Le Dompteur

Alcide Darbois, a small-time garage owner, and his sister Ursule come into a fabulous inheritance and become powerful industrialists. The cars they make a re very successful on the French market. Now a bit of a snob, Alcide decides to marry his daughter Suzanne to Marquis Gaëtan de la Michodière, but the young lady is actually in love with Bégonia, her father's chief worker. A car racing event will resolve the situation.

Hélène, married to Larsonnier, has developed a crush for Germont, her neighbor. One night, she is abducted and she discovers that her kidnapper is none other than Germont. But, to her dismay, he does not act out of love for her : his only motivation is money, which he proves by asking her husband a five-Million-franc ransom. After a long hesitation, Larsonnier finally pays the sum and Hélène returns to him. As for Germont, chased by the police, he goes on the loose... Some time later, Hélène is kidnapped one more time, and again by Germont! But this time around, this the elopement of her dreams.

King John IV of Cerdania, who knows monarchs are a vanishing race but who plays his royalty role in state council or boudoir to the hilt, is in Paris to sign a treaty, and becomes enmeshed in intrigue with an actress, Therese Mannix and involved in a bit of cuckoldry with YouYou Bourdier, the ex-seamstress wife of a French senator, who is un-awed by money, power or the King's kisses. For his part, her husband, Senator Bourdier, is glad to use his wealth, wife and collectivist ideals for social position, in spite of his democratic posing.