In 18th-Century Russia, the Czar, Paul, is surrounded by murderous plots and trusts only Count Pahlen. Pahlen wishes to protect his friend, the mad king, but because of the horror of the king's acts, he feels that he must remove him from the throne.

Middle-aged Glasgow grocer Dickson McCunn ventures into the Scottish countryside in search of adventure, and finds a Russian princess imprisoned in a castle. Aided by a gang of Gorbals Die-Hards and a young Englishman, he rescues her from her captors and proves a hero, in spite of his qualms.

Alfred Sava-Goiu, who, after being dumped by his sweetheart, philosophically decides to end it all by jumping into the Seine. Instead, he lands in a passing boat owned by the Countess Elvire. Falling in love with his savior, Alfred returns the compliment by rescuing the Countess from a precipitous waterfall.

Love entanglements among the upper class of Paris. The young upper-class Parisian Valentin van Zanten has a luxurious lunch-density dinner with the flirtatious Inez Maria, when the "friend" shows up and interferes with his own and successful pre-man manners.

18-year-old Nancy Hawthorne, a young English girl is raised in seclusion by her artist father, but finally goes to Paris to study and meets Cornelia Evans, an American art student. At a party for Cornelia's brother Nancy meets Bob Whittaker and falls hard for him. They spend a weekend together at the beach, where their feelings for each other intensify, but Bob feels unworthy of her and contrives to be seen in an affectionate pose with another girl, Heloise, which demolishes Nancy's illusions. Heartbroken Nancy enlists as an ambulance driver at the outbreak of war eventually reuniting with Bob on the battlefields of France. They marry before his regiment leaves for the front.

Three friends meet a woman on their holiday from city life. Things turn ugly pretty fast.