Ben Halper is the barber in a small town in the early years of the 20th century. His bored wife Nellie longs to move to a bigger city and their different natures lead to a rocky marriage. Nellie leaves her husband for her lover, but both are killed in a train accident. Although Halper does his best to raise his two children single-handed, the oldest son becomes a Chicago gangster and is shot down in a gang war. When Ben's barber shop burns down, the locals help him rebuild it.