It's set in early postwar Italy and notable primarily because it's the first movie Fellini directed.
Checco Dal Monte (Peppino De Filippo) is an older manager of a fading vaudeville troupe. He has a mistress within the troupe, Melina Amour (Giulietta Masina, who was Fellini's wife). About 10 others are in the troupe, including dancers, a singer, a magician, etc. After a successful performance in a small town, their pay is withheld because of outstanding bills. However, they have been watched by a beautiful young aspiring actress, Liliana "Lily" Antonelli (Carla Del Poggio). She wants to join the troupe as a dancer but is rejected because they don't want to further split the meager income.
Lily follows them on the train to the next town and catches Checco's lustful eye. The theater manager at the next town insists Lily be included, so she joins the dancers in their number before an audience that has been quite critical. However, her skirt comes off while dancing, and suddenly she is very popular with the male-dominated crowd. Lily gets larger roles the following two nights as the crowds increase.
The film then follows Checco and Lily and their relationship as he tries to create a company based on Lily's good looks. Melina is devastated. The troupe ends up overnight at a lawyer's house after a performance, and the lawyer makes a move on Lily, which Checco intercepts. The lawyer throws the whole troupe out, and they go to Rome, where Checco tries to find a backer for his new troupe. However, a potential backer ends up stealing Lily away for his own troupe, and Checco is left with the old troupe and reconnects with Melina, though his wandering eye falls another young beauty.
This was a fun hour-and-a-half introduction to early Fellini. Some of the cultural nuances escaped me, but it was interesting to see.
Checco Dal Monte (Peppino De Filippo) is an older manager of a fading vaudeville troupe. He has a mistress within the troupe, Melina Amour (Giulietta Masina, who was Fellini's wife). About 10 others are in the troupe, including dancers, a singer, a magician, etc. After a successful performance in a small town, their pay is withheld because of outstanding bills. However, they have been watched by a beautiful young aspiring actress, Liliana "Lily" Antonelli (Carla Del Poggio). She wants to join the troupe as a dancer but is rejected because they don't want to further split the meager income.
Lily follows them on the train to the next town and catches Checco's lustful eye. The theater manager at the next town insists Lily be included, so she joins the dancers in their number before an audience that has been quite critical. However, her skirt comes off while dancing, and suddenly she is very popular with the male-dominated crowd. Lily gets larger roles the following two nights as the crowds increase.
The film then follows Checco and Lily and their relationship as he tries to create a company based on Lily's good looks. Melina is devastated. The troupe ends up overnight at a lawyer's house after a performance, and the lawyer makes a move on Lily, which Checco intercepts. The lawyer throws the whole troupe out, and they go to Rome, where Checco tries to find a backer for his new troupe. However, a potential backer ends up stealing Lily away for his own troupe, and Checco is left with the old troupe and reconnects with Melina, though his wandering eye falls another young beauty.
This was a fun hour-and-a-half introduction to early Fellini. Some of the cultural nuances escaped me, but it was interesting to see.