Set in nascent American colonies, the Stooges, cast as convicted felons expelled from England to embark on a series of misadventures upon their arrival. Their initial encounter involves a lively dance with the governor's daughters, followed by the disheartening revelation that the colonists face starvation due to the local indigenous population's refusal to grant access to hunting grounds without a hefty fee. Undeterred by the predicament, the Stooges resolve to aid the struggling colony by venturing into the wilderness for a hunting excursion.
A radio preacher's operation is controlled by his honest but bland son. When the preacher is made a media superstar by a savvy huckster, the son is left behind. Everything changes when the son wanders into a bar and witnesses the performance of a woman rock and roll singer.
Writer Nick and his wife Emily are expecting their first child. When a necessary home repair proves too costly to afford, Nick must swallow his pride and visit his father, a proud immigrant stonemason with whom he has a difficult relationship, and ask him to do the work. Confronting the issues of religion and family tradition which have separated father and son causes Nick and Emily to reevaluate their lives and the things they value most.
With a fanbase that rivaled Star Treks, The Junior Defenders was one of the top TV hits of the late '70s. 25 years following the show's sudden cancellation, a crazed fan named Norman is still obsessed with the show. In his mania, Norman treks across the country in a stolen Winnebago, kidnapping the four washed-up former child stars, Jill, Mitch, Jimmy, and Tommy, from his beloved childhood program.
Two vacuum cleaner salesmen are drafted into the army. Fast-talking Homer tries to convince their new colonel that the cavalry regiment needs to be mechanized and tries to arrange a deal on some tanks. Meanwhile, the colonel's daughter begins a romance with one of the captains in the unit.
Aldo Bondi is a professional pallbearer and mourner in Rome who lives well off the extravagant gifts given to him by the rich widows he comforts. When he falls for the supposedly penniless Baroness Sandra – who is actually a rich "black widow" whose husbands all die – he concocts a Ponzi scheme to cheat three widows by taking money from them, telling them that he will invest it during the "five golden hours" between the closing of the stock exchange in Rome, and the opening of the New York Stock Exchange. However, the Baroness absconds with the cash, leaving Bondi in hock to the widows.
In Hollywood, Ira J. Finkelstein (Elijah Nelson) wishes he could celebrate Christmas, but his parents do not want to celebrate because they are Jewish. Ira's father, Max (David DeLuise), a filmmaker, says he's making a low-budget, holiday sci-fi movie and that he wants demanding and empty-headed Jennifer Cameo (Julianne Christie) to be the lead role.
A man named Bernardo Puccini visits the Italian natural food company, owned by his wealthy but hot-tempered father Guido Puccini for a work as a food examiner and flavour developer. He is delighted by the taste of a new cream cheese for which he had asked, which contains no sugar, fat and preservatives. However, its lack of sugar displeases Guido, and he angrily argues with his son for additional chemical additives instead of natural substitutes.
Stan and Ollie make a modest livelihood selling fish from their truck. During their rounds, Stan proposes that they enhance their earnings by catching the fish themselves. Despite Stan's muddled explanation of the plan, Ollie likes the idea of cutting out the "middleman".
After the death of his beloved mother, middle-aged Peoria accountant Lenny Freeman quits his job to follow his dream of becoming a stand-up comedian. Freeman bids a fond farewell to his coworkers, who barely acknowledge him, and takes his mother's 1953 Oldsmobile on a road trip to Las Vegas, where he intends to audition for a standup competition run by Vegas showman Monte Guy. Freeman, an obsessive fan of vaudeville and other early 20th century comedy, becomes confused by the more obnoxious and transgressive humor preferred by the people he meets.
Johnny Dark and his pal Duke Benson work for Fielding Motors, where owner James Fielding manufactures family-friendly automobiles. Chief engineer Scotty overhears the guys complaining about the company and spots a sportscar design that Johnny and Duke have created. New employee Liz catches the eye of the guys, but they do not know that she is Fielding's granddaughter.
Gabriel (Timothy Hutton) is a man who, on the surface, has a perfect life: successful career as an architect, a beautiful wife, and a devoted young daughter. However, he realizes that he is not really happy. He decides to write a play about the sorry state of his life.
After graduating from a three-day film school, 29-year-old aspiring filmmaker Jake Barrymore and classmate Larry Finkelstein recognise Jake's ex-girlfriend, Annie, as the Montreal World Film Festival programmer. Jake decides to go there with a new movie of theirs, to be made in the next three weeks. Larry, less optimistic about the plan, agrees to produce whilst Jake calls Annie to tell her that he has finally directed a groundbreaking film for her to premiere.
The newly-wed Halsteads, Arthur (Jack Carson) and Vivian (Jane Wyman), upon their arrival at their overcrowded D.C. hotel, set out for the honeymoon suite, only to find it usurped by the previous newlywed couple the Cadmans, Julian (John Ridgely) and Edna (Ann Sheridan). Finally, a third newlywed couple the Dillons, Tom (Craig Stevens) and Nan (Alexis Smith), arrive to claim the suite as well.
Advertising man Vincent Doane is assigned to land Margot Fraser's perfume account. Anxious that his wife Paula might become jealous, he tells her that the account is with a Mr. Fraser.
In "Portrait of a Murderer," a cynical young artist absentmindedly sketches her neighbour who, unbeknownst to her, is a murderer. In "Duel at Dawn," in 1880s Austria, two officers fight a duel for the love of a Baroness. In "The Midas Touch," Jonah Watson, a successful businessman in New York, is dissatisfied with his life, and moves to England to start again.
The movie is set around a small group of characters experiencing relationships which build and crumble before the viewers' eyes. The title of the film refers to the belief, expressed by several of characters, that the goldfish retains a memory of something for only three seconds. Tom, one of the principal characters in the film, draws comparisons between this and the human tendency to jump from one relationship to the next, "forgetting" the pain that any previous one might have caused.
Cab driver Wilbur Hoolihan accidentally kills a hack horse owned by King O'Hara and his daughter, Princess O’Hara, by feeding it candy. In hopes of raising enough money to replace it, he and his friend Grover Mockridge visit a crooked gambling parlor. They win enough money, but before they can purchase a new horse, a con man swindles Wilbur out of the cash.
The film begins with Thomas and Wayne playing a game of pool against two English men. They almost win but Wayne loses the game on the last shot due to overconfidence. Their friend Jack then arrives.
