Five short film adaptations from the stories written by O. Henry. In 'The Cop and the Anthem' a homeless man (Charles Laughton) attempts to get arrested in order to escape the winter weather. The film features an early appearance from Marilyn Monroe. In 'The Clarion Call' a policeman (Dale Robertson) realises his friend (Richard Widmark) is a killer. In 'The Last Leaf' a young woman (Jean Peters) asked her artist neighbour (Gregory Ratoff) to help save her dyring sister (Anne Baxter). In 'The Ransom of Red Chief' two swindlers (Fred Allen and Oscar Levant) kidnap a boy and hold him for ransom. In 'The Gift of the Magi' a poor married couple (Farley Granger and Jeanne Crain) try to find a way to buy expensive Christmas presents for each other.