Out of prison after a five-year stretch, jewel thief Tony turns down a quick job his friend Jo offers him, until he discovers that his old girlfriend Mado has become the lover of local gangster Pierre Grutter during Tony's absence. Expanding a minor smash-and-grab into a full-scale jewel heist, Tony and his crew appear to get away clean, but their actions after the job is completed threaten the lives of everyone involved.

A Russian emigrant sings in a Shanghai nightclub under the assumed name of Kay Murphy. All she dreams of is a peaceful life with her daughter Vera. But this is only a pipe dream as she has been forced by her former lover Ivan to work for a secret criminal organization, "The Black Dragon". Vera, who studies in a Hong Kong boarding-school, knows nothing about her mother's past. When Ivan, who is also Vera's father, resurfaces and blackmails Kay, the young woman is determined to fight back...

1938, France, Paris, at the Superior Conservatory of Dramatic Art ("Conservatoire Supérieur d'Art Dramatique"). The first-year entrance exams are in full swing. Many applicants, few accepted. Isabelle (Janine Darcey) is one of the few chosen. She joins former students from the second and third years, including François (Claude Dauphin) and Cécilia (Odette Joyeux). They attend the drama class run by Professor Lambertin (Louis Jouvet). The young people, passionate and eager to become comedians, clash in tumultuous love affairs, because by dint of acting, they imagine that life is a farce. François, for example, is in love with Isabelle, who also loves him, but is pursued by Cecilia, his former mistress... "Put art in your life and life in your art!"

Alexandre Mérital, the leader of a political party, finds himself under attack from Frépeau, one of his opponents. The latter has indeed discovered that Mérital committed a theft in his youth. But Mérital will not be intimidated by his adversary's move. In his turn, he discovers that Frépeau was once involved in a financial scandal, which forces the plaintiff to discontinue the prosecution.

Little Germaine Valcour, an adulterine child, is abandoned and taken in by a showman, Father Ballot. She becomes the consolation of the good man whose daughter has gone wrong. Madame Vaulcour died of grief while her lover, after many bad blows, takes justice into his own hands. The girl stays with her adoptive parents.

Monsieur Fred is a friendly Southerner who recruits pretty girls down on their luck to send to South America. After some dramatic incidents and an eventful chase, a policeman manages to lock up the gang he runs.

During a leave, three merry soldiers experience a series of incredible adventures.

Charles's uncle is the headmaster of a chic girls school .He is short of the readies and he has lots and lots of debts.

Father Boquet, old and sad, hopes that François, his son, will be a fisherman like him. Alas, François follows his evil genius Simon to town and succumbs to the charms of the great Lisa. The wise village teacher sets out to find him when his father is ill, and brings François back in a violent storm. Love is on the way

In the pound, Pipo the dog recounts his adventures to his fellow inmates.