It is based on the real story of an accident that happened on 15 January 1951 on Via Savoia in Rome[1] when a staircase collapsed because of the weight of two hundred women waiting for a job interview.

[3] In response to a newspaper ad seeking a secretary for an accountant's office, two hundred women gather on a small building's staircase, hoping for an interview.

They come from diverse backgrounds: fallen nobles, prostitutes seeking to change their lives, wives with unemployed husbands, and affluent daughters with not enough pension to survive.

[2] When a poor workman's wife, Luciana Renzoni, tries to move ahead in the line, the resulting scuffle among the women causes the staircase to collapse.

He also praised Carla Del Poggio for her sensitive portrayal of the anguish felt by her character, Luciana Renzoni, after precipitating the tragedy.