Long-nosed Cyrano de Bergerac helps an army officer woo Roxanne, the woman he loves.

John Tanner is determined not to lose his independence - which comes under threat when he falls in love with an ardent feminist.

Candide falls in love with the beautiful but materialistic Cunegonde. Her barron father doesn't approve of the affair so Candide wanders, meeting all the misfortunes along the way.

Two young gentlemen living in 1890s England use the same pseudonym ('Ernest') on the sly, which is fine until they both fall in love with women using that name, which leads to a comedy of mistaken identities.

An English slave trader is marooned on a remote tropical island, forced to fend for himself and deal with crushing loneliness.