Peter Simon, a famous American writer, deserts his girlfriend Eva to live incognito at a small Normandy inn. Eva shams her own murder for revenge. Meanwhile, a young reporter, Françoise, has tracked Peter down. The news of the crime quickly spreads and, believing Peter to be the murderer, the village is in an uproar. Despite misadventures galore, everything turns out right and Peter takes Françoise on their honeymoon.

Pau is home to the famous "Red Berets". Four of them have forged close friendships: Dominique, a Corsican with the rank of master sergeant; Julien, a peasant; Dédé, a wild Parisian; Jean, a shy provincial. On free evenings, the four friends meet in a bar where Dominique is interested in the waitress and Dédé is in love with Paulette, the owner's daughter. One day, a car breakdown brings Jean into contact with a young girl from Paris: Brigitte. But Brigitte leaves again and Jean can't stop thinking about her. Because of their good behavior, the battalion to which the four men belong is chosen to represent their arm at the July 14th parade in Paris. In the capital, each of them tries to find their loved ones.

A horrific and, on the face of it, incomprehensible murder has just been committed on the unsympathetic person of a loan shark. The victim's body is found lifeless, but the circumstances of his death are far from clear. For want of anything better to go on, the police immediately suspect a penniless gentleman who had the bad idea and misfortune to be present at the time of the crime. The police don't take the time to look for other possible suspects, and are not at the end of their surprises. A dark story seems to lie behind this imbroglio of incoherent facts.

Yves Tréguier, a young orphan, escapes from a reform school in Brittany to join "Dédé la Glace" in Paris, an old-timer with whom he has a sincere friendship. The love of Zette, a young girl he has met, and the benevolent friendship of Father Blain, the bistro owner, give him the desire for regular work. "Jo le Grec", a pimp jealous of Dédé's friendship with Yves, seduces Wanda, a prostitute he loves, and shoots Dédé dead. Blain prevents him from doing the same to Yves, and shoots him in turn. Yves can live an honest life with Zette and the baby she's expecting.

Robert Langlois is now married to Catherine, the former housemaid. And they would live happily ever after if the housing crisis did not force them to live together with Gabrielle and Fernand, Robert's parents. For, despite the good will on either side, tension soon arises. What else to expect when there is too little space in their Montmartre apartment for four people (then for six then eight, the couple having... two pairs of twins!) ; the continued presence there of Fernand (who loves peace and quiet) after he is driven to retirement ; the difficult beginnings of Robert as a lawyer in a room of the apartment, etc... Other troubles follow and the harried family is on the verge of implosion...

Micheline Bertier is as wise as she is graceful, and is the perfect assistant to her boss, couturier Maurice Darnal. Darnal's business is faltering and he has to close down. Micheline's family is also in trouble. Her crazy-headed sister is about to steal her fiancé away from her. At the suggestion of singer Jacqueline François, Micheline goes on tour as an accompanist, and meets up with Darnal in Nice, full of projects he wants to involve her in. Micheline, who arrives in time to save her sister from a suicide attempt, will know how to run the new fashion house.