The film shows the everyday life of the slowly disappearing world of the circus with a cast of amateur actors.

The winner of the 1957 Mr Universe competition, Arthur Robin, played himself in the film, as did a number of other members of the cast.

[4] Tairo, a young circus liontamer, loses a lucky horseshoe charm that had been bent out of iron by strongman Arthur Robin, a former winner of the Mr. Universe competition.

After several things go wrong for Tairo and he becomes disenchanted with life, he goes on a search for Arthur Robin to ask him to make a new lucky horseshoe.

Tairo reunites with many of his relatives as he searches for Robin, whom he eventually finds living with his wife in a caravan park in Milan.