Rain or Shine

The film opens with the Greater John T. Rainey Shows, a successful circus that Mary Rainey inherits from her father. By the end of the first season the operation is financially strained and the weather has worsened their prospects. Dalton the ringmaster and Foltz the lion tamer are secretly plotting to take over in Shrewsberry.

Mary relies on Smiley, the fast-talking con-artist manager, to keep the show afloat. She does not realize that he loves her, while Bud and Mary are secretly in love. Bud is a newcomer to circus life and hopes to introduce Mary to his socially prominent parents in Shrewsberry.

Foltz refuses to perform with his lions until they are fed, threatening the program. Smiley persuades local children to bring pieces of meat in exchange for free tickets, stirring trouble and sympathy for the show. He also discusses investment with Amos Shrewsberry, planting the seed for later plots.

Bud's wealthy father hosts a party at the Country Club for Mary and Bud's friends; Smiley and others disrupt it with comedy that exposes the circus's finances. Mr. Conway leaves the event believing Mary is a gold-digger. The social setback underscores the show's precarious position.

The circus is packed the next day and debts and late salaries are settled for the moment. Smiley tells Mary he won't let her marry Bud, prompting her to tell him to leave. Naively, she asks Dalton to take over as manager.

Dalton orders the box office to turn over all cash to a sheriff with an attachment, while pretending to assist. He then persuades staff to stage the opening parade so the workers will be furious when they learn salaries cannot be paid.

The staff refuse to strike outright, but Mary chooses to perform her act in the hope others will join in. They do not, leaving the show hanging by a thread and signaling how close the circus is to collapse. Bud and Mary remain in love, trapped by the financial crisis around them.

Bud discovers Smiley and the others, and rushes back as Mary has just signed a controlling interest over to Dalton. Smiley tears up the contract and fires the conspirators, clearing the way for new leadership. Bud becomes ringmaster and Nero takes charge of the calliope, while Smiley shows off his magician skills.

Dalton informs the audience that they are being cheated, triggering a riot as townsfolk chide with loud cheers and 'Hey rube' calls. White handkerchiefs are tied to indicate friendship as chaos erupts around the tents. Mary and Bud join the fray and Bud uses a fire hose to help fight the blaze.

Two townsmen haul Mary upside down by the ankle to the peak of the big tent, creating a dramatic moment in the fire. Smiley climbs along the outside to rescue her, while Bud drives the unconscious Mary away to safety. The rescue halts the immediate danger but leaves the circus in ruins.

The circus becomes a field of smoking ashes, with no immediate prospects for revival. A quick cut shows circus wagons moving through a night rain, Nero playing the calliope and Smiley riding an elephant as the final image.

The final shots linger on the rain-soaked remnants of the show as the closing notes of Singing in the Rain echo. The surviving performers face a new, uncertain future, but the spirit of the circus endures.