The cartoon begins with an outside view of a huge circus tent with banners flying. We are led inside, where we see Ringmaster Bluto in a spotlight introducing "that death-defying sensation, Popeye!". As Popeye begins to put his head inside a lion's mouth, Bluto morphs momentarily into a wolf and, fingering his mustache, muses, "Hmmm, what a feature attraction I'd make with Olive Oyl!" He sneaks a raw steak on top of Popeye's head, which makes the sailor a laughing stock with the crowd and leads to Olive's accusation that he is "butchering the act".