The scene is set during the Second Empire. Captain Bitterlin watches jealously over his lovely daughter Madeleine but he cannot prevent nature from demanding its rights and Madeleine soon finds herself a suitor in the person of Mario, a dashing young songwriter. Bitterlin, who wishes his daughter to "evade the grip" of the young man, takes her away to Monte Carlo. There, the captain does what he had sworn he would never do, he gambles in a casino. And even more upsetting: Mario might well be hereabouts...

When she sets sail for Lisbon, Catherine Laurence, a famous classical singer has but one wish: to be left alone. Unfortunately she soon gets bothered by a rude, invading man. Later she gets to know him better and becomes susceptible to his charm. She realizes that Michel is in love with her and it is not long before she goes beyond her disastrous first impression. Although not quite sure he is a perfectly honest man she entrusts him with a delicate assignment: keep her precious pearl necklace coveted by Van Coolart, a fake Dutch diamond-merchant, and give it back to her in Paris. If he is a robber himself, so much the worse for her. But if Michel keeps the Paris rendezvous love is in store for both of them. Nevertheless there is a crucial factor she regrettably disregards, composer Raymond Aubour, a faithful friend who has been her suitor for ten years.

In order for important British admiralty papers to pass into the hands of the Germans, the spy Gordon has the ingenious idea of ​​transforming a lamentable drunkard into a Lady, haughty but submissive to his orders. Stella's transformation is complete, the success extraordinary. Why must a French officer touching the heart of the former pochard bring down the fragile edifice? A submarine is about to blow up, Gordon is shot down and a confessed Stella returns to her horrible taverns to drown her sorrows in alcohol for good.

A trio of criminals gradually become entangled in theft and crime. Serge is arrested, his mistress, Hélène, and his accomplice, Michel, both become lovers, try to exonerate him and use false fingerprints first, then after Serge's conviction, gloves covered with the same fingerprints of the prisoner.

Jour de Fête tells the story of an inept and easily-distracted French mailman who frequently interrupts his duties to converse with the local inhabitants, as well as inspect the traveling fair that has come to his small community. Influenced by too much wine and a newsreel account of rapid transportation methods used by the United States postal system, he goes to hilarious lengths to speed the delivery of mail while aboard his bicycle.

Identite Judiciare stars Raymond Souplex as wily French police inspector Basquier. The villain is Berthet (Jean Debucourt), a high-ranking government official. Basquier suspects that Berthet is a vicious murderer, but is unable to prove anything thanks to bureaucratic interference. Thus, the good inspector plays a waiting game a la Columbo, hoping for that one fatal slip on the part of the killer. Certain portions of Identite Judiciare proved a bit too intense for American audiences, and were accordingly snipped by the censors.

A daydreaming French composer sees himself as a fine figure dashing through history.

Malou, a prostitute from Montmartre, and her pimp, have found a well laid scheme : whenever she (or he) wants to get rid of a lover, she announces to him in a tearful voice that she is pregnant. The reaction of the fall guy-is invariable: he gives her compensation money and disappears. But there is always an exception to the rule. And, as it happens, the exception is a widowed insurer, Monsieur Archibald. Indeed when he is told by Malou that he is going to be a father, he is...elated!

Two scriptwriters argue about the fate of Henrietta, a charming and gamine shopgirl. One favors a comical path for their heroine, who is overcome with sentimental love for a young photographer on Bastille Day. The other has a more thrilling and dastardly fate in mind for her. Among the film's irresistible conceits is Hildegarde Neff as an oversexed circus bareback rider.

Toinet, Girelle and Pénible fish for sardines in Marseille. To dazzle their conquests, they present themselves as rich can manufacturers, while the little flower girls play movie stars. A ridiculous suitor wants to discuss a business deal, a potential sponsor appears and the whole tohu-bohu reclaims the songs of Vincent Scotto.