A miserable, touring variety troupe is resurrected, thanks to the beautiful Liliana—who dreams of becoming a shining star in variety shows. Their Impresario, Checco, a flirtatious middle-aged ladies’ man; who exploits the feelings and finances of his softhearted lover; Melina Amour, falls in love with the newcomer of a group, which becomes enclosed in a vortex of jealousy and eventually falls apart. From its ashes, a multicultural “compagnie” is born. However, during rehearsals, Liliana the big star, abandons Ceccho, for the bright lights of the big-city stage. The directorial debut of the screenwriter Fellini (in collaboration with Lattuada) is a welcome surprise, announcing the “Felliniesque” universe, already in flesh and bones. In the twilight of neorealism, the master introduces himself, with a comedy of characters—in a hymn to vitality, sensuality and the chimeras of unsung heroes and the layman’s spectacle—and opens himself, like an avenue of idiosyncratic poetry.