As she works in her tedious office job, Maria Ivanovna dreams about being married, and she has particular hopes that her co-worker Nikodim Mityushin will take an interest in her. Nikodim, though, is in love with Zina, who sells cigarettes on the sidewalk, and he frequently buys cigarettes from her even though he does not smoke. One day, a film crew uses Zina as an extra in an outdoor scene, and the cameraman, Latugin, falls in love with her. Latugin soon arranges an acting job for Zina. To complicate matters further, Zina has yet another admirer in Oliver MacBride, an American businessman who is visiting Moscow.

Maria Ivanovna rêve de se marier avec son collègue de travail, Nikodim Mityushin. Cependant, Nikodim est amoureux de Zina, qui vend des cigarettes à la sauvette . Elle se retrouve être figurante dans une équipe de tournage dont le cameraman, Latugin, tombe amoureux d'elle. Pour compliquer ce triangle amoureux, Zina a encore un autre admirateur en la personne d'Oliver MacBride, un homme d'affaires américain en visite à Moscou.

Немой фильм с подзаголовком «советская бытовая комедия», высмеивающий нэпманский быт и нравы Москвы 1920-х годов. Мелкий чиновник влюблен в очаровательную продавщицу папирос, но она мечтает о красивой и богатой жизни...