Fanfan is a young handsome peasant. He joins the army to escape marriage because a gypsy girl predicted he will get glory and the king's daughter as a wife. But the gypsy girl was in fact Adeline, the daughter of the recruiting officer. Once he has discovered the stratagem, Fanfan refuses to forget this dream and decides to fulfill the destiny of the fake prediction.
Julien Pauphilat is the doorman at the famous restaurant, Maxim's and is also the confidant of many of his customers. As a consequence, in this post, he has managed to make a comfortable living and even acquire a country mansion. Retirement beckons and he is going to be able to enjoy the quiet life at last. The wedding of his daughter, Genevieve with Andre du Velin, a well born playboy is going to endanger this dream, for Genevieve is ignorant of her father's job. However, her fiance doesn't see any problem with this.
Maria-Pilar is the new wife of an Algerian gangster whom the police have just arrested. The son of a first marriage arrives in Algiers from which he has remained far away for a long time. His stepmother, charmed by the teenager, gradually experiences a devouring passion, against which Michel tries in vain to fight: he loves a young girl, Sylvie. Mad with jealousy, his stepmother singles him out for his father's vengeance by distorting the truth. Michel does not escape his father's fury, but when the woman's deception becomes known, Maria-Pilar is strangled to death.
