This fantasy tale tells of Totò who, found as a baby in a cabbage patch, is adopted by Lolotta, a wise and kind old woman. When Lolotta dies he moves to an orphanage. At adulthood Totò (Francesco Golisano) leaves the orphanage and ends up in a shantytown squatter colony on the outskirts of Milan.

Totò's organizational ability, learned at the orphanage, and his simple kindness and optimistic outlook acquired from Lolotta bring structure to the colony. He fosters a sense of happiness and well-being among the dispossessed who live there.
Businessmen come and haggle over the ownership of the land but the squatters are left alone to live there.
Oil is discovered under the colony when they are making a hole for a maypole during a festival. It forms a fountain in the middle of the camp and at first is thought to be water.
Mobbi the land owner hears about the oil from the scheming squatter, Rappi, and tries to evict the squatters using an army of police.
During this crisis Totò is given a magic dove by the ghost of Lolotta and he uses its powers to grant wishes to those who ask. The camp takes on a surreal appearance as every secret wish is granted.
Eventually the dove is taken back by two angels who object to a mortal using its magic powers.
Without the protection of the dove the camp is overrun by police and its occupants taken away in police wagons to be imprisoned.
Toto's sweetheart, Edvige replaces it with an ordinary dove and hands this to him through the bars of the police wagon in Piazza del Duomo outside Milan's cathedral.
Totò uses the dove to wish for the freedom of his friends and because of his good faith it is granted. The police wagons fall apart and the squatters fly away on broomsticks seized from the street sweepers in Milan's central square.
They circle around the Cathedral and then away, "towards a land where "good morning really means good morning."
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== osoby ==			== profese ==
	Vittorio De Sica		Režie
	Vittorio De Sica		Scénarista
	Vittorio De Sica		Producent

== osoby ==	== postava ==
Francesco Golisano	Toto

cena	festival	ročník	osoba	nominace/cena
Top 10 Film	Cahiers du Cinéma	1 (1951)	Vittorio De Sica	3. místo
Nejlepší zahraniční filmy	National Board of Review	23 (1951)	Vittorio De Sica	3. místo
Nejlepší cizojazyčný film	New York Film Critics Circle Awards	17 (1951)	Vittorio De Sica	cena
Zlatý medvěd za nejlepší film	Mezinárodní filmový festival Berlin	2 (1952)	Vittorio De Sica	nominace
Velká cena	Filmový festival v Cannes	4 (1951)	Vittorio De Sica	nominace
Nejlepší zahraniční herec	BAFTA	6 (1952)	Francesco Golisano	nominace
Nejlepší film z libovolného zdroje	BAFTA	6 (1952)	Vittorio De Sica	nominace