Historical film directed and written by Sacha Guitry follows the the history of Paris from its founding through the significant events in the city's history.

At the end of the Great War, the wounded Jacques Taillandier is cared for by the beautiful Hélène Marimon and becomes her lover. He hides from her the fact that her husband is a comrade from the trenches, and only reveals the truth when he learns of Marimon's death. Outraged, Hélène drives him away. After many years, Jacques reappears to learn that Hélène had once given him a daughter. Hélène, unwilling to reveal anything to young Dominique, forces the man she loves to leave her country. Dominique not only gets her mother to talk, but also reunites those separated by fate.

Witty narration follows the history of Versailles Palace; founded by Louis XIII, enlarged by autocratic Louis XIV, whose personal affairs and amours, and those of his two successors, are followed in more detail to the start of the Revolution, after which the story is brought rapidly up to date. A huge cast plays mainly historical persons who appear briefly.

The wife of gunsmith Gaston Sarazin cheats on him with his salesman. The husband, informed, wants revenge. The culprits try to divert suspicion on the dashing Stanislas. The husband forces the straw lover to live with him. Stanislas then brings the spouses together and makes the business of the gunsmith prosper.

Young Amélie is currently enjoying life as the kept woman of her reasonably well off boyfriend Étienne. But when Étienne is called off for military duty, he enlists his playboy friend Marcel to keep an eye on her....something of a problem seeing that he is currently looking for a woman with which to create a sham marriage so he can quickly inherit a large sum of money from his father. Then suddenly the Prince of Palestra enters into the picture and boldly asks for Étienne's romantic favors to assess whether or not he would consider taking her as his bride. What's a free-spirited girl to do?

Marceline is pretty but inconstant. She has a brother, eccentric as well as invading, who serves as a go-between between the fickle young woman and her lovers. She has been the mistress of Richard for a while when Jeff, an engaging but but unrepentant dreamer, falls madly in love with her. Marceline first turns him down but finally accepts him after she breaks up with Richard. But the coquette has not given up her escapades to which the young florist, nicknamed "Jean de la Lune" for his naivety, turns a blind eye. Little time after their wedding , Marceline becomes infatuated with the good looks of a superficial young man, Alexandre. But Jeff, who has developed a fondness for Jean, intervenes to save the couple.