The son of the Countess Mensdorf, unable to stand his mother's relationship with the hated Baron Von Mallock, flees to the circus and becomes the famous trapeze artist Frattani. After many years he returns home and meets Madeleine, a young dancer. They fall in love and he wants to give up the circus and have a normal life. But when he returns to his mother he finds she doesn't recognize him, and the evil Baron is willing to do anything to get Frattani out of the way.