In 1866, a young Muscovite named Alexei Ivanovitch arrives in Baden Baden, then the gambling capital of Austria, and is soon engaged by General Zagorianski to look after his children. Alexei discovers that his employer is a compulsive gambler who has been almost ruined by his addiction. The only money the General has is provided by the Marquis de Grieux, an adventurer who intends to marry Zagorianski’s sister, Pauline. In doing so, de Grieux hopes to profit from the vast inheritance that will come the General’s way from his Aunt Antonina, who is presently very ill. Alexei is appalled by this society which lives only for money. He loves Pauline and wants to take her to a healthier place, but when she refuses to marry him, he begins to gamble at the casino…

Raymonde Chandebise suspects her husband Victor-Emmanuel of cheating on her. She received a package from the hotel "Le minet galant". The package contained a pair of suspenders belonging to her husband. Her best friend, Lucienne, advises her to find out for sure and to use a stratagem. They both send him a fake, passionate letter, written by a beautiful stranger, asking him to meet her at the "Minet Galant"! But little do they know that the hotel's simpleton bellboy is a look-alike of poor Victor-Emmanuel!

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.

Determined to marry, but without enthusiasm, Bernard chose Lysiane Laborie. To bid a fitting farewell to his wild youth, he buried his bachelorhood. Then his friend Bobby, with Lysiane's consent, persuades Bernard that he's marrying not a candid young girl, but Lily the Strychnine, a volcanic creature. The future husband discovers the joke and responds by introducing himself as a notorious gangster. Confrontations with thugs lead them all to the station. Bernard and Lysiane fall into each other's arms.

Arriving in Paris, Madeleine Marsan rents a room in a guesthouse where she makes the acquaintance of Pierre Ruffin, a respectable municipal librarian. Through Pierre, Madeleine finds work as a schoolteacher and soon realises that she is in love with him. Then she discovers that Pierre is in truth the head of a band of crooks. Caught by the police after a failed robbery, Pierre manages to escape. With Madeleine’s help, he goes on the run.

Paul Braconnier and his wife Blandine only have one thing in mind: to find a way to kill each other without risk. After listening to a radio show, Paul decides to go to Paris to meet a famous lawyer in the acquittal of the murderers. He tells the lawyer that he killed his wife. The lawyer asks Paul to reconstruct the circumstances of the drama. Without knowing it, he explains, in spite of himself, the way for Paul to murder his wife by putting the odds on his side to avoid death penalty or even be released...

Fred Peloux, nicknamed Chéri, the handsome son of Charlotte Peloux, a former demimondaine, lives in the small circle of his mother's friends, all high-class prostitutes past their best. He has an affair with Léa, a waning beauty, who loves him both as a mistress and a mother. But the age difference takes its toll on their union. To please his mother, Chéri accepts to marry young Edmée without actually caring for her. After a while, the young man tries to return to Léa...

A man remarried his wife's sister whom he believes died in a fire. The alleged deceased reappears and sows trouble and discord in the new household.

Isabelle is a lawyer who has Flip, a private detective, convicted of speeding. But shortly after, a murder is committed of which Isabelle's best friend is suspected. To save her, Isabelle is forced, despite her reluctance, to ask Flip for help, who agrees to look for the culprit.

Elisabeth D'Anthar cheats on her husband François with Simon De Chabre. François, who suspects something, surprises his rival and wounds him. Elisabeth 's sister, to save the situation, claims that Simon is actually in love with her and came to see her. They have to get engaged and Simon breaks up with his lover. But Elisabeth is not prepared to accept it, and she becomes the head of a gang of "drivers" in order to kidnap her husband. Famous Vidocq intervenes.

A shy but resourceful seller of corks helps a young man get married by passing himself off as a wealthy uncle in the eyes of the mother of the future bride, a marquise hostile to any misalliance.

Côme de Lambrefaut inherited the family castle on the death of his father, but the notary told him that all his property was mortgaged. However, he wants to keep the pack of one hundred and ten hunting dogs that make him proud. In September 1939, the castle was destroyed during a bombardment, and the dogs escaped from their enclosure.

Bastien and Furet are a journalist and a photographer working together as a team on the newspaper 'L'Echo du Jour'. Just as they are about to go off on a weekend break with Micky, their boss's secretary, they are sent to a crime scene to report the murder of a Russian named 'le Moujik'.

It's a sailors' story; they often sail away and when they return, the first thing they do is searching girls in the harbor. One of them -Jean- is shy and he does not know how to go with women. One day, he meets Yvonne and falls in love with her. But, alas, she prefers his good friend René. Another suitor, Pierre, owns the "À la Belle frégate" a café where Yvonne works as a waitress. Madam(e )Juliette, pretends she helps Yvonne and tries to make her an "entraineuse"(hostess) for less-than -handsome guests. But the girl knows better and will choose one of her suitors.

Odette Joyeux plays an eccentric young aristocrat called "Chiffon", who is struggling to comply with the social conventions of the community. A widow, her mother (Suzanne Dantes) would like to remarry a rich noble. Without realizing it, Chiffon is in love with her uncle, a ruined pioneer of aviation ...

Robert and Françoise Monier make a hot air balloon to fly to the stratosphere. After a visit to Venus, they return home, but have only aged 15 days whereas 25 years have passed on Earth.

A rich businessman living alone is deprived of the nephew he was to have brought up decides on his doctor's advice to search for the four illegitimate children he once fathered, which leads him to accept responsibility for his actions.

Miquette is a young woman whose beauty and vivacity increase the clientele of her mother's tobacco shop. A Barrymoresque actor believes that Miquette has star potential, but he hasn't sufficient capital to finance her theatrical debut. He manages to get the money by practicing a bit of genteel blackmail on an aging marquis who has romantic designs on the heroine.

Harsh Parisian judge Gaetan (known as Monsieur Maximum), chafing in the idleness of retirement, leaves for a seaside holiday. But Gabriel the chauffeur has his mind on his girl, not the car; Gaetan and wife Nathalie are stranded in the country, where they find shelter in a low class bistro patronized by cheerful jail birds. Once the ice is broken, they have a wonderful time, but as the judge tries to trick his new friends into reforming, inevitable exposure approaches...

Arlette was born in 1918. Her mother made her lover and godchild named Pierre believe that he was the father of this child. Having become a beautiful young woman, Arlette falls under Pierre's spell and he offers to marry her to get her out of poverty.

Claude, shy, instructs Michel to declare his love to Simone, the young girl he loves. But Michel seduces her and becomes engaged to her. She surprises him in the arms of another, breaks off her engagement and marries Claude, whom she has come to know and love.

The story of Madame Leroy-Gomez, a wealthy divorcee living in Paris. Together with her servant Antoine she schemes to marry off her unmarried children and fix any issues that arise for those already married.

A one-night stand with an entertainer threatens to destroy a woman's marriage after she gives birth to a black child.

Charming Mimi-Trottin is in love with typographer Louis Chausson, nicknamed Godasse. She meets Doudou, actually a Vicomte, estranged with his parents who are rich automobile manufacturers. Godasse abandons Mimi because of his professional ambitions and Doudou rescues her from a suicide. After making peace with his parents, the young man has Mimi hired as a typist at the factory. After winning a race with one of his father's car, he soon wins the heart and the hand of Mimi.