Lily (film, 1953)

The naive peasant girl Lily arrives in a provincial town in the hope of finding an old friend of her late father to tell him that he is dead. A local merchant offers her a job and then tries to take advantage of her. But the carnival wizard Mark, whose stage name Marcus the Magnificent, will save from these actions. Lily falls in love with him, and after him goes to the carnival, where he helps her get a job as a waitress. When Lily turns to the magician for advice, he tells her to return to where she came from. Homeless and heartbroken, Lily is thinking of suicide, but this was prevented by the puppeteer of the carnival Paul. After that, Paul and his partner Jaco offer Lily a job in an act where she will talk with dolls. She accepts, and her natural way of interacting with dolls becomes the most valuable part of the act.

Paul was once a famous dancer, but suffered a leg injury during World War II. Despite the fact that he falls in love with Lily, he can only express his feelings with the help of puppets. Fearing failure due to his physical disabilities, he keeps his distance, being unpleasant for her. Lily continues to dream of a magician, wanting to replace his assistant Rosalie.

Soon, Mark receives an offer to perform at a local casino and decides to leave the carnival, to the joy of Rosalie, who announces to everyone that she is his wife. Lily invites Mark to come to her trailer. His depraved plans are interrupted by Paul, and he leaves.

• " Lily ” on the Internet Movie Database
• Lily on TCM Movie Database