Jules is a shepherd who lives a humble and solitary life in rural Provence. From time to time, he is visited by a lonely widow, Fine, who longs to be his wife. One day, Jules comes across an unexploded bomb lying on the ground in open countryside. After a few foolhardy attempts to set the bomb off, Jules makes a surprising discovery. It is filled with thousands of bank notes…

Back from America, famous singer Charles Trénet, nicknamed "Le Fou Chantant", makes the conquest of a bombshell called Anita. He tries to persuade his young friend Georges to follow them to the French Riviera but the pessimistic gloomy finicky fellow won't do it. Instead, he decides to go on holiday with his newly married wife but the trip , due to his grim mood, is no bed of roses. In Juan-lès-Pins they finally meet Charles, who is so infatuated with Anita that he has forgotten to meet his old friend Henri Poupon, the Meridional actor. Thanks to cheerful Charles and to the sunny climate, Georges relaxes and things improve in his relationships with his wife. The couple can applaud Charles who is giving one of his concerts there before he flies back to the USA, on Anita's arm this time.

In the middle of the 19th century, Tsar Alexander II made the acquaintance of a young aristocratic girl from the provinces, unruly in character. He falls in love with her and tries to see her again.

Two young revelers, driven by a Russian driver, are taken to an unknown neighborhood at the gates of a cafecinema where they are going to attend a screening of 1909. They see Douglas Fairbanks, Max Linder, William Hart, Prince Rigadin, Norma Talmadge , Lya de Putti...

Chérie is a beautiful young woman who works as an escort girl. She meets a young and wealthy man who propose her to be his fictional wife so that his mother won't bother him anymore with this other girl, a rich one, she wants to see her son married to.

Thérèse kills her lover during the very night of her wedding to the count of Vétheul. To gain a night with her, a modest local worker agrees to bury the body.

Laurent meets Louvaine and brings her back to his island.

Franz Schubert retired from Vienna in country for musical writing. He draws his inspiration from a romance with the watermiller's daughter. An operetta in the fifties Vienna style. This is the only movie from Marcel Pagnol in color and the only movie in rouxcolor, a French experimental process derivated from the agfacolor German process.

Lucien Bonnet, Jean Vigneron's manservant, blackmails his boss, who is having an affair with Inès de Montalban, married to Ricardo. Vigneron pays the sum but Lucien is killed by an accomplice, Baruch. Everything seems to accuse Jean who, for fear of compromising Inès, prefers to keep mum. Fortunately, his innocence will be proved thanks to a surprise witness. The two lovers flee to Congo while the husband soon forgets them, finding comfort in debauchery.

The tumultuous loves of a diver and a pretty bitch. Mario loves Perrucha, she only loves money. When, by dint of diving, the boy's health deteriorates, the girl goes to find an important industrialist. Such a story can only end badly and Mario strangles Perrucha.