Jan, the café pianist, comes from the countryside. The talented boy was taken care of by an old organist. Jan then studied at the conservatory, where he made friends with Paweł, an undisciplined but very talented composer. Paweł's works gain publicity abroad, but he himself, unable to bear human envy and accept the loss of his beloved girl, commits suicide ... Jan's father dies, and soon his mother ...
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 Jan JurewiczJan | Jan |
| FFranciszek MułaPaweł Socha | Paweł Socha |
| PPaweł ParadowskiJan as a child | Jan as a child |
 Maria ProboszUrszula | Urszula |
| HHanna BanaszakHalina | Halina |
 Tomasz ZaliwskiJan's father | Jan's father |
 Anna MilewskaJan's mother | Jan's mother |
 Józef PierackiOrganist | Organist |
 Zdzisław KozieńParish priest | Parish priest |
 Leon NiemczykUniversity dean | University dean |
 Halina Buyno-ŁozaCaretaker | Caretaker |
| EErwin NowiaszakProfessor | Professor |
| JJanusz Pac-PomarnackiLecturer | Lecturer |
| KKrystyna Demska-OlbrychskaZośka | Zośka |
 Kazimierz WysotaNurse (uncredited) | Nurse (uncredited) |
 Maria ZbyszewskaSochowa (uncredited) | Sochowa (uncredited) |