Karel Cernik (Fredric March) is the owner of a small Czech circus that's been in his family for generations. When the Communists take over, officials begin to dictate almost every aspect of how the tight-knit group can operate. Karel's wife, Zama (Gloria Grahame), becomes increasingly frustrated with the restricted situation, and Karel must struggle to find a way to to escape Communist rule by fleeing the country so that the circus can thrive again.