Adaptación del clásico de Victor Hugo, con una exuberante Gina Lollobrigida como Esmeralda y el siempre excelente Anthony Quinn interpretando al tierno jorobado enamorado de la bella zíngara.
On the run from international police, Special Agent Lemmy Caution arrives in the South of France and soon becomes embroiled in a scheme with the infamous gangster Siegella. Whilst seeming to co-operate with the underworld boss, Lemmy is secretly acting for the FBI, and intends using Miranda Van Zelden, a wealthy heiress, as bait to trap a gang of crooks and put an end to Siegella's exploits...
Fred, the nephew of a senator,has murdered a Black man on a train. The two only witnesses are Lizzie McKay, a prostitute from New York, and Sidney, a colored man. Fred decides to seduce Lizzie in order to make her give false evidence according to which Sidney has attempted to rape her. The uncle also puts pressure on the young woman. After much hesitation, Lizzie finally accepts but Sidney, who has nearly got lynched, takes refuge at her home...
A young intellectual, Hugo, joins the Communist Party out of a sense of idealism, only to see his principles manipulated by party leaders. He is given the assignment of killing Professor Hoederer, a party deviationist. However, he grows to admire the man and begins to have doubts about morals and revolutionary politics. But jealousy - Hugo thinks Hoederer has made love to his wife, Jessica - takes matters out of the political realm.
Christine, the daughter of a rich American, acquires from her father the jazz band of Ray Ventura who will be made responsible for accompanying her from morning till evening wherever she goes. From an endless number of amusing situations, the fiancée of the girl despairs. But soon the musicians rebel in in the face of the requirements of their patroness. More than a job, it is for them misery. Christine excuses them and she goes back to America with her band. Things go bad, degenerate, but the kindness of the musicians and the firmness of the fiancée of Christine really quiet down the moods of the young woman .
In order for important British admiralty papers to pass into the hands of the Germans, the spy Gordon has the ingenious idea of transforming a lamentable drunkard into a Lady, haughty but submissive to his orders. Stella's transformation is complete, the success extraordinary. Why must a French officer touching the heart of the former pochard bring down the fragile edifice? A submarine is about to blow up, Gordon is shot down and a confessed Stella returns to her horrible taverns to drown her sorrows in alcohol for good.
Pierre lives with his wife Marie in a small village in the Landes. He dreams of leaving. On the occasion of the passage of a caravan of gypsies, he meets Solita and plans to continue the journey with her. However, he will give up this project out of love for his wife.