Franco, a young painter at the beginning of his career, stays in a noisy and modest boarding-house in Naples. Franco has two friends in the house: Tonino, a student, and Rosario, a hot-blooded Sicilian. Rosario is always on the look-out for adventures that pull him out of his daily rut. The three youngsters live a bohemian life, poor and nearly starving but happy. One day, Franco falls in love with Maria Stella, the daughter of the boarding house's owner. Maria Stella's father is furious and threatens to kill the audacious Don Giovanni. After several troublesome incidents, the story leads to a happy end: Franco, who has a beautiful voice, debuts as a singer for which Maria Stella's father has written the words. The father, who is about to pull the trigger of his gun on Franco, is overcome by emotion and remorse and finally accepts their love.