, trailed by several
ticket-wielding policemen. The handsome Sebastian, who enjoys a
reputation as a trouble-making womanizer, is greeted warmly by his former
lover, the "iron-jawed" Phyllis, but Angel, the Elephant Girl, another
ex-paramour, scorns him. Sebastian is immediately attracted to Holly
and offers to give her the center ring, but Brad refuses to make the switch.
Frustrated, Holly issues Sebastian a challenge, bragging that she will outdo
him in the air until Brad is forced to award her the center ring.
Holly’s dare generates great publicity, and audiences delight in watching
the young woman match Sebastian stunt for stunt.
As the stunts become more difficult, however,
Buttons and Brad grow concerned, and Brad finally orders Holly to stop the
"dog fight." Holly, however, enjoys the thrill of the duel and insists
on continuing. When the worldly Angel warns Holly not to sacrifice
Brad for Sebastian, Holly retorts that Brad only loves the circus.
Later, during a performance, Buttons, who never
removes his clown makeup, spots his mother in the audience and
surreptitiously speaks with her. The old woman warns Buttons that the
"men" are still looking for him, but he assures her that he is safe as long
as he remains in costume.
Brad then upsets Holly when he yanks her down in
mid-trick and the audience laughs at her. Furious, Holly allows
Sebastian to romance her after the show until Angel directs one of her
elephants to scoop her up with his tusks and deliver her to Brad.
After Brad explains that he stopped the stunt because the rope she was using
was about to break, Holly forgives him and agrees to end the duel.
Angel,
meanwhile, must contend with Klaus, the elephant trainer, who is jealous of
Sebastian and frustrated by Angel’s repeated rejections. Sure that
Angel would love him if he had more money, Klaus talks with Harry, a thug
who operates crooked side show games for racketeer Henderson. When
Brad learns about Harry, he orders him to pack up and go, and the two men
fight. Henderson warns Brad about opposing him, but Brad is not
intimidated.
Meanwhile Sebastian, who senses he is losing
Holly, announces he is performing a new, dangerous stunt and, when Holly
teases him about the safety net that Brad has ordered for the center ring,
Sebastian disengages the net before going on. Unprepared for the
stunt, Sebastian misses his mark and falls to the ground, stunning the
crowd. After the broken Sebastian is carried off on a stretcher, Brad
tells Holly she is "center ring" now, and Holly cries with guilt.
Sometime later, a recuperated Sebastian strolls
into the circus camp and tells Holly and Brad that he has been hired by a
rival circus, whose women, he hears, are especially beautiful. Holly
is hurt by Sebastian’s apparent fickleness, but Brad senses that Sebastian
is lying and grabs his coat off his arm, exposing Sebastian’s crippled right
hand. Surmising that Sebastian returned only because he is in love
with her, Holly declares her love and insists on taking care of him.
One night, after Angel makes a final attempt at
discouraging her about Sebastian, Holly notices a discarded magazine article
about a doctor "who killed the thing he loved." Holly shows the item
to Buttons, pointing out the phrase Buttons had used with her, but Buttons
shrugs it off.
With the way now clear, Angel goes after Brad,
and he happily accepts her attentions. Angel’s new romance makes Klaus
irate, and, during their act, he threatens her as she lies under the raised
foot of an elephant. Brad rushes into the ring and pulls Angel to
safety, then fires Klaus.
In revenge, Klaus plots with Harry to rob the
circus’ money car that night, while Brad is approached by a detective who is
on the trail of a doctor wanted for the mercy killing of his terminally ill
wife. Brad claims not to recognize the photograph the detective shows
him but gives him permission to fingerprint some of the performers on the
train. Buttons, meanwhile, discovers that Sebastian, who now works as
a balloon seller, has some feeling in his bad hand, a sign that the damage
is not irreparable, and later on the train, reports the good news to Brad.
Although
Brad and Buttons have never discussed Buttons’ past, Brad has deduced that
Buttons is the fugitive doctor and warns him about the detective. Brad
then deliberately provokes Sebastian into taking a swing at him, and
Sebastian realizes that he has sensation in his damaged hand.
Overjoyed, Sebastian races to see Holly and, believing that he will be able
to "fly" again, proposes.
Just then, however, Klaus and Harry set a trap
to stop the front train, which contains the money car, and steal the
strongbox. When Klaus suddenly realizes that the second train, on
which the performers and animals are traveling, is fast approaching and will
collide with the front train, he drives Harry’s car onto the tracks and
tries to signal the engineer. The engineer cannot stop in time,
however, and Harry is crushed between the two trains and passengers and
animals are sent flying.
Although Klaus is the only fatality, Brad is
pinned under some rubble and the circus doctor is knocked out.
Desperate to save the bleeding Brad, Holly, who has also figured out
Buttons’ identity, asks the clown to tend to his wound and, although he
knows that by doing so, he will expose himself to the detective, Buttons
agrees. When Buttons declares that a transfusion is needed, Sebastian,
who has the same rare blood type as Brad, volunteers. The transfusion
is a success, and Brad is saved. Brad then orders that the show go on,
despite the destruction of the big top, and Holly suggests they hold the
circus in the nearby field.
Buoyed by her rekindled love for Brad, Holly
directs the others in setting up the impromptu circus and leads a colorful
parade into Cedar City, their next scheduled stop. Back at the train
wreck, Henderson offers to buy Brad’s "washed-up" venture and is stunned
when a huge crowd comes marching up, eager to buy tickets. After
Buttons gives himself up to the detective, Brad declares his love to Holly,
and Sebastian proposes to Angel. Under the bright blue sky, the
Greatest Show on Earth then goes on. |
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