Cantinflas is a down-on-his-luck but affable and witty shoeshiner who learns that his compadre has died in an accident. His friend's widow, Leonor Flor Silvestre is unable to support her child, Chavita, so she leaves the boy with Cantinflas while she travels to Guadalajara to seek help from her parents.
In the early days, Cantinflas tries to keep life moving by taking a job in Chapultepec, where he keeps an eye on the youngster. Chavita gets excited when he sees a ball being played with by other kids, and Cantinflas finds a way to calm him, promising that he will bring back a new ball to replace the one that was lost or broken. This small pledge becomes a running thread as Cantinflas hunts for better opportunities and ways to take care of the boy.
To improve his prospects, Cantinflas enrolls in a local school, where he hopes to learn and maybe improve his chances at a steadier life. Instead, he finds himself drawn to Raquel Manola Saavedra, a cheerful and capable teacher who works there, and whose presence sparks a romantic spark in him. The classroom becomes a backdrop for a series of comic misadventures as Cantinflas bounces between imperfect jobs and his growing affection for Raquel.
His quest for work leads him into a nightclub, where he tries his hand at shining shoes and ends up amid a string of chaotic mishaps. He slips into the dancers’ dressing room and stumbles into a Boléro act, a punning mix-up that plays on the Spanish title of the piece and the Mexican term for shoeshiners. The scene lands him in trouble, and he is promptly removed from the club, his hopes temporarily dashed but his charm intact.
Seeking a new angle, Cantinflas heads to Acapulco, hoping for better luck and some quick money. Meanwhile, Chavita heads off to climb La Quebrada, and Cantinflas chases after him, scolding the boy for his daring—only to find himself needing to rescue him. The precarious ascent leaves Cantinflas stranded at the top, while Chavita slips to safety on the other side. The moment forces Cantinflas to perform a spectacular dive to survive, turning danger into opportunity when he is offered a job as a lifeguard.
Yet his display of bravado and carelessness behind the rescue attempt backfires, and his lack of restraint leads to a nearly disastrous rescue of a large woman—almost costing him his own life. The lifeguard position is quickly withdrawn, and Cantinflas leaves Acapulco with a sobering sense of what he needs to do next.
Back home, Cantinflas manages to scrape together enough money to support Chavita and buys him a flashy, impressive ball—the symbol of hope and play that the boy has craved. Leonor returns with her fiancé, presenting the prospect of a better life and another ball for the child. She asks for Chavita back, and Cantinflas is asked to be a witness to the wedding, a role he declines in a quiet, poignant moment that underscores the distance between them. They depart with Chavita, who asks Cantinflas to visit them, leaving Cantinflas to ponder the ball and what it represents for the boy’s future.
Not long after, Cantinflas crosses paths with Raquel again in a park. She speaks of the void left by Chavita and, in a tender turn, declares her love for him. The moment is buoyant and joyful: Cantinflas kicks a ball in celebration, accidentally striking a policeman, yet the officer’s smile suggests a benevolent understanding rather than anger. Cantinflas and Raquel share a kiss, and the iconic image lingers as Cantinflas offers to shine the policeman’s shoes, sealing the moment with another kiss as their future together unfolds.
