Michel Auclair as Jacques Damiens

Jean-Pierre Aumont as Cardinal de Rohan

Jean-Louis Barrault as Fénelon

Jeanne Boitel as Mrs. de Sévigné

Gilbert Bokanowski as Louis XVI

Bourvil as Museum guard

Pauline Carton as Neighbor

Gino Cervi as Cagliostro

Jean Chevrier as Turenne

Aimé Clariond as Rivarol

Claudette Colbert as Mrs. de Montespan

Nicole Courcel as Mrs. de Chalis

Danièle Delorme as Louison Chabray

Yves Deniaud as Peasant

Jean Desailly as Marivaux

Renée Devillers as Mrs. Campan

Daniel Gélin as Jean Collinet

Fernand Gravey as Molière

Sacha Guitry as Louis XIV (older)

Pierre Larquey as Museum guard

Jean Marais as Louis XV

Georges Marchal as Louis XIV young

Lana Marconi as Marie-Antoinette / Nicole Legay

Mary Marquet as Mrs. de Maintenon

Gaby Morlay as Countess de la Motte

Claude Nollier as Countess de Soissons

Gisèle Pascal as Louise de La Vallière

Jean-Claude Pascal as Axel De Fersen

Gérard Philipe as D'Artagnan

Édith Piaf as Woman of the people

Micheline Presle as Mrs. de Pompadour

Jean Richard as Du Croisy playing the role of Tartuffe

Tino Rossi as Gondolier

Louis Seigner as Lavoisier

Raymond Souplex as Auctioneer

Maurice Teynac as Mr. de Montespan

Jean Tissier as Museum guard

Charles Vanel as Mr. de Vergennes

Orson Welles as Benjamin Franklin

Louis Arbessier as Louis XIII

Jacques Berthier as Robespierre

Georges Chamarat as Boileau

Annie Cordy as Mrs. Langlois

Jean-Jacques Delbo as Monsieur de la Motte

Albert Duvaleix as Buyer

Samson Fainsilber as Mazarin

Tania Fédor as Marie Lekzinska

Jacques François as Duke de Saint-Simon

Jeanne Fusier-Gir as Revolutionary

Gilbert Gil as Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Marie Mansart as Mrs. de Kerlor

Nicole Maurey as Miss de Fontanges

Jacques Morel as Böhmer

Jean Murat as Louvois

Constant Rémy as La Reynie

Germaine Rouer as Elmire

Jacques Varennes as Colbert

Howard Vernon as English buyer

Martine Alexis as Mrs. de Nouchy

Paul Azaïs as Revolutionary

Jean-Louis Allibert as Le Vau

Brigitte Bardot as Miss de Rosille

Lily Baron as Mrs. de Balto

Liliane Bert as Armande Béjart

Roland Bourdin as Fragonard

Jany Castel as Marie-Thérèse d'Espagne

André Chanu as Duc de Noailles

Anne Carrère as Mrs. de Chamarat

Claudy Chapeland as Louis XIII as a child

René Charles as Lord

France Delahalle as Lady of the court

Jacques Derives as Lord

Bernard Dhéran as Beaumarchais

Émile Drain as Napoléon Ier

Alain Durtal as Bontemps

Cécile Eddy as Mrs. de Frépons

Robert Favart as Mr. de Carlène

Jacques de Féraudy as Voltaire

Roger Gaillard as D'Alembert

Lucienne Granier as Mrs. de Senlis

Robert Hommet as Count de Langeais

Marcel Journet as Mr. de Beydz

Pierre Lord as Mansart

Jacques Mafioly as Mr. de Puiset

Olivier Mathot as Boileau

Gérard Moryn as Bossuet

Lucien Nat as Montesquieu

Gilles Quéant as Racine

Fernand René as Citizen poet

Gaston Rey as Henri IV

Philippe Richard as Louis Philippe 1st

Vanna Urbino as Medium

René Worms as Bassenge

Pierre Would as Vauban

Jacqueline Maillan as Visitor (uncredited)

Frédéric Rossif as Un homme du peuple (uncredited)

Guy Tréjan as Marc Rétaux de Villette (uncredited)