John Singer (Alan Arkin) is a deaf-mute who works as a silver engraver in a small southern town. His only friend is a mentally disabled mute, Antonapoulos (Chuck McCann), who continually gets into trouble with the law since he doesn't know any better. When Antonapoulos is committed to a mental institution by his family, Singer decides to move to a town near the institution in order to be near his friend. Singer finds work there and rents a room in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Kelly (Biff McGuire and Laurinda Barrett), who are having financial difficulties as a result of Mr. Kelly's recent hip injury. Because the Kellys' teenage daughter, Mick (Sondra Locke), resents having to give up her room to him, Singer makes a few tentative efforts to win her friendship. Singer also tries to become friends with Blount (Stacy Keach), a semi-alcoholic drifter, and Dr. Copeland (Percy Rodriguez), an embittered segregationist African American who is secretly dying of lung cancer. Copeland's deepest disappointment is that his educated daughter, Portia (Cicely Tyson), works as a domestic and is married to a field hand.
The film begins with VIPs visiting the headquarters of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Offutt AFB in Omaha, Nebraska. During the trip, an alert is initiated by USAF's early warning radar that an unidentified flying object is making an unauthorized intrusion into American airspace. Defense protocols dictate that the SAC must always keep several bomber groups airborne 24 hours a day in the event of a nuclear attack on the United States. Following the alert, bombers are ordered to proceed to predetermined aerial "fail-safe points" to await their final "go" orders before proceeding towards Soviet targets.
A pathologist, Dr. Warren Chapin (Price), discovers that the tingling of the spine in states of extreme fear is due to the growth of a creature that every human being seems to have, called a "Tingler", a parasite attached to the human spine. It curls up, feeds and grows stronger when its host is afraid, effectively crushing the person's spine if curled up long enough. The host can weaken the creature and stop its curling by screaming.
In the early 1900s, actor Lon Chaney (James Cagney) is working in vaudeville with his wife Cleva (Dorothy Malone). Chaney quits the show and Cleva announces that she is pregnant. Lon is happy and tells Cleva that he has been hired by the famous comedy team Kolb and Dill for an upcoming show.
Strong-willed, widowed schoolteacher Anna Leonowens arrives in Bangkok from Wales with her young son Louis after being summoned to tutor the many children of King Mongkut. The two are introduced to the Kralahome, King Mongkut's confidante and Siam's prime minister. His severe countenance makes Louis apprehensive, but Anna refuses to be intimidated and convinces him to disguise his fear ("I Whistle a Happy Tune"). The Kralahome explains he has come to escort them to the Royal Palace where they will live – a violation of Anna's contract, which calls for them to live in a separate house outside the walls of the palace. Despite her threat to return to Singapore, Anna reluctantly disembarks with Louis and the Kralahome.
The film is the story of a deaf-mute young woman, Belinda McDonald (Jane Wyman), who is befriended by the new doctor, Dr. Robert Richardson (Lew Ayres), who comes to Cape Breton Island on the east coast of Canada. The doctor realizes that, although she cannot hear or speak, Belinda is very intelligent. She lives on a farm with her father, Black McDonald (Charles Bickford), and her aunt, Aggie McDonald (Agnes Moorehead), and rarely goes into town. The family sells farm goods to the nearby town, mainly flour. Her father and aunt resent Belinda because her mother died giving birth to her. Dr. Richardson teaches Belinda sign language and what things are. Over time, his affection for her grows.
Joe Stefanos (Paul Valentine) arrives at small, out-of-the-way Bridgeport, California, in search of Jeff Bailey (Mitchum). Jeff is away, off on a picnic with local girl Ann Miller (Virginia Huston). Stefanos sends Jeff's deaf young assistant, The Kid (Dickie Moore), off to bring Jeff back. When he arrives Stefanos informs Jeff that Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas) wants to see him. Jeff has a past with Whit which Ann is unaware of. Ann trusts Jeff implicitly, but her parents are wary, as is Jim (Richard Webb), a local police officer who is Ann's long-time admirer.
Un banquier est assassiné et la police soupçonne son neveu Raoul, qui est condamné à dix ans de bagne. Or, le véritable assassin est Théo, le frère de Ginette, la compagne de Francis dit Chéri-Bibi, un forçat évadé. Théo est assommé par Chéri-Bibi qui, dénoncé par Ginette, prend la fuite. Repris par la police, il retrouve en prison ses fidèles complices, La Ficelle et Fric-Frac ; Raoul (que Chéri-Bibi ne connait pas) fait aussi partie des prisonniers. Sur le bateau qui les conduit au bagne, les prisonniers menés par Chéri-Bibi tentent en vain de s’évader. Finalement, grâce à la complicité de la femme du patron de l’exploitation forestière où ils sont affectés, Chéri-Bibi et Raoul – qui souhaitent tous deux se venger de Théo – parviennent à s’évader du bagne avec leurs compagnons, mais Chéri-Bibi est grièvement blessé par les gardiens lancés à leur poursuite.