The romantic drama based on the play of the same name, depicting the life of a 17th-century French courtesan.

The son of the wealthy Signor Della Corba loves one of his maids. Her brothers and father rebel at the idea of this union. But the girl is pregnant, and after the birth of the child, Della Corba's son decides to kidnap his mistress on Carnival Day. The brothers, having caught wind of the plan, kill him, then, in disguise, take him masked to his father's house, passing him off as a drunken friend. At dawn, Della Corba discovers her lifeless son under the mask. The maid having died in the meantime, he takes the child in and adopts him.

The son of the wealthy Signor Della Corba loves one of his maids. Her brothers and father rebel at the idea of this union. But the girl is pregnant, and after the birth of the child, Della Corba's son decides to kidnap his mistress on Carnival Day. The brothers, having caught wind of the plan, kill him, then, in disguise, take him masked to his father's house, passing him off as a drunken friend. At dawn, Della Corba discovers her lifeless son under the mask. The maid having died in the meantime, he takes the child in and adopts him.

Gérard, who grew up without parents, has become a doctor and has made an important medical discovery. But he needs substantial funding. One night he finds a brochure about the life of actress Mariette Ducros, now dead, and her child. Her father, Ledoux, lives in Blois. He is a rich collector. Gérard pretends he is Mariette's child. Mr. et Mrs. Ledoux greet him warmly. Out of shame he confesses the truth to Mrs. Ledoux. When she tells her husband, he decides to go to Gérard's office. He talks to Gérard's patients, mothers who claim his medicine saved their children. Mr. Ledoux realizes he found an adopted son in Gérard.

A biopic of Napoleon Bonaparte, tracing the Corsican's career from his schooldays (where a snowball fight is staged like a military campaign) to his flight from Corsica, through the French Revolution (where a real storm is intercut with a political storm) and the Terror, culminating in his triumphant invasion of Italy in 1797.

Gérard, who grew up without parents, has become a doctor and has made an important medical discovery. But he needs substantial funding. One night he finds a brochure about the life of actress Mariette Ducros, now dead, and her child. Her father, Ledoux, lives in Blois. He is a rich collector. Gérard pretends he is Mariette's child. Mr. et Mrs. Ledoux greet him warmly. Out of shame he confesses the truth to Mrs. Ledoux. When she tells her husband, he decides to go to Gérard's office. He talks to Gérard's patients, mothers who claim his medicine saved their children. Mr. Ledoux realizes he found an adopted son in Gérard.

Simone Chebe, the daughter of a humble clerk, is a beautiful woman. But she is also devoured by ambition. Frantz Risler falls in love with her but she rejects him in favor or Risler aîné, his elder brother, aged fifty. And no sooner do they get married than Sidonie cheats on her husband with Fromont, his business partner, who starts ruining himself for his mistress.

The vagabond comes to the little village and to the farm of Pierre, where toil Toinon and Francois. There is a plague upon the sheep, and the vagabond pauses in his wanderings to cure the sheep - and win the love of Toinon. But the road calls him, and he goes, leaving the girl broken hearted. Francois marries her, and the child, Toinet, grows to be a lusty lad who loves the daughter of Pierre. Pierre, knowing the secret of his birth, refuses his consent, but again comes the vagabond, and once more his strange spells work for happiness, but he turns his back upon his new found son and the happiness he has wrought. The call of the open road is too strong.