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A child is rejected by his father and sister when his mother dies giving birth to him. The family is falling apart; the father takes to drinking, the child is placed with a nurse. However, the little girl will take the initiative to bring the child back to the family home which she decides to take care of, thus encouraging the father to change his behavior.
Two bank employees like Lucie, their colleague. They steal money from the cash register to gamble. Jean wins and Paul ends up in prison for five years. When he leaves, he discovers that Jean has become a businessman and that he has married Lucie.
A man is a hunter at Maxim's restaurant. He lives in the provinces and his family is unaware of his profession. As soon as he has enough money, he quits his job and goes home for his daughter's wedding to a marquis. This one is a regular at the restaurant and the man tries to prevent the wedding before the truth is discovered.
In this classic French satire, Louis, a convict, escapes from prison and takes on legitimate work, making his way up in the business world. Eventually becoming the head of a successful factory, Louis opts to modernize his company with mechanical innovations. But when his friend Émile finally leaves jail years later and reunites with Louis, the past catches up with them. The two, worried about being apprehended by police, long to flee the confines of industry.