In the dry, dusty western hamlet of San Angelo, landowner Joe Bradford kills his brother and then marries his brother's widow, Gertie. Gertie's son, Hawk, decides that something's rotten in this state of affairs and thinks about taking action
The old Valmorin died 200 years ago. The notary tells the family about the inheritance: the one who is terminally ill will receive the money. They all try their luck with getting ill before the other so one family member pretends to be deaf, another pretends to have a terrible back ache and so on...
Sentimental marivaudage between Nicole, her husband Christian, her friend Alexandre and a provincial girl, Marie-Josèphe, who marries Alexandre after arousing Nicole's jealousy.
