柏林的普伦茨劳尔贝格区。在这个夏日的尽头,一切都将不再相同。只是丹尼尔还不知道这件事。这个悲剧性情景的主人公是不设防的,因为他已经习惯了成功。他的阁楼公寓很别致,妻子很时尚,保姆也把孩子们管得很好。一切都很顺利,他准备去参加一个超级英雄电影的试镜,在那里有一个超级英雄角色在等着这位著名的德国和西班牙演员。他走进街角的酒吧,发现布鲁诺正坐在那里。分分钟都能看出,布鲁诺等待这一刻已经很久了。这个两德统一的失败者,曾经东柏林士绅化的受害者,永远被忽视的人开始了他的复仇。丹尼尔是他的目标。
Johnny Casar (Mickey Rooney) runs away from a home for wayward boys, tired of being teased about being short and a poor athlete. He soon finds a pair of roller skates and is befriended by Bruno Crystal (Ralph Dumke), who allows him to wash dishes at his café, while a priest who runs the home, Father O'Hara (Pat O'Brien), secretly keeps an eye on him. A traveling roller-skating team takes an interest in Johnny after he shows some aptitude. He clashes with Mack Miller (Glen Corbett), a cocky champion, and falls for Mary Reeves (Beverly Tyler), another top skater. Johnny ends up featured in grudge matches against Miller, where they take turns one-upping one another. As his fame grows, Johnny becomes every bit as arrogant as Miller and more. Life takes a bad turn when he is diagnosed with polio. A long period of physical therapy follows, until a wheelchair-bound Johnny tries to get his life back on track.