In 1938, a young woman leaves Germany to search for her love, Erich, in Reichenburg, Bohemia. Erich is secretly fighting the fascists, so Hilde ends up becoming a housemaid in the home of a German joiner in order to carry on their relationship. The joiner's son notices the passionate love shared between Hilde and Erich. To him, the young lady embodies the feminine ideal. When Hilde receives news of Erich's death, she descends into an uninhibited lifestyle in an attempt to forget.

Lily, a stunning photograph model, suddenly notices that hair is growing on her face and escalating to a real "man's beard". Her lover, Richard, who has just returned from a prolonged business trip cannot help her. On the contrary, she is so exasperated that she runs away into the night of the big city where she has her first experiences as a "man".