Mario Riva

A number of different segments taken from 19th century Italian stories.

Two friends, Giacomino and Carletto, have no job and no money and are looking for a job, or any device that will help them to meet expenses and especially will give them the opportunity to fill their stomachs.

Alvaro is been in jail and so he consider himself the most fit to lead his three friends Mario, Otello and Spartaco. The four young men decide to start a business. They need only a van to start a transport company. But they lack the money. How can they get it?

Dante Trilli, who has been teaching in his village school for about twenty years, wins a competition for Milan. Waiting for him is his childhood friend, where he is the janitor in the school where Trilli will teach.

Cencio, a roman pilferer, periodically is in prison. He meets Cesira that soon become his partner in crime. With Cesira's help Cencio try the big hit to a jewelery. But the lucky break is over.

Two fellow soldiers fight for the love of the same girl, are constantly picked on by the older soldiers about to be discharged and are involved in the staging of a show in the military barracks.

In the village of Viggiù, the firemen organize various skits and performances in their theater, inviting all the celebrities known at that time.

An Italian clerk has been helped to his position by a fake kickback letter from a politician who, meanwhile has become a state secretary. His colleagues thus send him to Rome to settle an important matter with the powerful character. The poor fellow goes hoping the truth will not come out.

A young dare-devil goes to Rome in search of fortune, with the blessings and money of his loving aunts. While in the city, he is a victim of a series of mishaps. His aunts hear about a man of the same name who is a candidate for Parliament; they think that he is their nephew and organize a series of celebrations. So, the youngster gets the idea of trying to replace the real candidate, but gets found out. The aunts forgive him.

A rich American arrives in a little village in the mountains because he wants to advertise a drink he produces. In the village there are also two men from Rome who are at logger-heads with the locals. The coming of the American complicates matters.

A doctor rescues a young woman who is about to throw herself into the river and takes her to the hospital. The woman learns of three very sad stories revolving around suicide.

A professor was appointed member of the jury of a beauty contest and falls for a beautiful contestant. In order to get the girl he must win the "Tour of Italy", so professor sells his soul to the devil to get the winning and the girl.

A prison warden keeps a diary in which he writes about the convicts he meets and their lives.

A psychiatric-clinic medical director runs some tests on two patients, the Ragionier Antonio Vignanelli and Cavalier Peppino Caprioli, so they must retrieve some memories of family life in order to understand their mental illness.

Two two-bit singers become thieves to make ends meet. One day during a theft in the house of a music impresario they hear Marco an electrician gifted with a beautiful voice and give him some money to help for his debut as a singer.

The master Impallato takes care of the boys in a suburban after-school. Here he discovers a pupil with an extraordinary baritone voice.

Antonio De Papis is a lawyer and his specialization is separation by mutual consent. He is contrary to marriage because he sees so many of them going wrong. So when his nephew calls on him asking for his approval to his marriage, Antonio suggests to him to spend a day in his office to see what marriage really is.

A magistrate saves a young woman from drowning and they fall in love.

An ambitious French girl who moved to Italy to be an actress cannot break through and then opts for a normal life.

Rosa Pezza, a beautiful young girl, is forced into a thousand maneuvers and subterfuges to gain possession of a rich inheritance. She is ultimately forced to marry the penniless and bizarre baron Carlo Mazza but the baron, tired of his wife's escapades, decides to divorce her...