Toy (Zabawka) is a drama about a cabaret singer named Lulu (Alma Kar). With the help of her friends, Lulu decides to charm a rich man from the county and begins an adventure far more complicated than she anticipated. After Lulu's performance, the two wealthiest guests request Lulu and her friend accompany them at their table. The wealthy estate owner Baron Latoszynski is big, but gentile. After sharing some drinks, Lulu decides to sneak into Latoszynski's car and go home with him.
Latoszynski's arrival with a girl from the city is a shock for his servants. Lulu is a woman that sees opportunity in having a relationship with a rich man, and you may even say she is a gold digger. The timid shell of the estate owner doesn't stop him from getting his way, so Lulu has more in store for herself than she intends. When Latoszynski gets a telegram that his son is arriving with his fiancée, Lulu is quickly taken to a nearby hunting cabin for a few days to prevent gossip.
Although hiding Lulu may seem like a good idea at the time, it backfires for several reasons. In addition to being disrespectful to Lulu, the forester's son Kuzma (Eugeniusz Bodo) lives right next to the cabin. Kuzma is a ladies man so it is like keeping the fox with the chicken. Furthermore, when the Baron's son sees Lulu, he is taken in by her too.
As with many of the films directed by Michal Waszynski, the story could be considered a drama with tragic irony. There is quite a mess with three men interested in Lulu and she isn't sure which one she will choose. Her flirtation with each of them backfires. We are not sure if any of the men are really serious about her or are just treating her like a toy. Lulu thought she could manipulate the situation to suit her, but the truth is that she may be the one that is being used.
As with most pre-war Polish films, we don't see the lives of average people, but of those that are very rich. It is interesting to see in Zabawka that the class divide is shown very clearly. When the forester's son is invited to the party, he celebrates with the other servants out of sight of the other wealthy invited guests.
