The French Way

November 1939, Paris. Both underage, Bernard Dalban and Claire Ancelot, who live across the street from each other in facing units in buildings owned and operated by their respective father and mother, consider themselves a modern day Romeo and Juliet in that they want to get married, but cannot receive the permission from said father and mother in the feud between the families, the feud a century old at least on paper according to Mme. Ancelot. Bernard and Claire believe their respective father and mother would actually get along and like each other if they would just talk to each other, instead of gripe about the other while they spy on each other from across the street. Although forbidden to see each other by their parents, Bernard and Claire secretly continue to meet, they telling their parents they are meeting with other friends instead. Things in the feud have the potential to be ratcheted up a notch when Zazu Clairon, who owns, operates and is the headliner at the neighboring cabaret, La Perruche Bleue (translated, The Blue Parrot), moves into M. Dalban's building as she prepares to reopen the cabaret which was closed due to the outbreak of the war. M. Dalban enters into an unofficial contract with Zazu for a substantial decrease in her rent if she will encourage Bernard to hang out at the cabaret to fall for one of her chorus girls, in turn making him forget about Claire. In this situation, Zasu, Bernard and Claire enter into their own unofficial deal while M. Dalban and Mme. Ancelot have their own secret ideas beyond his deal with Zasu. Things are made more interesting with the presence of a hobo named Leon, who is getting more and more work because of the war, but who would rather return to a post-war life of idleness.