Set in Rome in 1952, this is Fellini's first film that he directed on his own, and is broad comedy.
Ivan Cavalli (Leopoldo Trieste) and his bride, Wanda Giardino Cavalli (Brunella Bovo), are on their honeymoon's first day in Rome. Ivan is fussy about details, and Wanda is young and naive. They are from the sticks but are scheduled to meet Ivan's Uncle and Aunt, a cousin(?) Rita, her fiancée, and her son. The Uncle is employed at the Vatican, and the whole group is planning to be at an audience with the Pope at 11:00 am. The rest of the day is packed with sight-seeing, ending with an opera in the evening.
While Ivan rests before meeting the relatives, Wanda is supposed to take a hot bath. However, she sneaks out to a nearby office, hoping to meet Fernando Rivoli (Alberto Sordi), who plays The White Sheik in a soap opera comic strip that uses actual photos of models playing the various roles in the storyline. Wanda wants to give Fernando a picture that she has drawn of him. She successfully finds the office but is directed hither and yon until she suddenly finds herself on a truck with the troupe of film models heading to an on-location shoot by the sea over 20 km from Rome. She finally meets Fernando, and he gradually makes romantic moves on her with smooth lies and gets her a small role in the shoot. So Wanda ends up dressed fairly exotically and spends the whole day with the troupe.
Meanwhile, Ivan is shocked to find his wife missing, so he sets off alone with his relatives on the day's events making the excuse that Wanda is ill. The visit to the Pope is put off to the next day, and Ivan also goes to the police desperate to find his wife but is shamed by what the whole fiasco will do to the family name.
At the end of the day, Wanda learns that Fernando is married to one of the troupe women and runs away. Later in the evening, she is driven back to Rome by a man who had been watching the troupe perform during the day. When she returns to the hotel, Ivan is not there. She goes to the river and tries to kill herself, but only falls into shallow water and is taken to the hospital. Meanwhile, Ivan is overcome by despair and wanders off with a friendly prostitute at the end of the evening.
The next morning, Ivan hears where Wanda is located. He assures his Uncle that they will arrive for the audience with the Pope. After much chaos, they arrive on time, and Wanda tells Ivan that he is her White Sheik.
This was a fun film, if somewhat unpolished.
Ivan Cavalli (Leopoldo Trieste) and his bride, Wanda Giardino Cavalli (Brunella Bovo), are on their honeymoon's first day in Rome. Ivan is fussy about details, and Wanda is young and naive. They are from the sticks but are scheduled to meet Ivan's Uncle and Aunt, a cousin(?) Rita, her fiancée, and her son. The Uncle is employed at the Vatican, and the whole group is planning to be at an audience with the Pope at 11:00 am. The rest of the day is packed with sight-seeing, ending with an opera in the evening.
While Ivan rests before meeting the relatives, Wanda is supposed to take a hot bath. However, she sneaks out to a nearby office, hoping to meet Fernando Rivoli (Alberto Sordi), who plays The White Sheik in a soap opera comic strip that uses actual photos of models playing the various roles in the storyline. Wanda wants to give Fernando a picture that she has drawn of him. She successfully finds the office but is directed hither and yon until she suddenly finds herself on a truck with the troupe of film models heading to an on-location shoot by the sea over 20 km from Rome. She finally meets Fernando, and he gradually makes romantic moves on her with smooth lies and gets her a small role in the shoot. So Wanda ends up dressed fairly exotically and spends the whole day with the troupe.
Meanwhile, Ivan is shocked to find his wife missing, so he sets off alone with his relatives on the day's events making the excuse that Wanda is ill. The visit to the Pope is put off to the next day, and Ivan also goes to the police desperate to find his wife but is shamed by what the whole fiasco will do to the family name.
At the end of the day, Wanda learns that Fernando is married to one of the troupe women and runs away. Later in the evening, she is driven back to Rome by a man who had been watching the troupe perform during the day. When she returns to the hotel, Ivan is not there. She goes to the river and tries to kill herself, but only falls into shallow water and is taken to the hospital. Meanwhile, Ivan is overcome by despair and wanders off with a friendly prostitute at the end of the evening.
The next morning, Ivan hears where Wanda is located. He assures his Uncle that they will arrive for the audience with the Pope. After much chaos, they arrive on time, and Wanda tells Ivan that he is her White Sheik.
This was a fun film, if somewhat unpolished.