The circus clown Joe Higgins is scouted by a world famous artist agent, who promises him fame and fortune. Joe takes the offer on one condition: His fiancèe Daisy and her parents are coming with him. Soon, Joe finds himself performing on the biggest stages in the city, enthralling his audience night after night. But the glamorous life in the big city is no fairy tale after all.

The opium smoker Hugo is the youngest son of Baron von Kaufmann, who also is a victim of the drug habit. Hugo is insanely jealous of his older brother Ernest. When Ernst's engagement with beautiful Henny is announced at a costume ball Hugo he gets furious. Observed by his valet he is calmed down. Hugo's valet see's his opportunity to strengthen his position. The film was banned in Denmark. Instead it opened in Finland.

Count de Croisset becomes infatuated with the star dancer Odette Blant. She accepts his offer of marriage, but must promise to abandon the stage forever. She sorely misses performing, however, and when the theatre manager Delage asks her to step in after his star is injured, she agrees. Her husband is at the theatre and recognizes her. Thinking she is having an affair with Delage, he challenges him to a duel. Each duellist must swallow a pill, one of which supposedly contains a deadly poison. This is Delage’s idea, allowing him (with the help of his uncle, the apothecary Michot) to engineer a happy ending for all concerned.