In 19th-century France, middle-aged orphans Gasparre and Battista, watchmen at an orphanage, find out from a soothsayer that one of them is the offspring of the Hangman of Paris and the other is the son of a count. But it is only a dream of theirs.

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.

Eugene, a young nobleman, asks two penniless idlers to impersonate his noble relatives to help him marry Gemma, the daughter of an enriched cook.

Anthology of tragic love. A noblewoman falls for a commoner. A doctor keeps quiet about his patients' infidelities. Expectant father is sent to fight in WWI. A 1920s fascist enjoys Rome's nightlife. WWII airman falls for a girl in Naples.

A musical comedy divided into five segments: Mariantonia, Cuttica, Il Fine Dicitore, Fregoli and Il Censore.

Grace Peterson works in department stores "Tutto per Tutti", along with many other young people. His employment contract entitling them to live in a boarding house built specifically for them by the company but on the other hand, forbid them not fall in love or marry under threat of dismissal. Still, Grace falls for Phil Golder, a violinist penniless. The director of the residence will notice and the best friend of the girl impersonate violinist girlfriend to try to save Grace dismissal.

A cook from Sardinia who had emigrated to Milan goes back to his native island thinking he has inherited some money with his uncles death. He finds out he has to avenge his death instead.

During the German occupation, the only heir of a rich owner of the Roman countryside, in order to escape capture, lives hidden in a cave. To help him there is a young woman who has been in love with him for a long time. However, one day, during one of those daily visits, the boy abuses her.

A ruthless businessman wants to bring a penniless nobleman financially on his knees because he wants to marry the man's daughter. It is the family chauffeur who puts things right.

After finding a very precious and huge diamond, the famous geologist Hutton mysteriously disappears. The discovery of this jewel sparked a battle between the international underworld.

After murdering her illegitimate baby, Isabella pins the blame on her innocent cousin Consuelo. Despite the strenuous efforts of her attorney-lover DeSylva, Consuelo is found guilty and shipped to a penal colony along with several other female prisoners.

When peasant girl Nives is deserted by smuggler Gino Lodi, she betrays him to the police. Police officer Enzo Cinti, who loves Nives, traces her to the Po River cane-fields, where she is working as a cutter to support herself and an infant son, and warns her that Gino has escaped from prison and is seeking revenge. She rejects his offer to protect her. Gino finds Nives, mourning the drowning death of their son. He surrenders himself to the police and then walks at Nives' side in the funeral procession.

During the fascist era, Adriana a beautiful young model, becomes a prostitute after a love affair gone wrong. She meets Mino, a partisan who falls in love with her and wants to redeem her.

Through a series of scenes inspired by famous songs, various episodes of Italian life in the last fifty years are recalled.

After several attempts at suicide, depressed thief Antonio Marchi accidentally drowns in a river and ends up in hell.

Nando Moriconi is a young Italian living in Rome obsessed with all-things American.

During WWII, handsome young Italian sub commander and his crew torpedo Allied freighters and transport ships for the Axis then rescue the occasional survivor and treat them humanely while seeking a safe place to put them ashore.

In WWII-era Rome, underground resistance leader Manfredi attempts to evade the Gestapo by enlisting the help of Pina, the fiancée of a fellow member of the resistance, and Don Pietro, the priest due to oversee her marriage. But it’s not long before the Nazis and the local police find him.

Sophia Loren plays a dual role, as both the sultry Queen of the Nile with a "man-a-night" appetite and a beautiful slave girl who takes her place and is wooed by a bodyguard who thinks she's the real monarch.