Though the more "upstanding" members of the Parisian community may shun him, the lovable oaf named Gigot is a favorite among the neighborhood children. Gigot finds a sense of purpose when a young girl, the child of a cold-hearted woman of the night, seeks refuge with him.

Jackie Gleason plays Gigot, a lumbering but lovable mute Parisian derelict. Shunned by the "respectable" people around him, Gigot is beloved by the children. One of the kids, a little girl, is the melancholy daughter of an insensitive prostitute. Gigot befriends the lonely child and protects her against her wicked parent and the local constabulary. GIGOT was heavily edited by 20th Century Fox prior to its release, and subsequently disowned by its director, Gene Kelly. Still, a few hilarious and genuinely poignant moments shine through in this Chaplinesque tour de force for Jackie Gleason, who not only starred but wrote the script and the musical score.