- Guillaume Dodut is a station master who dreams of Biarritz, whose posters are spread over his platform, and of professional success for his son. But he postpones his vacation, preventing his father from going to Biarritz.
- Guillaume Dodut, station master of Puget-sur-Var, learns that the stop of the passenger train will be removed. He then remembers that even the "Côte d'Argent" which came from Paris stopped in its station, that his son stood in front of a very beautiful wagon and said to him "by car for Biarritz". Charles is now 25 years old and completed his engineering studies with an internship in London. He will find his father's station in the second category. After a whirlwind trip to London where he cannot even see his son, Guillaume learns on his return that he is arriving the next day. Little Thérèse, who works at the counter, will even be invited to the family table, because he wants her son to marry the "little one". But Charles had other plans in mind and put the little station in turmoil when he announced that he would live in London and that he would marry Marjorie, the daughter of his boss. The Provençal sun, Thérèse's smile and the father's grief will quickly overcome this fragile decision. After all, between Toulon and Fréjus, we must lack engineers and maybe the honeymoon, we will all do it in Biarritz, thinks Guillaume, who has found a smile again.
- Guillaume Dodut (Fernandel) is the stationmaster of the imaginary town of Puget-sur-Var. Every day, he sees the "Côte d'Argent", which serves the Biarritz line, pass by without stopping. Twenty years ago, he had promised his son Charles (Jacques Chabassol) that he would go to Biarritz: "When you grow up...". Guillaume has been dreaming about it ever since, and has read so many guidebooks and magazines that he knows the town inside out without ever having been there. One day, he learns that the last passenger train to stop at his station is going to be cancelled, due to competition from Louis' bus. His son also writes to tell him that he's finished his engineering internship in London and is about to go on vacation. His dream of going away could finally come true. With the help of Fernande (Arletty), the owner of the Café de la gare, who has lived in Biarritz, Dodut makes his final travel arrangements. Dodut, who hasn't heard from Charles after asking him when he'll be returning home, gets the chance to spend a day in London, thanks to Thérèse (Catherine Sola), who works at the station ticket office and had played the lottery for an English coffee brand using the stationmaster's name. But he can't see his son: he seems to be promised to his boss's daughter, and he doesn't want to be photographed with his father by the journalists present, as he's ashamed of his origins. During the night, Charles telegraphs his parents that he will arrive on Tuesday. Guillaume and Charles, in complicity, pretend to Madeleine (Hélène Tossy), their wife and mother, that they saw each other in London. At the start of dinner, just as Guillaume is about to announce their departure for Biarritz, Charles learns from his boss's daughter that she will be spending the vacations with her parents in Biarritz - where the Dodut family is supposed to go regularly. Charles initially wants to go alone, claiming a professional obligation, but after dinner, he confesses everything to Thérèse (invited to the family table, as the Dodut parents know them to be very close), including the doubts he's had since his return, having rediscovered a great complicity with her. That evening, Guillaume makes the first mistake of his career, forgetting to stop a train. Thanks to Thérèse, he escapes a train driver's report in-extremis. During the night, Guillaume talks to his son about his sadness at not being able to make the trip he had dreamed of (without admitting it, preferring to say that Madeleine is disappointed). With Fernande's help, Charles breaks down the bus to fill up for the train and make his father happy. He tells Thérèse that he won't be going to Biarritz and will be applying for an engineering job in Marseille. Seeing them embrace as the train pulls away, Guillaume Dodut finds himself smiling again.
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