Jacques Beckers co-writes and directs this classic film noir based on the novel by Albert Siminon. The film follows ageing underworld figure Max (Jean Gabin), who, with his colleague Riton (Rene Dary), has stolen 50 million francs in gold bars. When Riton's girlfriend decides to take up with rival gang boss Angelo (Lino Ventura), the whereabouts of the stolen money becomes clear, prompting Angelo to kidnap Riton and demand the money as ransom.

Orson Welles writes, directs and stars in this French adaptation. In 19th-century Macau, the rich and ageing merchant Charles Clay (Welles) decides to use his power to make an old seafaring legend come true: that of the wealthy old man who hires a young sailor to make his beautiful wife pregnant. To this end, Clay gets his assistant Levinsky (Roger Coggio) to hire his former business partner's daughter Virginie (Jeanne Moreau) to portray his wife and sends him to find a suitably destitute sailor to complete the tale.