Jean-François Robignac, a teacher, arrives at a provincial college to teach literature to ninth-graders. He quickly wins over the children with his youthful way with words. But his parents want to have him expelled when they learn that Jean-François uses slang words to rejuvenate writers' texts.

The director of a private institution is the father of seven charming young girls. He has money worries. A rich bachelor, still young, a few years ago advanced him a large sum of money. He makes frequent visits to his debtor; the poor father, as mediocre a psychologist as he is a poor businessman, hammers himself in his head, not guessing that the visitor is reluctant to make his choice between the seven sisters.

"René la Canne" was the second collaboration between Francis Girod and Ennio Morricone, coming after "Le Trio Infernal" (1974) and before "La Banquière" (1980). His film is an adaptation of a story by Roger Borniche about the gangster René Girier and relates the fantastic adventures of a flamboyant mobster (René/Gérard Depardieu) and a maverick police inspector (Fernand la Sournoise/Michel Piccoli), through the 1940s.