Guido Anselmi, a film director, finds himself creatively barren at the peak of his career. Urged by his doctors to rest, Anselmi heads for a luxurious resort, but a sorry group gathers—his producer, staff, actors, wife, mistress, and relatives—each one begging him to get on with the show. In retreat from their dependency, he fantasizes about past women and dreams of his childhood.

As Garibaldi's troops begin the unification of Italy in the 1860s, an aristocratic Sicilian family grudgingly adapts to the sweeping social changes undermining their way of life.

The death of a wealthy patriarch in 1885 sets off an interfamily power struggle. Son Ferdinando buys out his other relatives in order to gain full control over the dead man's property. But Ferdinando's nephew Amerigo holds out. Amerigo's stance is weakened when he heads for Florence and meets prostitute Bianca.

The Posalaquaglia cousins are two small scammers and make a living of expedients: Dante receives as recognition for Tommaso a bill of one hundred thousand lire from the famous financier Bruscatelli, who ends up in prison immediately afterwards.

Vanina Vanini, a bored, spoiled Roman countess, falls in love with a dedicated young patriot who is in Rome to assassinate a traitor to the brotherhood of the Carboneria.

Stefano Garbelli is employed by a pharmaceutical company. One evening Daniela, a young independent prostitute, approaches Stefano pretending to be a nurse. They get together, but Daniela has a sinister plan.

Duclos's son, a worldly gangster, is compromised in a case of which he is innocent. The proof of this innocence is in the hands of a "competitor", the Marquis de Chemantel de Beauvoiron, a misguided aristocrat. He asked for $ 10 million to cede the document. Duclos will then imagine Chemantel contracting $ 10 million in life insurance for his son. As he discovered in Rome a tramp, a look-alike of the marquis, he will bring this man to Paris and arrange for him to die accidentally.

September 1943: in the general confusion a thief dressed as a priest and a sergeant exchange clothes and roles.

In the late 1800's, Sicilians Franco and Ciccio are serving 20 years of prison for stealing two mules, when they are helped to escape by an American who says he is a friend of their grandfathers, who were killed in Texas by a gang of bandits who wanted to take over their gold mine. The two friends travel to America to take posses of the gold mine, but they soon discover that they are not the only ones who want it.

It's the story of a day spent by Dino, separated by his wife, who sees his son Robertino after five years. Dino has not contributed anything in life and to win the affection of his son, invents a story about his past. At the end of the day however, he will succeed in establishing a positive relationship with his son and telling the truth about himself.

Two young people trickle, steal and exploit prostitutes.

Cassio, a tourist guide, and Primo, his bus driver, are taking a bus load of tourists to visit villa Jovis, at Capri island. Then they have an accident, and they knock their heads hard, losing conscience. They come awake in the times of the Roman Empire in Tiberius' villa.

Four episodes: a traveler is enticed by train per bet; a professional wants to be alone with a woman he likes; a lawyer becomes the lover of an adversary; a man discovers his wife's infidelity after ten years.

A pair of brothers, Baby Toto and Pietro, sons of different mothers, live stealing suitcases at the Termini Station in Rome. After a theft, they discover that the stolen suitcase they got from an apparent sweet old lady actually contains a corpse.

Two inmates escape prison changing clothes with a couple of businessmen. They'll be taken by the financiers and find themselves surrounded by wealth and beautiful women.

Colonels, majors, lieutenants: all of them live in the same building. Some of them have a wife or children or none, but everyone has his orderly. Major Penna is harassed by Osvaldo's mother. Lt. Martucci gets involved in the love affair between Antonio, his orderly, and Lauretta.