Paulette Laurent

Proud, eccentric, and antisocial, Monsieur Hire has always kept to himself. But after a woman turns up dead in the Paris suburb where he lives, he feels drawn to a pretty young newcomer to town and discovers that his neighbors are only too ready to suspect the worst of him.

Yves Tréguier, a young orphan, escapes from a reform school in Brittany to join "Dédé la Glace" in Paris, an old-timer with whom he has a sincere friendship. The love of Zette, a young girl he has met, and the benevolent friendship of Father Blain, the bistro owner, give him the desire for regular work. "Jo le Grec", a pimp jealous of Dédé's friendship with Yves, seduces Wanda, a prostitute he loves, and shoots Dédé dead. Blain prevents him from doing the same to Yves, and shoots him in turn. Yves can live an honest life with Zette and the baby she's expecting.

A group of boys and girls go camping after winning a publicity contest. A bad boy infiltrates the group, and one of the girls falls in love with him. Another devotes herself to a comrade weakened by the war, and the novelist Clémence watches over this youth with authority, providing the theme for her next book.

The Dombreval troupe is the last vestige of an outdated form of entertainment: the traveling theatre. Mireille is the director, strong, courageous, but overwhelmed by the hardships and financial difficulties. Full of dignity, she refuses negotiations and compromises, confronting all with determination. The end is however near, Mireille is aware of it.