A Modern Hero

The circus rolls into Pentland, Illinois, drawing Joanna Ryan toward the charismatic trick rider Pierre Radier. Their attraction quickly becomes a secret romance that promises glamour beyond small-town life. This romance sets Pierre on a path that blends ambition, wealth, and desire.

Pierre's mother, Madame Azais, a one-armed circus star, warns him about chasing love at the expense of his ambitions. She recounts how a leopard cost her arm when she was distracted by her love for Pierre's father. Her warning frames the tension between affection and the drive for wealth.

Joanna's pregnancy becomes public after her drunken father confronts Pierre, and he dies in an accident soon after. Pierre offers to marry Joanna to take responsibility, but she chooses the familiar stability of small-town life and marries Elmer Croy instead.

Pierre provides money for the child's support and arranges regular assistance to ensure Joanna and the baby are cared for despite their separation. His generosity foreshadows his ongoing desire to influence Joanna's life from afar.

Aunt Clara arranges for Pierre to meet his newborn son and introduces him to Leah Ernst, a wealthy widow. Pierre borrows money from Leah and becomes her lover as part of his ascent into high society and business.

With Leah's backing, Pierre and Henry Mueller open a bicycle shop that becomes a local success. The venture paves the way for their move into the growing automobile business, drawing in Homer Flint as a backer and partner.

Leah asks Madame Azais for advice, only to be warned that she cannot hold Pierre—no woman will mean as much to him as he does to himself. The fortune-teller's counsel hints at Pierre's relentless drive for personal power and wealth.

Pierre Americanizes his name to Paul Rader and becomes Homer Flint's partner, signaling a shift from romance to high-stakes business. Henry Mueller chooses his own path away from the men and the venture.

On the road to the country club, Paul proposes to Flint's daughter Hazel, a strategic move aimed more at advancing his ambitions than at love. The gesture confirms how far he will go for financial and social climbing.

At the club, a young boy offers to caddy for him, and Paul discovers that the boy is Pierre Croy, his own son. The revelation deepens their complicated relationship and ties their fates together.

Now married but childless, Paul offers to adopt Pierre. Joanna refuses, but she agrees to finance Pierre's education at an elite boarding school when he is older, setting up a future reunion of sorts.

In 1922, Paul escorts Pierre to school and makes a stop in New York City, where he begins an affair with Lady Claire Benston. The romance underscores Paul's willingness to sacrifice personal loyalties for wealth and power.

Paul entrusts his fortune to a stock speculator, hoping to secure a future for his family. During Christmas in New York, Pierre spends time with his father, and the truth of their father-son bond is revealed, strengthening their resolve to work together.

The stock swindler vanishes, Lady Benston wants nothing further to do with Paul, and Pierre is killed driving a new car given him by his father. Joanna refuses to shake Paul's hand, while Hazel laments Pierre's death, marking the collapse of the family's ambitions.

Devastated but determined, Paul seeks out his mother. Madame Azais reminds him that he is free of his father's blood, and they plan to start anew in Europe. Paul kneels and says, Maybe someday, I'll be worthy of you.