After his freighter pulls into Marseille, Canadian seaman Eric Martin falls in love with Dolores, a cabaret girl (American version of a prostitute in the French version) at the "Kitcat" Club, and she agrees to wait for him. Leaving to return to his ship, Eric is stabbed by two thieves, Aimé and Victor, who take his money and papers and warn Dolores to say nothing. He wakes up in a hospital, with his ship gone, and is unable to give the police any useful information. He searches for Dolores, and Aimé sees him thrown out of the "Kitcat" and warns Dolores to get out of town. He gets work as a tourist guide and meets gypsy fortune teller Tania at the "Kitcat." One night they encounter Aimé and Victor; there is a fight and Victor is killed. Tanis, in love with Eric, hides him at a gypsy camp, but he is still obsessed with Dolores. Pierrot get false papers for him, as Hans Marin, and tries again to find Dolores. The police have released Aimé on the condition that he find Eric. His ship returns to port and Eric decides to sail, but sees Dolores pass by in a car. He finds Dolores at the "Kitcat" with a new boy friend, and she is furious when Eric interferes. Aimé tips off the police that Eric is at the club, and Dolores refuses to leave with him as he escapes ahead of the police. Later, Dolores finds Eric at her apartment, drunk and disillusioned after finally realizing that he was just another client to her. He says he is there to kill her.