 | Fred Allen als Sam "Slick" Brown (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") |
 | Anne Baxter als Joanna Goodwin (segment "The Last Leaf") |
 | Jeanne Crain als Della (segment "The Gift of the Magi") |
 | Farley Granger als Jim (segment "The Gift of the Magi") |
 | Charles Laughton als Soapy (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") |
 | Oscar Levant als William Smith (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") |
 | Marilyn Monroe als Streetwalker (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") |
 | Jean Peters als Susan Goodwin (segment "The Last Leaf") |
 | Gregory Ratoff als Behrman (segment "The Last Leaf") |
 | Dale Robertson als Barney Woods (segment "The Clarion Call") |
 | David Wayne als Horace (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") |
 | Richard Widmark als Johnny Kernan (segment "The Clarion Call") |
 | Joyce Mackenzie |
 | Lee Aaker als J.B. Dorset (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") |
 | Richard Rober als Chief of Detectives (segment "The Clarion Call") |
 | Fred Kelsey als Mr. Schultz (segment "The Gift of the Magi") |
 | Richard Garrick als Doctor (segment "The Last Leaf") |
 | John Steinbeck als Narrator |
 | Kathleen Freeman als Mrs. Dorset (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") (uncredited) |
 | Irving Bacon als Ebeneezer Dorset (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") (uncredited) |
 | William Vedder als Judge (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited) |
 | Will Wright als Hotel Desk Clerk (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited) |
 | Thomas Browne Henry als Café Manager (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited) |
 | Steven Geray als Boris Radolf (segment "The Last Leaf") (uncredited) |
 | Warren Stevens als Druggist (segment "The Last Leaf") (uncredited) |
 | Robert Easton als Yokel (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") (uncredited) |
 | Carl Betz als Jimmy Valentine (segment "Prologue") (uncredited) |
 | Herb Vigran als Poker Player (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited) |
 | Harry Hayden als A.J. Crump (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited) |
 | Fritz Feld als Maurice (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited) |
 | Sig Ruman als Menkie (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited) |
| Frank Jaquet als Butcher (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited) |
 | House Peters als Dave Bascom (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited) |
 | Bert Stevens als Street Extra/Roominghouse Extra/Office Worker at Crump's |
| Marjorie Holliday als Cashier (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited) |
 | Pat Flaherty als Irish Cop (Prologue) (uncredited) |
 | Robert Foulk als Cop (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited) |
 | Everett Glass als Desk Clerk (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited) |
 | Norman Leavitt als Yokel (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") (uncredited) |
 | Jack Mather als Cop (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited) |
 | Frank Mills als Man Being Booked (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited) |
 | Martha Wentworth als Mrs. O'Brien (segment "The Last Leaf") (uncredited) |
| Ava Norring als Girl (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited) |
 | Gloria Gordon als Ellie Mae (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") (uncredited) |
| A. Cameron Grant als Poker Player (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited) |
| Tom Greenway als Cop (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited) |
| Thomas Browne Henry als Manager (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited) |
| Bert Hicks als Sheldon Sidney (segment "The Last Leaf") (uncredited) |
| Jimmie Horan als Bookkeeper (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited) |
 | Richard Hylton als Bill (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited) |
 | Richard Karlan als Headwaiter (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited) |
| Don Kohler als Secretary (segment "The Last Leaf") (uncredited) |
| Ann Kunde als Yokel (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") (uncredited) |
| Nick Lekaj als Owner (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited) |
 | David McMahon als Cop (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited) |
 | Tyler McVey als O. Henry (Prologue) (uncredited) |
| Alfred Mizner als Storekeeper (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") (uncredited) |
| William J. O'Brien als Hotel Clerk (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited) |
 | Stuart Randall als Detective (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited) |
 | Henry Slate als Poker Player (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited) |
| Bert Stevens als Street Extra / Roominghouse Extra / Office Worker (uncredited) |
 | Harry Tenbrook als Bar Customer (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited) |
| Beverly Thompson als Girl (segment "The Last Leaf") (uncredited) |
 | Philip Tonge als Umbrella Man (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited) |
| Phil Tully als Guard (Prologue) (uncredited) |
 | Ernö Verebes als Waiter (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited) |
 | Ruth Warren als Neighbor (segment "The Last Leaf") (uncredited) |
 | Billy Wayne als Bystander (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited) |
| Will Wright als Manager (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited) |
 | May Wynn als Mother (Prologue) (uncredited) |
 | Richard Allan als Pete (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited) |
 | Phil Arnold als Convict (Prologue) (uncredited) |
 | Warner Baxter als Cisco Kid ((Prologue) (archive footage)) (uncredited) |
| Carl Betz als Jimmie Valentine (Prologue) (uncredited) |
 | Harry Carter als Cop in Park (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited) |
| Robert Cherry als Yokel (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief") (uncredited) |
| Abe Dinovitch als Barney (segment "The Clarion Call") (uncredited) |
 | James Flavin als Cop (segment "The Cop and the Anthem") (uncredited) |
| Henry Hathaway | Director |
| Howard Hawks | Director |
| Henry King | Director |
| Henry Koster | Director |
| Jean Negulesco | Director |
| Lamar Trotti | Screenplay |
| Richard L. Breen | Screenplay |
| Ivan Goff | Screenplay |
| Ben Roberts | Screenplay |
| Walter Bullock | Screenplay |
| André Hakim | Producer |
| Alfred Newman | Original Music Composer |
