A dozen top stars (including Charles Laughton, Marilyn Monroe and Anne Baxter) and five famed director's (including Howard Hawks and Henry Koster) join forces to present filmed versions of the best stories of O.Henry, all narrated by John Steinbeck. Soapy (Charles Laughton) believes that getting arrested and thrown into a warm jail cell is the best solution to being homeless in cold weather. Fugitives Sam (Fred Allen) and Bill kidnap a child to raise $2,000 for a new scam, and Della and Jim seek to buy each other Christmas gifts on a tight budget.