Young newlyweds Ivan Cavalli (Leopoldo Trieste) and Wanda (Brunella Bovo) go to Rome on a dull honeymoon to meet with the papal father and a gaggle of family relations. Wandas favorite comic strip, The White Sheik, originates in Rome and while her husband naps before their family duties begin, she sneaks out to the studio where the comic strip is managed to try to meet her matinee idol who portrays the White Sheik, Fernando Rivoli (Alberto Sordi) but gets included in the daily location shooting some twenty miles from the city. On the excursion Wanda experiences what location shooting is like for these free-spirited actors and the young virgin is impressed when Rivoli attempts to make love to her. Meanwhile back in Rome Ivan deals with his relatives who are eager to meet his new young bride, suffering many thoughts of heartache as to why Wanda would abandon him, the young husband invents a cover story to buy time after contacting the Police to file a missing-person report. Wanda is so alluring to Rivoli that she is hired as one of the support cast but runs away when Rivoli's overbearing wife appears and is left behind when the cast and crew return to Rome. In Rome Ivan bumps into a lady of the night, Cabiria (Giulietta Masina) and when he returns the next morning finally reunites with Wanda and some interesting truths are established.