Colette gives up her studies to become a cabaret dancer. She breaks with her fiance who does not approve of her choice.

A small-scale cabaret troupe is touring the provinces. One afternoon while canoeing, Monique Darzel, one of the troupe's singers, spots an angler whose resemblance to Fernand Raynaud strikes her. She discusses this with Jean Duroc, the troupe's director, who laments the meagre revenues his show is raking in. He then had the idea of meeting this fisherman to convince him to imitate Fernand Raynaud in his shows. It turns out that the Fernand Raynaud impersonator is in fact Fernand Raynaud himself, who has come for a week's incognito vacation in the provinces. Raynaud is finally persuaded to play the novice comedian, in order to further develop the script for his next film, Les cabotins à travers les âges.

Antoine Rossi, a recidivist prisoner of war in Germany, manages to escape with the cowardly Fendard. Fendard does everything in his power to help him even though he is wounded, but Antoine tries to get rid of him as he boards the train to freedom.

Pascal and Martine are married, have children, but are getting bored with each other. Pascal is tempted by a beautiful salesgirl with whom he finally has a date. But the bombshell promised more than she actually delivers. On the other hand, he is attracted to his precocious niece Sophie. But he only becomes her confidant, living vicariously her first sentimental experiences with boys of her age. On her part, Martine winds up responding to the advances of her office manager who has been trying to pick her up for months. She follows him to his apartment but the alleged Don Juan is nothing but a boor who prefers to watch a soccer match rather than to make love to her. In frustration, she leaves him sprawled before his set while she returns to Pascal. They realize their extramarital experiences have reinforced their couple and can now live happily ever after.