On this beautiful May 1st, Thérèse is about to give birth. Their presence at home is undesirable, so Jean, her husband, decides to take François, their little boy, to a soccer match. Their plans change when they meet a former factory mate who seems to have made a success of his life. This man, Blanchot, decides to return to Jean a sum of money he had once borrowed. Trusted, Jean is drawn into a clandestine circle, where his apparent luck delivers him without ulterior motive to Blanchot, who is one of the ringleaders. The police interrupt the dangerous game, putting Jean, who has no identity papers, in an awkward situation.
Marguerite de Valois, daughter of Catherine de Médicis, celebrates her wedding with Henri de Navarre. Officially, it's a rapprochement between the League and the Huguenots. In fact, it was an opportunity to bring all the Huguenots to Paris and kill them all at once. King Charles IX fails in his attempt on Coligny's life. Queen Margot tries to save her husband from the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre by preventing the annulment of his marriage, forcing Henri to share her bed. Two knights from opposing camps are wounded and, saved în extremis, are hidden together by the queen and her cousin. Margot falls in love with one of them, but has to run to warn her husband of a new attack and cannot prevent the two knights from being beheaded.
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.
Julien Pauphilat is the doorman at the famous restaurant, Maxim's and is also the confidant of many of his customers. As a consequence, in this post, he has managed to make a comfortable living and even acquire a country mansion. Retirement beckons and he is going to be able to enjoy the quiet life at last. The wedding of his daughter, Genevieve with Andre du Velin, a well born playboy is going to endanger this dream, for Genevieve is ignorant of her father's job. However, her fiance doesn't see any problem with this.
The brother of Jeanne Masson, a young nightclub singer, has been murdered by Brasier, a criminal who pretends to be a respectable man. Jeanne has resolved to avenge her brother but she just cannot take action herself. The way she finds is to ask police detective Pierre Leblanc to help her do it. Pierre gives his agreement and starts following the trail. He soon finds out that Brasier belongs to a gang whose boss, Cortedani, has ordered the murder.
Emile is a French film producer at the beginning of the century. One of his friends leaves his daughter Lucette in his house, when he is starting a tour through France. Emile falls in love with her. Problems starts when his younger friend Jacques come back from military service and after complaining his misfortune with women, follows Emile's advice in starting affairs with women and he meets Lucette.