Maria is a housmaid and she is being engaged to Berto for fifteen years. Berto has not a lasting job so he is waiting for the death of his uncle Matteo to come into an inheritance. In the meantime Maria goes on with her work, first in the house of an unfaithful wife; then for an actor and his wife on the verge of leaving each other and last for Raffaele who wants to marry her. At last uncle Matteo dies...
Elsa Merlini
as Maria
Gino Cervi
as Filiberto 'Berto' Morucchi
Giulietta Masina
as Ermelinda
Alberto Sordi
as Donato
Eduardo De Filippo
as Raffaele, il professore di matematica
Titina De Filippo
as La padrona di Ermelinda
Vittorio De Sica
as Leonardo Leonardi
Aldo Fabrizi
as Il commendatore Giovanni Marchetti
Isa Miranda
as Angela Leonardi
Carlo Ninchi
as Il sacerdote
Bella Starace Sainati
as Celestina, la guardiana
Delia Scala
as La moglie dell'avvocato
