Retired trapeze artist Boss Huller is living with his wife and infant son in Hamburg. One day, he hires a Mysterious Waif named Bertha-Marie for the girlie sideshow he runs. Entranced by her, Huller decides to leave his wife for the newer and younger model. He and Bertha-Marie run away to Berlin, where they start doing their own trapeze act. Later, fellow trapeze artist Artinelli hires them, and they form a three-person act. They also form a Love Triangle when Bertha-Marie begins having an affair with Artinelli. Oh no, what is this world coming to when you can't trust your mistress to stay faithful?
In 1926, Paramount distributed an edited version of this film in the United States.
This film has the examples of:
- Bowdlerise: Among other edits, the 1926 American release took out the first reel, making it look like Bertha-Marie is Huller's wife rather than his mistress.
- Cheater Gets Cheated On: Huller leaves his wife for another woman only for his mistress to leave him for another man.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Huller becomes one when his mistress has the gall to cheat on him.
- A Deadly Affair: In the end, Huller murders Artinelli for having an affair with Bertha-Marie.
- How We Got Here: The film starts off with Huller in prison for murder. The majority of the film is his account of how he ended up there.
- Imagine Spot: Right before a trapeze act, Huller imagines dropping Artinelli to his death.
- Implied Rape: Artinelli and Bertha-Marie's relationship seems to begin with him raping her. Apparently, she's just into that because she's with him willingly afterwards.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Huller feels so guilty about committing murder that he immediately hands himself into the police and apparently makes no effort to defend himself at his trial.
- Slut-Shaming: Frau Huller takes one look at Bertha-Marie's sexy outfit and declares, "we have enough of her kind." Given subsequent developments, Frau Huller is probably just Genre Savvy.
- The Vamp: Bertha-Marie is a typical silent-movie vamp, who is totally okay with being a homewrecker and then cheating on the guy who left his wife for her. Her actress, Lya De Putti, was Typecast as vamps.
- You Are Number 6: In prison, Huller is known as "Number 28."
