Madame Traber
While the Easter holidays are over, a young woman named Cécile and her brother Pierre return to the family home. There they meet their grandfather Léon, an old communist militant who has shaken Lenin's hand.
Mlle de Presles
Father Birotteau and Father Troubert, both of whom are priests at Tours, have separate lodgings in the house belonging to the crabby spinster Sophie Gamard in that city. Birotteau is an other-worldly, gentle, introspective type; Troubert, who is ten years younger than his fellow boarder, is very much of the world: he is a careerist devoured by ambition.
Madame Petitot
Francine Saulnier
부친도 없고 모친은 알콜중독에 문맹인 집안에서 자란 르네 르겡(마르셀 물루지 분)은 미래가 전혀없는 청년, 전쟁으로 인해 도시 생활은 피폐해지고 물물교환으로 그날의 먹거리를 구하는 시절, 그는 매춘녀가 된 누이를 죽인 독일군의 시체를 돈 받고 치워 주다가 레지스탕스인 인쇄업자 소티에(프랑수아 주 분)를 만나게 된 것이다. 빈?터리에 무식한 르네는 아무 의식없이 레지스탕에 가입하고 먹을 것과 술만 제공해 주면 임무대로 독일군이든 배신자들이든 모두 쏴 죽인다. 전쟁이 끝나고도 아무 죄의식 없이 살인을 한 르네는 경찰에 체포되고 사형수로 복역한다. 그는 아내 독살혐의를 받고 있는 의사 뒤투와(앙투완 벨페레 분)와 코르시카섬 출신으로 친구와 싸우다 살인을 저지른 지노(레몽 펠그렝 분)와 함께 감옥생활을 시작한다, 첫 번호를 받게된 신참내기 변호사인 아르노(클로드 레뒤 분)는 사형판결로부터 르겡을 구해내기 위해 열심히 변호를 한다. 르겡은 대통령에게 탄원서를 보내기 위해 감옥에서 처음으로 글을 배우며 희망을 품자 다른 사형수들이 하나둘씩 단두대로 끌려가는 광경을 보며 서서히 절망하게 된다. 지노와 의사 뒤투와가 차례로 사형 당하고 혼자 남은 르겡의 방은 또 다른 사형수들로 채워진다. 사형당할 때는 언제나 밤중에 갑자기 발걸음 소리도 죽인 채로 간수들이 들이닥치고 사전 통보도 없이 아무런 죽음에 대한 준비도 하지 못한 채 손발을 묶이고 끌려간다. 머지않아 죽음을 예견하는 르겡은 그 동안 보살펴 주지도 못했던 어린 동생 미셀(조르주 푸줄리 분)을 부탁하고 아르노는 부친에게 미셀을 데려간다.
Marthe
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.
Madame Guérin, who has been suffering from cancer, benefits from a period of remission and she tries to regain health at any price. That is why she decides to consult a healer. But when her friend, also affected by cancer, is saved by an operation, she hesitates between traditional and parallel medicine.
Françoise Lesquin
On the Franco-Belgian border, large and small traffickers engage in their illicit activities. For his part, a policeman is working to put an end to smuggling in the area.
Pilar
The practice of Dr. Julien, a GP of Marseilles, consists mainly of drug-addicts. One day, one of his patient dies at his surgery and Julien yields to the temptation : he steals the dead man's money and hides the corpse in a trunk. But the whole thing is discovered and ... misinterpreted. The doctor is condemned for killing the junkie and sent to the Cayenne convict prison, from which he escapes. The Indians give him shelter and he is soon given the opportunity to return their good deed when a yellow fever epidemic strikes their tribe. A young woman helps to fight the disease and, thanks to her, Julien starts considering that a new life is possible for him.
Danièle Andrieux
Elsa Lundenstein is accused of having murdered her lover. The jury discusses the case vividly. All members are somehow prejudiced because of personal life experience and subsequently each member reads something different into the presented facts.
Lise Arnaud, the teacher
Martine
Daniel Gelin and Juliette Faber star as a blissfully happy honeymooning couple. They are so happy that they arouse the jealous attentions of Satan. The Dark Prince sends an emissary to beak up the romance, but his advocate is promptly challenged by a representative from "up above."
Marguerite Vadon, une vendeuse
The struggles of a small business owner come to light in this film by director André Cayatte. The proprietor of a fabric shop, M. Baudu (Michel Simon) faces stiff competition when a department store moves in across the street, the first of its kind in 1860s Paris. On top of the stresses associated with the rival retailer, Baudu’s niece and two nephews take up residence with him after recently being orphaned. The niece, Denise Baudu (Blanchette Brunoy), sees the writing on the wall for her uncle’s business so she takes a job as a shop girl with his competitor and despite her success the decision does not register well with the family.
Berthe
Picpus is a street and a subway stop where a number of murders have been committed. Maigret tries to find the killer.
Denise
Pierre, who is a Fine Arts student, and Denise, who is a chemistry student, work for a department store where, wearing wedding suits, they distribute flyers to passers-by. The store manager, Bernard, falls in love with Denise and arranges to take her to an inn not far from Paris, run by the handsome Robert. This one opens Denise's eyes who ends up returning to her home. After a fight between Pierre and Bernard, Denise ends up choosing to stay with Pierre.
Nicole Loursat
Loursat, a lawyer, lives with his daughter Nicole in a sinister and vast bourgeois residence. Abandoned for nearly twenty years by his wife, the brilliant lawyer has sunk into alcoholism and his relationship with his daughter is virtually non-existent. However, one day the corpse of a stranger is discovered in the residence of Loursat. Nicole, who frequents a gang of young people who escape boredom by stealing cars and other objects, is immediately suspected.
Pernette
Five young people - brothers, sisters, cousins - are on vacation in the countryside. Pernette suggests to Marianne, who wants to be appreciated by her cousin Olivier, to make him jealous by inventing an aviator in love. At this announcement, Olivier bursts out laughing, but an airman knocks on their door, his private plane having had a breakdown. The mirage then becomes reality, and thanks to this unexpected visit many feelings will come to light.
Gisèle
A middle-aged Parisian lawyer meets a young girl and falls in love with her. The girl's mother discovers the affair and the couple must flee.