Olivia tells the story of a teenage girl who arrives at a prestigious boarding school in Paris in the late 19th century. She becomes enamored with her teacher, causing a rivalry with another student. The plot explores themes of lesbian love, jealousy, and suicide. The story culminates in a Christmas dance where the protagonist must confront her feelings and navigate the complexities of her relationships.
The scene is a tawdry hotel room in Limbo, where several damned souls are gathered. At first, the group fails to comprehend where they are or why they're there. When the horrible truth dawns upon them, they carp and snipe at one another, blaming everyone but themselves for their dismal fate.
A shy, penniless employee of the garage owner Grillot, the gentle Louis wins $10 million in the lottery. Flitting along the banks of the Seine, he takes in Raoul Grandvivier, an unknown, untalented painter who has just botched a spectacular suicide intended to draw attention to himself. Raoul takes him back to his studio, where he meets his charming daughter Lucie. In order to see Lucie again, with whom he is in love, Louis offers to sell the paintings. In reality, he's the one paying for them, to make it look like a wealthy art lover.
Shy, timorous bank clerk, Fernand Jérôme, prevents -unwillingly of course - a gang led by "Le Grand J" from robbing the "Crédit Populaire", where he works. Having become a hero out of the blue, this new status allows him to woo Renée, the daughter of chief inspector Merlerin. What Merlerin does not know is that the man he has been trying to arrest for years, "Le Grand J" is in fact Joseph Jérôme, Fernand's father, who has disappeared for years...
Mr Lucas, a grocer, wants to attract the clientele; he imagines a lottery; every week, you can win a bike. It's a big success.
Micheline Chevassu is a young, naive woman living in an orphanage. Through classified ads, she has a date with an unknown man. She escapes from the orphanage to go to it, dreaming of the Prince Charming. But comes Nicolas Rougemont, an unattractive middle-aged man... He pretends not to be the author of the letters, who could not come...
The detectives of the Paris Judicial Police, based at the Quai des Orfèvres, are mobilized by four criminal cases. A double murder, perpetrated in a hotel on the Place de Clichy, intrigues the investigators. The owner and a little maid were murdered in cold blood.
The young King Boris of Neustria, who has followed his family in their exile in London, falls in love with the daughter of a wealthy American businessman. The latter, however, will only approve the union if Boris gives up royalty for the business world.
In Bourganeuf, an old maid, Charlotte Bourdier, confesses to Marie Chassagne that she has forged a sentimental intrigue by correspondence with the presenter of the Radio Circus, Zappy Max. Marie agrees to meet him when he comes, but she in turn falls in love with him, who confesses his love to her.
Raymond Corbier, a sculptor, has a wonderful wife, Sylvia, whom he adores. To save a passionate admirer who simulates suicide because she does not respond to her advances, Sylvia, an irreproachable wife, is forced to lie for the first time to Raymond.
Sénéchal, an actor touring the provinces with the "Tournées Carlini" does not meet the success he thinks he deserves. One night in Dreux, he finds himself without his luggage and dressed up as a Foreign Legion officer, he is invited to a party thrown by a colonel. He creates a sensation there and does not leave the colonel's wife ... indifferent! Back in Paris, Sénéchal goes through a similar experience. This time around, wearing tuxedo and top hat, he gets mistaken for a diplomat and charms the guests of a wedding party. Arrested by the police, he chooses to do without an attorney at his trial and his brilliant eloquence has him acquitted. A question remains unanswered though : will all those people who give an ovation in real life ever go to see him on stage ?
After an accident, Raymond has gone blind. His family treats him like a child, but fortunately a nun comes to his rescue. She works in a center where blind people learn to read using the Braille alphabet.
In Paris, at the Foire du Trône, the showman Titin from Martigues spins the perfect love with the pretty Yvette, which arouses the jealousy of his rival Dix-de-Der who will cause his downfall. Without this affecting his Provençal joviality, Titin will try his hand at various odd jobs without ceasing to push the song.
Two female police officers dismantle a network of drug traffickers.
Hector and Odette Dupuis' car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, but not far from a luxury hotel. The couple are well off but, being miserly, Odette is determined to keep her budget tight. Fortunately for her, the hotel offers rooms for domestics costing only 35 francs, so she decides to pass her husband as her chauffeur. As far as she is concerned, Odette presents herself as Baroness de Garches and takes a 250 franc room. But their stay soon becomes complicated. For instance, Palureau, a widower with five daughters who is planning to remarry, starts courting the 'baroness'. And that is not all since at the same time Angèle, a chambermaid, makes advances to Hector ! To make matters worse, Ferdinand, Angèle's boyfriend, decides to get even with Hector, his 'rival'. The jealous guy steals a jewel from a guest and has poor Hector accused of the theft.
Trapon, a bank employee, is in love with Mrs. Lavator, who wants to marry off her two daughters before marrying her. As one of the two fiancés of his daughters has no money, Trapon begins to embezzle sums of money in his cash box.
Didier's wife is ill, and he does the best he can to take care of her. But he's often absent and he has casual love affairs. But Leone he meets in Bruxelles wants to become his one and only mistress.
A young unemployed girl pretends to be a boy and gets a job as a car washer.
Reine, a young woman, meets for the first time a cousin of hers, Paul. She falls in love with him but she soon leans that Paul is engaged to Blanche, the beautiful daughter of Reine's uncle.