Pedro, a street photographer who fought during the Spanish Civil War on the Republican side, becomes obsessed with a young model.

At school, Luca is falsely accused of a prank and wishes he had a father who would defend him in front of the headmaster. His father is dead, but he meets a sea captain who is willing to pretend to be his parent. Then Captain Andrea falls in love with Luca's mother, textile mill worker Maria. Before things go right, Andrea needs to deal with an ex-girlfriend and a smuggling plot.

One unlucky day, a married couple with four children get an eviction notice: the building they live in is to be demolished. The family looks desperately for a new home, which is no easy task in Madrid in the fifties.

Alberto's marriage is a complete failure: his wife Elena is a hard woman influenced by her mother and sister who live with the married couple. Alberto is also experiencing financial problems and hopes for the help of a rich widow who is however interested in his sexual favours. Naturally Elena puts obstacles in his way and everything goes wrong. Alberto decides to change job then and becomes a sweets sales representative. Disillusioned with marital life he also changes his attitude towards women: he tells every woman he meets he is single.