The Wagons Roll at Night

Nick Coster runs a traveling carnival on a marginal basis and supplements its income by having pickpockets work the crowd. Because of his disdain for carnival life, he has pledged to keep his innocent younger sister away from the carnival and its workers. He does have warm feelings for Flo, the show's gypsy fortune teller, who takes offense to his derogatory view of the way they make a living. The show's top attraction is lion tamer Hoffman the Great, whose drinking and cruelty to his big cats is problematic. When one of the lions escapes and threatens a baby, small town grocery clerk Matt Varney is able to stand up to the beast and captures it. Nick realizes Matt's worth and grooms him to replace the unreliable Hoffman. However, when Matt and Nick's sister fall in love, Coster's feelings toward the sincere young man sour quickly.