Claude is a Jew. Because of the risks of an arrest (France is occupied by the Nazis), his parents send him away to an elderly couple in the country. Pepe, the husband, is a Petain supporter...
Alfred has always been down on his luck. An unlucky baby, he turns into... an unlucky child before metamorphosing into... an unlucky teenager! As an adult, he manages to become an architect...
Former professor of natural history, Louis Compiegne lives in retirement in a big house, with Pascal, his faithful servant. The arrival of a young American student comes to disorder the quiet life of the pensioner.