Bouglione (Thomas Gomez) has a circus that needs a spectacular act to keep it solvent. A young American athlete named Tino Orsini (Tony Curtis) shows up and tries to convince retired Mike Ribble (Burt Lancaster) to start up his career again doing dangerous somersaults on the trapeze. Mike tries to teach Tino all the stunts, but the matter is complicated when Lola (Gina Lollobrigida) thinks those two are better than her partners. She encourages them to bring her into the act, much to the distress of Mike’s girlfriend Rosa (Katy Jurado). Lola gets what she wants, as usual, but tensions between the rival men for her affection could adversely change the act high above the crowds.