When Gelsomina, a naïve young woman, is purchased from her impoverished mother by brutish circus strongman Zampanò to be his wife and partner, she loyally endures her husband's coldness and abuse as they travel the Italian countryside performing together. Soon Zampanò must deal with his jealousy and conflicted feelings about Gelsomina when she finds a kindred spirit in Il Matto, the carefree circus fool, and contemplates leaving Zampanò.
Cast
Giulietta Masina
Gelsomina
Anthony Quinn
Zampanò
Richard Basehart
Il 'Matto'
Aldo Silvani
Il Signor Giraffa
Marcella Rovere
La Vedova
Livia Venturini
La Suorina
Pietro Ceccarelli
Innkeeper (uncredited)
Giovanna Galli
Prostitute at the Inn (uncredited)
Gustavo Giorgi
(uncredited)
Yami Kamadeva
Prostitute (uncredited)
Mario Passante
Waiter (uncredited)
Anna Primula
Gelsomina's Mother (uncredited)
Alexandre Trannoy
Juggler (uncredited)
Goffredo Unger
Man Restraining Zampano from Attacking (uncredited)
Nazzareno Zamperla
Man Restraining Zampano from Attacking (uncredited)
Arnoldo Foà
Zampanò (Voice) (Uncredited)
Crew
Federico Fellini
Director, Screenplay, Story
Ennio Flaiano
Co-Writer
Tullio Pinelli
Screenplay, Story, Dialogue
Leo Catozzo
Editor
Lina Caterini
Assistant Editor
Otello Martelli
Director of Photography
Carlo Carlini
Director of Photography
Moraldo Rossi
First Assistant Director
Paolo Nuzzi
Second Assistant Director
Luigi Giacosi
Production Coordinator
Danilo Fallani
Production Supervisor
Giorgio Morra
Production Supervisor
Angelo Cittadini
Production Supervisor
Dino De Laurentiis
Producer
Carlo Ponti
Producer
Mario Ravasco
Production Design
Roberto Gerardi
Camera Operator
Margherita Marinari
Costume Design
Dante Trani
Makeup Artist
Eligio Trani
Makeup Artist
Rinaldo Boggio
Sound
Aldo Calpini
Sound
Nino Rota
Original Music Composer
A. Piatti
Still Photographer
Narciso Vicario
Script Supervisor
Franco Ferrara
Conductor
Enrico Cervelli
Art Direction
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