When young Mario Beretti (Vittorio Gassman) finds out that he's inherited an estate in Europe, he arrives to discover the place is in horrible condition. After selling some vintage furniture to a local shop, Mario realizes that a fortune is stowed within one of the chairs, and he embarks on a frantic search to track it down. Along the way, he meets the lovely Pat (Sharon Tate), who accompanies him on his journey, which also finds them encountering the eccentric stranger Markau (Orson Welles).