Daredevil Rinaldi gears up to perform his big, death-defying dive at the Whitneyville carnival, only to be too intoxicated at the time of the jump to perform. Deacon McCallister, who runs the carnival, has no idea what he’s going to do to give the people the entertainment they desire–until a 20-year-old boy named Stan volunteers to take Rinaldi’s place. The Deacon is hesitant but gives Stan the job nevertheless. Stan is inexperienced, but he vows that he can do it. However, when Stan meets Rinaldi, Rinaldi accuses Deacon of being a murderer for letting the boy do such a dangerous task. To keep Stan motivated to jump the Deacon gives Stan an advance of 50 dollars, which Stan spends around town with his friends. He uses the last bit of the money to buy a gift for his mother. The night of the jump, his father shows up, begging him to come home and not do the jump. Stan doesn’t listen, but he gives his father the gift for his mother. Once he’s up on the ramp, Stan hears the disapproving voices of Rinaldi and his family, but he jumps anyways. He crashes into a tank and is injured badly, but the crowd surrounds him, cheering him on. Despite his pain, Stan vows exuberantly that he could do it again.