1939 film by Douglas Sirk

At the beginning of the 20th century, the destiny of Félicie Nanteuil, a young girl from the provinces who became a big star on the stage thanks to a comedian who committed suicide out of love for her.

Bohemia in the 19th century, stage-coach driver Hans loves the mayor's daughter Marie, but she is promised Wenzel, the son of another wealthy farmer. Marie refuses to marry Wenzel because of Hans, but the marriage arranger tries to "buy" Marie from Hans. But when Wenzel tells Hans that he doesn't want to marry Marie either because he loves circus director Brummel's daughter, Hans decides to accept the offer of money for not interfering in the relations of Hans and Marie. But when Marie hears about this, she doesn't want to see Hans again.

The happiness of a newly-married couple, Henry and Jeannie Saint Clair, is shattered when the husband is made a paralytic in an automobile accident. The wife still loves him, although he is incapable of any physical love. She is slowly drawn into a short-lived affair with a handsome athlete, Robert Vanier. When the husband learns of the affair, he commits suicide. But the wife cannot forget him and she sends her lover away.

Evelyne Morin has known much misfortune in her life. Widowed, after being married to an unscrupulous adventurer, she ends up working as a call-girl in a Montmartre nightclub just so that she can bring up her young son. But Evelyne has hopes of escaping from this degrading life. One evening, she meets Georges, a Canadian friend, whom she once considered marrying. Since she last met him, Georges has become rich and highly respected as a doctor. To conceal her downfall, Evelyne pretends to be a respectable woman, with the help of Paul Mazuraud, an odious man who provides her with the wherewithal for her to keep up this deception. When her son unintentionally gives the game away, Evelyne places him in the care of her Canadian friend and then fades away into the fog...

Two ghosts attend an engagement party, unseen by the other guests. One ghost, Dupont, is the father of the bride-to-be. He looks back on his marriage to her mother. His wife Annette was always very unhappy; business kept him away from home. The doctor recommended indulging her whims for furs and jewels. Then Uncle Émile suggested a trip to Paris. All went well until the day they went to the circus and saw the lion-tamer, Rodrigo the Conqueror. Rodrigo becomes Annette's lover ... and the second ghost... But wait a second. There's a third ghost at the party! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Annette is giving an engagement party for her daughter. However, the daughter's true love is not her fiance, but an air ace. The ghost of Annette's dead husband comes to watch the party. He is joined by the ghosts of two other lovers of Annette, the lion tamer Rodrigo, and her first sweetheart, a sailor. The three ghosts discuss how their relationships to Annette ruined their lives.

"Menaces" deals with the months before WW2 in a hotel :t he fear of the impending war never leaves the guests of an hotel in Paris.

In the late 1800's, Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire, falls for Sophie Chotek, a Czech countess. He's already a problem to the Crown because of his political ideas; this love affair with someone not of royal blood breeches protocol. The Crown allows the union only after the couple agrees to a morganatic marriage. The emperor further neutralizes Franz by making him inspector general of the army, sending him afield for months at a time. In June of 1914, fearing for his safety, Sophie seeks permission to accompany Franz to Sarajevo; protocol dictates that no army troops attend Franz while she is present. An assassin strikes. Their deaths spark World War I.

A famous film star is put under an anesthetic after an attempted suicide and relives her melodramatic past. Written by Anonymous --------------------------------------------- Gaby Doriot's new popular song "La signora di tutti" will be a hit in France, so her manager is negotiating a new contract with her film production company... The movie studio is bustling, but Gaby is nowhere to be found. Her manager checks her hotel, finding her on the bathroom floor: an apparent suicide attempt. At the hospital, as the anaesthetic is applied, Gaby flashes back to her life back home in Milan... At school, Gaby's affair with a married teacher gets her expelled. She and her sister Anna are invited to a party by Roberto, the son of a well-to-do banker. He and Gaby plan to go to Rome together, but his father's unexpected return sends him off alone. Gaby is on very good terms with Roberto's invalid mother, but his father, Leonardo, is drawn to Gaby... Written by David Carless