Marty Supreme

In New York City in 1952, Marty Mauser works as a shoe salesman at his uncle Murray's shop while also competing professionally as a table tennis player. Marty dreams of winning the British Open to bring American attention to the sport. He also pitches selling orange "Marty Supreme" novelty table tennis balls to his friend Dion and Dion's businessman father, and is having an affair with his married childhood friend Rachel Mizler. When Murray refuses to give Marty $700 for his London trip, he robs the shop's vault.

In London, Marty is unhappy with the players' barracks inn and stays instead at the Ritz Hotel, where he seduces former actress Kay Stone and meets her wealthy husband, Milton Rockwell. Marty defeats defending champion Bela Kletzki in the semi-finals but loses the final to Koto Endo, a deaf Japanese player. Marty then tours internationally with Kletzki, performing as a halftime novelty act for the Harlem Globetrotters. Rockwell offers Marty an exhibition match against Endo in Tokyo before the World Championship, but Marty angrily refuses upon learning he would be expected to throw the match to appease Japanese audiences.

Back in New York, Marty is arrested for stealing from Murray but escapes and reconnects with Rachel, learning she is pregnant with his child. While staying in a run-down hotel with his friend Wally, Marty discovers he has been banned from the World Championships unless he pays a $1,500 fine for fraudulently expensing his Ritz stay. Marty's bathtub collapses through the floor, injuring mobster Ezra Mishkin, who pays Marty to take his dog Moses to a veterinarian. Marty instead hustles patrons at a bowling alley with Wally to raise the money. The bowlers later attack them at a gas station but they escape, damaging Wally's taxi and setting the station on fire. Moses runs away during the scuffle.

Rockwell returns to New York, having financed a play to relaunch Kay's career. After having sex with Kay, Marty attempts to pawn a necklace he stole from her, only to learn it is costume jewelry. Rachel comes to Marty with a black eye alleging her husband Ira responsible, prompting Marty to assault him. Marty and Rachel stay with Dion, who reveals he had produced the novelty balls but Marty failed to follow up. Marty and Rachel steal Dion's car and attempt to find Moses to extort Mishkin, but flee after being shot at by a farmer who has taken Moses in. Dion throws them out for stealing and damaging his car and discards the balls. Marty learns Rachel faked her black eye to manipulate him and leaves her. Ira throws Rachel out when she confesses the baby is not his.

At the opening of Kay's play, Marty apologizes for stealing her jewelry. Though she sees through him, Kay gives him a valuable necklace to pay his fine and travel. After being caught having sex in Central Park, they bribe the police with the necklace. Kay agrees to give Marty another necklace, but breaks down after receiving a bad review of the play. With Kay indisposed, Marty begs Rockwell to revive the Tokyo exhibition offer. Rockwell agrees after making Marty submit to a humiliating public spanking.

Before Marty leaves, he and Rachel are kidnapped by Mishkin after Rachel attempts to con him. Mishkin forces them to take him to the farmhouse where Moses was found. A shootout ensues, in which the farmer kills one of Mishkin's henchmen, and leaves Mishkin and the other bleeding to death. The farmer is also killed in the process, and Rachel is gravely wounded. Before leaving, Marty robs Mishkin and discovers his reward money is mostly pornography. He takes Rachel to the hospital as she goes into premature labor, and then leaves for Tokyo.

In Japan, Marty learns he is too late to enter the World Championship even if he pays his fine. He loses the exhibition match to Endo as planned, but when Rockwell plans to further humiliate him by making him kiss a pig onstage, Marty announces that the contest was a sham. He successfully demands a real rematch, which he narrowly wins. Refused passage by Rockwell, Marty instead flies home with U.S. Army soldiers. After reuniting with his mother at the hospital, Marty confesses his love to a recovering Rachel, and breaks down in tears upon meeting his newborn son.