A landowner Gáthy and his wife adopt an orphaned infant at the birth of their own son, only to realize too late that they can’t tell which baby is which. They raise both boys as their own until, on the brink of the sons’ marriages, questions of lineage brought up by prospective mothers and meddling mothers-in-law threaten to unravel their family.

The head of the nunnery is dying, and the members are divided in two groups as the election of the new head approaches. Led by Virginia, the younger nuns stand up for changing the strict religious dogmas and would like a modern school with genuine science, a bathroom to be built, and a freer spirit. Their candidate is sister Magdolna, who went to secular universities, too. The seminarists, led by Király Erzsi, also rebel against the older nuns' strict discipline and the depressed atmosphere of the institution. However, Magdolna does not want to stay involved in the fight because she is deterred by Virginia's sinful attraction towards her and the tools Virginia is using to gain victory at any price.

Angi Vera is a young nursing assistant in a hospital. When she speaks out against the appalling conditions, she is reprimanded, but the Communist Party takes her under its wing. She is sent for ideological training, where she learns to be an agitator in exchange for accommodation and meals. Meanwhile, she falls in love with one of her teachers, but she cannot live out her love within the walls of the strict school.

During a mining accident, the police arrest the sole survivor on suspicion of murder, whose pickaxe is stained with the blood of one of the victims. The investigation reveals that the identity card found on the victim belongs to another person, that the collapse was deliberate and that the miner believed to be the victim has escaped.

Terpinkó, the bragging man of muscle likes womanising linked with betting: conquering is a great fun for him. He bet one to a hundred on his new boss, Éva. But the wife of the engineer handles all his tricks with annoying benevolence. Terpinkó falls in love with her and therefore he cannot stand her not returning his feelings.

The young engineer and the pretty economist of a commercial company, on assignment in the country together, after having consumed quite a few glasses of brandy, wake up in bed together. As both live a happy family life, they wish to forget their passing adventure, but gossiping starts up around them.

In 1910, István Primusz, a master carpenter, was living in a small street in Óbuda with his three beautiful daughters, known locally as the "three doves". Guszti Groll, the wealthy master builder's full-grown son, courts the eldest daughter, Manci, and arranges a six-room apartment for her. But Manci loves the young and penniless baron. The young man only begins to woo the girl at the behest of his wealthy employer to seduce her for him, but eventually falls in love with her himself. Guszti Groll then quickly moves on to the middle girl, Ica, but soon finds out that she is already engaged to the apothecary. Now only the youngest girl, Stefi, is free, but she happily agrees to move into the six-room apartment with Guszti.

The "sleepless years" in this propaganda piece by director Felix Marlassy occur on Csepel Island, an island south of Budapest that is home to an armaments factory. The factory workers are shown being exploited by imperialists, capitalists gone berserk, and fascists, more or less in that exact chronological sequence. The heavy-handed approach does much to undercut the belief that when socialism finally takes over, the lives of the workers are brought up to a human level. In this instance, audiences might prefer a more nuanced and subtle statement, no matter what the message.

PFC Molnár decides his WWII services are over, and with serious money hidden in his hand grenades, he heads to an abandoned mansion where he encounters not only the sour butler but a bunch of others who also try to wimp out of their duties.