Fred Allen as Sam "Slick" Brown (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief")

Anne Baxter as Joanna Goodwin (segment "The Last Leaf")

Jeanne Crain as Della (segment "The Gift of the Magi")

Farley Granger as Jim (segment "The Gift of the Magi")

Charles Laughton as Soapy (segment "The Cop and the Anthem")

Oscar Levant as William Smith (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief")

Marilyn Monroe as Streetwalker (segment "The Cop and the Anthem")

Jean Peters as Susan Goodwin (segment "The Last Leaf")

Gregory Ratoff as Behrman (segment "The Last Leaf")

Dale Robertson as Barney Woods (segment "The Clarion Call")

David Wayne as Horace (segment "The Cop and the Anthem")

Richard Widmark as Johnny Kernan (segment "The Clarion Call")

Joyce Mackenzie as

Lee Aaker as J.B. Dorset (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief")

Richard Rober as Chief of Detectives (segment "The Clarion Call")

Fred Kelsey as Mr. Schultz (segment "The Gift of the Magi")

Richard Garrick as Doctor (segment "The Last Leaf")

John Steinbeck as Narrator

Kathleen Freeman as Mrs. Dorset (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") (uncredited)

Irving Bacon as Ebeneezer Dorset (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") (uncredited)

William Vedder as Judge (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited)

Will Wright as Hotel Desk Clerk (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)

Thomas Browne Henry as Café Manager (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited)

Steven Geray as Boris Radolf (segment "The Last Leaf") (uncredited)

Warren Stevens as Druggist (segment "The Last Leaf") (uncredited)

Robert Easton as Yokel (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") (uncredited)

Carl Betz as Jimmy Valentine (segment "Prologue") (uncredited)

Herb Vigran as Poker Player (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)

Harry Hayden as A.J. Crump (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited)

Fritz Feld as Maurice (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited)

Sig Ruman as Menkie (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited)

Frank Jaquet as Butcher (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited)

House Peters as Dave Bascom (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)

Bert Stevens as Street Extra/Roominghouse Extra/Office Worker at Crump's

Marjorie Holliday as Cashier (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited)

Pat Flaherty as Irish Cop (Prologue) (uncredited)

Robert Foulk as Cop (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited)

Everett Glass as Desk Clerk (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)

Norman Leavitt as Yokel (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") (uncredited)

Jack Mather as Cop (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited)

Frank Mills as Man Being Booked (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)

Martha Wentworth as Mrs. O'Brien (segment "The Last Leaf") (uncredited)

Ava Norring as Girl (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)

Gloria Gordon as Ellie Mae (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") (uncredited)

A. Cameron Grant as Poker Player (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)

Tom Greenway as Cop (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited)

Thomas Browne Henry as Manager (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited)

Bert Hicks as Sheldon Sidney (segment "The Last Leaf") (uncredited)

Jimmie Horan as Bookkeeper (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited)

Richard Hylton as Bill (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited)

Richard Karlan as Headwaiter (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited)

Don Kohler as Secretary (segment "The Last Leaf") (uncredited)

Ann Kunde as Yokel (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") (uncredited)

Nick Lekaj as Owner (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited)

David McMahon as Cop (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)

Tyler McVey as O. Henry (Prologue) (uncredited)

Alfred Mizner as Storekeeper (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") (uncredited)

William J. O'Brien as Hotel Clerk (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)

Stuart Randall as Detective (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)

Henry Slate as Poker Player (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)

Bert Stevens as Street Extra / Roominghouse Extra / Office Worker (uncredited)

Harry Tenbrook as Bar Customer (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)

Beverly Thompson as Girl (segment "The Last Leaf") (uncredited)

Philip Tonge as Umbrella Man (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited)

Phil Tully as Guard (Prologue) (uncredited)

Ernö Verebes as Waiter (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited)

Ruth Warren as Neighbor (segment "The Last Leaf") (uncredited)

Billy Wayne as Bystander (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited)

Will Wright as Manager (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)

May Wynn as Mother (Prologue) (uncredited)

Richard Allan as Pete (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited)

Phil Arnold as Convict (Prologue) (uncredited)

Warner Baxter as Cisco Kid ((Prologue) (archive footage)) (uncredited)

Carl Betz as Jimmie Valentine (Prologue) (uncredited)

Harry Carter as Cop in Park (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited)

Robert Cherry as Yokel (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") (uncredited)

Abe Dinovitch as Barney (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited)

James Flavin as Cop (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited)