In Sardinia, at the beginning of the twentieth century, the once powerful aristocratic Decherchi family is going through difficult times and is threatened with eviction. To be able to pay his debts, Don Paulu, the son, needs help. He seeks aid from Uncle Zua, an old miser, who rejects him bluntly. Upset by Paulu's misfortunes, Annesa, the servant girl adopted by the family and Paulu's lover, decides to kill Zua so that the Decherchis inherit from him...

A businessman marries Maria, the daughter of the rich professor, not for love but for personal gain. He betrays and humiliates her but she hides his despicable character from both her father and society at large and takes comfort in the company of a ship’s lieutenant. They fall in love but agree to interrupt their impossible relationship. Pregnant with her lover’s child, Maria decides to follow her heart and join him at sea but a series of dramatic events awaits them.

Quelques messieurs d'un certain âge, le prince Vladimir Bilinsky, Jean Sabatier, le colonel Cousinet-Duval, Sigismond Meursault, prennent sous leur protection une jolie bouquetière de seize ans : Antoinette Dubois dite « Frou Frou ». Aucun d'eux n'a le droit de la séduire, mais tous s'y emploient. Devenue une chanteuse en vogue, elle s'éprend d'Henri de Gaspard qui la délaisse. Après plusieurs années passées en Russie avec le prince Vladimir, Frou Frou revient en France, s'éprend d'un peintre raté, Michel Arthus, et après le suicide de ce dernier, élève seule sa fille Michèle, qu'elle laissera partir au loin vers l'homme qu'elle aime.

Mario Esposito, who sings in a Neapolitan restaurant, is in love with Assunta, the niece of Teresa, the owner of the place. He shares his apartment with Michel, his best friend. This one has fallen under the spell of Lolita, a gorgeous adventuress he met at the cathedral where he officiates as the organist. But things go awry as, while Michel intercedes with Aunt Teresa for Assunta's hand in his favor, Mario in turn falls in love with Lolita. On the very day of his wedding with Assunta, Mario runs away with Lolita, thus betraying both his love and his friend. But it does not take long before the young singer realizes the big mistake he has made.

1942 film by Augusto Genina

While recuperating from their injuries in a hospital, three young women flash back to the events leading up to the catastrophe. Remata (Lia Amando) has spent her entire life trying to overcome a childhood rape. Annamaria (Antonella Lualdi) has recently come out of an unfortunate marriage to a wealthy but insensitive boor. And Gianna (Eleanore Rossi Drago), the daughter of a college professor, has ruined her life with narcotics.

1953 film by Augusto Genina

Unlike most Italian films of the 1940s, Augusto Genina's Cielo Sulla Palude opened in Venice rather than Rome. The film's American title was Heaven Over the Marshes, and indeed most of the story is set in the disease-ridden Pontine Marshes on the outskirts of Rome. This was the home of Maria Goretti, a pious young girl who was murdered by her would-be seducer. For reasons elucidated in the course of the film, Maria's short time on earth made her worthy of Sainthood, which was actually bestowed upon her shortly after the release of this film. Maria Goretti is well-played by Ines Orsini. Cielo Sulla Palude served as the comeback feature for director Augusto Genina, whose previous pro-fascist films had caused him to be blacklisted after WW II.

Lieutenant Mario Ludovici, an army officer, gets himself transferred to a Libyan post when his romance with society girl Cristiana goes on the rocks. Ludovici is looked upon as a weakling by Captain Santelia, the hard-boiled commander of the troops, but after a bitter campaign against a rebel tribe Ludovici proves his true worth and returns as commander when Santelia is mortally wounded. Cristiana arrives and tries to entice him to return to Rome, but he decides to stay in Africa with the army.

Cyrano de Begerac is joyous, witty, a poet, a leader and filled with plenty of charisma and bravado in 17th Century France. He has only one flaw: an unusually long nose which makes him unattractive to any woman. Thus, he cannot have the woman he loves, his cousin Roxanne. Roxanne loves an officer in his army who gets tongue-tied in front of women. Who will Roxanne love? Will Cyrano ever find love? Or will he find happiness in helping the officer woo Roxanne? This is a story of split personalities, human frailty and unrequited love.

Lucienne, typist and gorgeous bathing beauty, decides to enter the 'Miss Europe' pageant sponsored by the French newspaper she works for. She finds her jealous lover Andre violently disapproves of such events and tries to withdraw, but it's too late; she's even then being named Miss France. The night Andre planned to propose to her, she's being whisked off to the Miss Europe finals in Spain, where admirers swarm around her. Win or lose, what will the harvest be?

The young English consul's wife who arrived in Shanghai to join him just as he is arrested by the nationalist troops charged with supporting the "enemy". Mary is also arrested and her device of pretending to be a Russian agitatress doesn't work: the Chinese general has seen a photo Ralph's freedom is offered by the general in exchange for the possession of Mary, but before this awful bargain is concluded, the British fleet shells the general's headquarters. He dies, a glass of champagne held aloft: "To China, the country that is strong enough to wait for more centuries." (extracted from J.L pp 70 )

The day broke the Spanish Civil War, Colonel Jose Moscardo, veteran of Africa, arrived in Madrid to prepare your trip to Berlin with the Spanish delegation that would participate in the Olympic Games. He learned of the military insurrection and quickly returned to Toledo. As commander of the square, Moscardó had no doubts, and at seven in the morning of July 21, 1936 issued the side of war. Aware of the precarious situation, entrenched in the Alcazar 1 800 people in place. Where he resisted constant attacks and bombings until the arrival of the national troops on September 27.