
Johann Strauss firmly established himself as the leader of a dance orchestra in Vienna in the 1840s. His sons Johann junior and Josef have clearly inherited their father's talent. Nevertheless, father Johann is strictly opposed to both of them training as composers.





The film depicts the love affair between William I and Elisa Radziwill.

Rupp (Jannings) is a former butcher, made rich in the meat packing industry as a result of the reversal of fortunes brought on by WWI. He is crude, uncouth and uneducated. His son, Fred, is the apple of his father's eye and is an auto enthusiast. The widowed Rupp falls in love with a former aristocrat, Helen, now down on her luck and pawning her last heirloom. He proposes marriage and she accepts in order to save her ailing mother who needs a monetary influx to avoid death. Her former boyfriend, Platen, warns Helen against Rupp's intentions - he and Rupp are enemies, Rupp having caused his being fired for protecting a chorus girl against Rupp's unwanted advances. Meanwhile, Graf, a shyster, arranges purchase of a near bankrupt auto manufacturing firm, Phoenix, to Rupp's great advantage with practically no monetary recognition to Graf, who swears revenge. Rupp comes upon his son begging Helen not to marry his father but to return to Platen.


A dozen ladies expect marriage impostor Lanski to keep his promises. But he needs more money and decides to kill Mrs. von Droste who has changed her will in his favor. He covers his tracks but is seen by a neighbor who soon blackmails him.

When Dr Hartung (Fritz Odemar) hits Eva (Geraldine Katt) with his car, she decides to make him her "life's mission" and free him of his "unhappy marriage" which he never declares as such. In her way stands only her best friend Ursula (Hannelore Schroth) who happens to be Dr Hartung's daughter and is all but enthusiastic about her friend trying to seduce her father.


Peter, a writer, lives the life of a carefree bachelor, but soon gets to know a charming girl during a trip, falls in love with her, and marries her right away. Only after he returns to his elegant apartment in Vienna, does he start to wonder, whether Marianne will fit in amidst his circle of spoiled acquaintances. His well-meant advice on how she should behave makes Marianne so insecure, that she ends up acting quite clumsy and scares off his friends. Peter is angry and Marianne is so upset, that she wants to return back to her parents. On the way there, she has an experience, which shows her her mistake. She turns around and now strives to become an elegant lady of the world.

The Ethiopian King offers his daughter to a powerful Pharaoh to secure peace between the two countries.

