Perla Quaranta, a half-starved "daughter of Little Italy," is given the place in Carlo Bruni's "Butterfly Act" that is vacated by a chorus girl who has grown too fat. Although Perla becomes friendly with Krug, the wire-man, she rejects him as a suitor, and in revenge Krug causes Perla's wire to break, hoping she will be fired for gaining weight. Instead, Bruni thrashes Krug, a felony for which he spends thirty days in jail. When freed, Bruni produces a new and successful dance act with Perla as the star, and the couple marry, each encouraging the other in his struggle against food.