In which Elmer Gantry rises to local renown by ferreting out vice, securing the admiration of the town’s Rotary Club, and navigating the social rituals of high society with thoughtful ambition. His reputation grows as he embarks on a Chautauqua tour, delivering stirring sermons that artfully sidestep contentious issues, while a humble country parson eagerly anticipates his arrival as a shining beacon of righteousness.