The rich young man Teddy Anker invests his money in the theater at the beginning of the 1920s. Whatever he does becomes a success. He falls in love with a dancer, Karin. He decides to put up a show with Karin as the leading lady, but for the first time one of his shows becomes an economic disaster.
Karin does not belong to the nobility but nevertheless marries the mentally ill king Erik XIV and becomes queen of Sweden. The king's skilled counsellor Göran Persson wants a royal policy supporting the people and supported by it. But in relation to the nobility the king oscillates between provocative strength and unpredictable weakness. Göran arranges that some very powerful noblemen are killed. Subsequently the king tries to have them convicted of high treason by the parliament. He forgets the manuscript, mixes up all facts, and the noblemen are acquitted. But Göran speedily gathers another parliament and has them convicted. Meanwhile Erik apologises because of the unjust murders. Hence Erik is dethroned and imprisoned. Göran is executed. Karin is restricted to a castle in Finland. In the prison Erik believes that he is still the king and gives the guards presents such as all fishes in the Baltic Sea.
Based on the play by August Strindberg, Miss Julie vividly depicts the battle of the sexes and classes that ensues when Julie, a wealthy businessman's daughter, falls for Jean, her father's bitter servant.
Orvar is a vagabond, walking the country roads and living on sunshine and generosity. One day he decides to find work somewhere to get some money. He becomes a helping hand for seven lumberjack brothers. The big and strong brothers really enjoy themselves, joking with the small and meek Orvar. Orvar does not know that he has inherited a large fortune but the seven brothers do and they begin to treat him with the greatest courtesy. They convince him to write his last will, making them his heirs, and then begin to make plans on how to kill him.
The idle rich have their own particular problems. Case in point, Georg and Monika Hedberg were once poor and happy but since Georg became an established painter family bliss has decreased for every fur coat Monika has bought. Their divorce lawyer suggest that they try to save their marriage by moving to a small apartment and live life frugally but happy. When the trial period is over and they want to return home again, their lawyer has stolen their money and disappeared. The Hedbergs are evicted for unpaid rent and terminal poverty seem to be imminent.
Lisa Larsson, dancer at a theater, witnesses a traffic accident and banker Brenner's private driver asks her to be a witness. When her friends see her talk to the driver, they start to believe that she is Brenner's fiancée. The manager of the theater, Gravander, gives her the leading part in his latest show, in order to befriend Brenner. Larsson plays along in this mistake and when Brenner hears about this he asks to see Larsson, pretending to be a news journalist... Plot by Mattias Thuresson.
Henrik Karlsson is accused of having stolen 5,000 SEK, even though he is innocent. But to protect the real thief, who is sick in hospital, Karlsson takes the full responsibility.
An intense love affair develops between a married concert violinist (Gösta Ekman) and his daughter's music teacher (Ingrid Bergman).
Olof Koskela, the only son is driven from home when he wants to marry the wrong girl. He takes a job as a floater. His reputation as a womanizer goes far and wide. When he meets the proud Kyllikki, he enters into a bet to defeat the mighty rapids standing on a log.