Lili (1953)

Traveling with little more than her naïveté, sunny teenager Lili arrives in a new town and is befriended by a circus troupe. Though she becomes infatuated with the dashing magician, Marcus the Magnificent, Lili forms a more significant bond with puppeteer Paul and his four puppets, which she treats as real people. Together, Lili, Paul and the puppets prove to be a popular act, but their success and happiness are threatened by Paul's gruffness.