Henry Houry

On the death of the famous singer Maria Malibran, Countess Merlin retraces the main lines of the unusual destiny of this young woman entirely devoted to her art.

Remember when Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music says "Every time God closes a door, He opens a window?" Well, this is basically the same philosophy followed by a sage authority named Professor Azais. Though he is never seen in the film, Azais's influences dictates every move made by Le Baron Wurtz (Max Dearly), a private tutor. Though he suffers quite a few setbacks, Wurtz presses on, armed by the Azaiz philosophy that every time something goes wrong in one part of the world, it is balanced by something going right elsewhere. This "law of compensations" pays off in big laughs for the audience, and in a happy-ever-after for Wurtz. Azais was based on a play by Georges Berr and Rene Verneuil.

A beautiful and ambitious young woman leaves her boyfriend for a famous sculptor, and later--after she models for his statue "Miss Ambition"--marries an old but wealthy art collector. However, things don't turn out quite the way she planned.

In the summer of 1914, Alsatian maiden Louise de Villars is attacked by two German soldiers. Hugh Brown, a visiting American, comes to her rescue and they fall in love. When war is declared, Hugh enlists in the French flying corps and shoots down thirty enemy planes. He is captured, but escapes with other prisoners while being transferred to another camp, and arrives at Louise's house to find camp commander, Baron Von Steinbach. To save Hugh from being executed, Louise offers herself to the lecherous Baron. Louise then kills him and escapes with Hugh to an American trench, where they are married by a chaplain on the final day of the war. Afterward, they leave Europe for Hoboken, New Jersey.

A young botanist, an Englishwoman and her daughter are prisoners of a group of bandits operating in the mountains of Albania. A ransom is demanded. The capture of the gang leader's daughter, however, brings the situation to a happy conclusion.

Julie and Désirée Clary are courted by the brothers Joseph and Napoleon Bonaparte. Joseph marries Julie and Napoleon is affianced to Désirée. When Napoleon breaks the engagement and marries Joséphine de Beauharnais, Désirée becomes involved with General Bernadotte.

François Donge, a rich industrialist and womaniser, meets a girl nicknamed Bébé who he marries. Ten years later, poisoned by his wife and dying in hospital, he recalls his married life and understands how his wife who adored him suffered from his many affairs and indifference.

Glamorous and wealthy French woman Jacqueline Cartaret considers marrying Ernest Augarde, the harmless bookworm who adores her, but finally selects a dashing count, Andre De Juvigny. Lucia De Morfontaine, a beautiful widow who had an affair with Andre before his marriage, still loves the handsome count and pursues him so ardently that Jacqueline soon becomes convinced of her husband's unfaithfulness.