The supporting cast features Jean Hersholt, Gregory Ratoff, Gale Sondergaard, and John Qualen.

In a rough neighborhood of Paris in 1914, atheistic sewer worker Chico rescues a young woman named Diane being beaten by her sister Nana for not being nice to an older man, a patron in the sister's disreputable dance hall.

Chico is amazed to discover that they are made of real silver; a price tag reveals they are worth twelve francs - exactly the cost of two candles he purchased in church for his prayers.

Chico scoffs and goes off with his friends to celebrate his promotion, but returns just in time to stop Diane from committing suicide.

Unconvinced, the policeman says he will check up on them, so Chico takes Diane home to his garret, up seven flights of stairs.

The next morning, Chico finds his place has been tidied up and Diane has prepared him a good breakfast.

When she begs him to let her go, that she is as wicked as Aristide said she was, he tells her, "Chico said you were a fine, good girl, and therefore you must be one."

With the war almost over, a young officer Diane tended tells her that Chico has been listed killed in action, but she refuses to believe him, sensing his presence every day at 11.

Heartbroken, she renounces her belief in God, but then she feels her lover's presence, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month: the end of World War I.

Tyrone Power was originally assigned to portray Chico, but he was cast in Love Is News instead, and had to be replaced due to scheduling conflicts.