Shortly before he is to wed, millionaire John Willis is visited by Dr. Harry S. Blair, a psychiatrist who informs him that years before he was married to Nancy, John's wife-to-be, and warns him that she is mentally unbalanced. 　　Blair then relates the following story: After a whirlwind romance in Florida, Blair marries Nancy and starts a psychiatric practice in New York. One day, artist Norman Clyde comes to his office and tells him that an innocent man is about to be executed in Sing Sing Prison and that Nancy is the cause of his unjust incarceration. A distraught Clyde then explains himself to a curious Blair: 　　Three years before, Clyde meets Nancy, whose maiden name was Monks, when she enrolls in his art class. The moody Clyde soon falls in love with Nancy's honest charm and beauty. Nancy, a secretary, introduces Clyde to her boss, millionaire Andrew Bonner, and persuades Bonner to showcase Clyde's paintings at one of his private showings. To Nancy's delight, Clyde's painting, a depiction of the tragic figure Cassandra for which she modeled, wins first prize at the showing. The evening is perfect until an expensive bracelet is stolen from a guest, and Clyde later finds it in Nancy's purse. After Clyde confronts a confused Nancy about the theft, she relates the following story to explain her behavior: 　　As a young girl, Nancy lives with her housekeeper mother in the lavish Willis home and plays with Karen, the Willises' little daughter. Although Karen wants to invite Nancy to her upcoming birthday party, Mrs. Willis refuses to allow the lower-class Nancy to attend. A true friend, Karen promises to give Nancy one of the pins her guests are receiving. When Karen realizes there are no extra pins, however, she offers Nancy the beautiful locket she has just received from her mother. Nancy's subsequent joy is soon crushed when Mrs. Willis demands that she return the locket. Later, the locket is discovered missing, and Nancy is accused of theft. Although Nancy's mother soon finds the locket in Karen's dress, Mrs. Willis refuses to believe Nancy and forces her to "confess." 　　The adult Nancy then admits to Clyde that this childhood humiliation caused her unconscious desire to steal the bracelet at the party. After a forgiving Clyde returns the bracelet anonymously, he and Nancy continue their romance until the next party at the Bonners'. Suspecting that the absent Nancy is spending the evening in Bonner's arms, Clyde leaves the party to look for her and sees her exiting Mrs. Bonner's bedroom just after two gunshots are fired. Bonner is found murdered, and Mrs. Bonner's diamond necklace, stolen. Although Nancy and Clyde are questioned, valet Myron Dexter is eventually found guilty and is sentenced to die. Clyde, however, strongly suspects Nancy, but she angrily maintains her innocence and leaves for Florida. 　　Back in his office, Blair defends Nancy to Clyde but invites him to his house that evening. When confronted, Nancy denies everything and tells Blair that Clyde is merely jealous. The next day, Dexter is executed, and a guilt-ridden Clyde jumps from Blair's office window to his death. 　　To avoid scandal, Blair and Nancy move to England, and after World War II breaks out, Blair volunteers his medical services, while Nancy becomes an ambulance driver. Expressing concern over Blair's health, Nancy insists that they take a vacation at Lord and Lady Wyndham's manor house. Just as they are leaving, Blair learns that one of Lady Wyndham's valuable jewels has been stolen. Blair suspects Nancy but is unable to prove anything until a bomb destroys their flat and reveals her cache of stolen jewels. 　　Although confronted directly, Nancy continues to deny any guilt and divorces Blair after he suffers a nervous breakdown. Back in John's study, Blair, like Clyde before him, tries to convince John to abandon Nancy, who now uses the name Patton. John, however, believes Nancy when she tells him that Blair is still suffering from his breakdown. 　　Moments before the wedding is to start, Nancy's future mother-in-law, the unsuspecting Mrs. Willis, gives her the same locket that she once took away, and tells her that it is a precious family heirloom. The locket causes Nancy to be overcome with guilt, and she collapses at the altar in hysterics. As Nancy is later taken away to an institution, John sadly realizes the truth of Blair's story, but determines to see Nancy through her crisis.

The incredibly rich writer Sissy Goforth lives alone with her servants and nurses on the top of a Mediterranean island, on which she makes her own rules. Her days consist of dictating her autobiography and begging for injections. Here comes Chris Flanders, a.k.a. the angel of death - he has the weird habit of paying visit to unfortunate ladies shortly before their death. Sissy dresses him like a Japanese warrior, and he contemplates in that outfit the waves breaking against the rocks below. The witch of Capri - a neighbour - is invited to share their dinner, a larger than life - and still moving - monster of the sea.

一名来自美国一个小镇的姑娘来到纽约的剧坛闯荡，她经过千辛万苦，终于由一个寂寂无名的小人物变成一位一流走红明星，在这一过程中，她还经历了一段多姿多彩的恋爱。本片乃一九三三年名片《艳阳天》的重拍版本，导演西德尼·吕美特的执导手法相当细腻，可惜女主角苏珊·斯塔丝伯格的演出吃力 不讨好，损害了全片的成绩，苏珊·斯塔丝伯格是方法演技派戏剧大师李·斯塔丝伯格的女儿，而英国舞台剧演员克里斯托弗·普卢默参与拍摄本片是他首度参加电影演出。

一个歌舞班因不受欢迎，即将解散。为此班主决定上演性感节目《春光明媚》。歌舞班为偿还债务，曾将服装送到了当铺，演出前让人去赎。但拿回一看，服装已被老鼠咬破。后来将裤筒衣袖剪去，演出效果十分好，大受欢迎。戏院老板与班主续约，但导演认为这破坏了艺术，愤而离开歌舞班。

五四运动是中国近现代史上具有重要意义的一次爱国民主运动，它的影响不仅局限于沿海城市，也波及到了内地的闭塞地区，如四川成都，引发了社会上的巨大波澜和变革。在这个时期，高氏豪门书香门第成为了一片世态炎凉的缩影。在外表光鲜的掩盖下，家族的后代克安、克定等人却利用家族地位肆意妄为，盗卖财物，欺凌丫头，暗藏龌龊，违背着家族的传统道德。高老太爷和克明等人代表着旧有的礼教和家训，他们竭力维护着旧有的秩序和权势，对任何新事物持保守态度，甚至以年轻人的生命为代价来维护旧秩序。在这种压抑和腐败的环境下，梅因抑郁而死，瑞玉命运悲惨，鸣凤选择了绝望的自杀。 　　然而，新思潮的冲击下，反叛的力量也在暗中蠢动。觉慧成为了这场变革的代表，她坚决反对旧有的“无抵抗主义”，勇敢地与觉新展开了激烈的斗争。最终，她选择了离开家庭，追寻自由和理想的新生活。这段历史故事生动地展现了五四运动时期青年一代的挑战精神和对理想的追求，以及他们为了自由、平等和正义而不惜付出一切的决心和勇气。