Mr. Armand, a former mobster, has become the respectable owner of a building. In the same house, Lucie supports her lover by sleeping with the butcher, while the butcher’s wife has her own lover–his assistant. Their lives are thrown together when a tenant dies and the police show up to investigate.

A popular Albert Simonin adaptation, Marcel Carné’s ensemble comedy is a late-career triumph, its host of eccentric characters recalling the rambunctious atmosphere of his Hôtel du Nord classic. A delectable tale for the senses where romance, mystery, and even gourmet food pleasurably intertwine.