On Navin Johnson's 18th birthday he discovers he was adopted. (Which should appear obvious since he's the only white person in an all black family.) Navin decides to move out and try to make it in the world. While on his adventure he works at a gas station. But because of an assassination attempt he runs off and joins a carnival where he meets Marie, the woman of his dreams. Later he becomes filthy rich. But things become bad when he goes from filthy rich, to just plain filthy.