En la Viena de principios de siglo, un joven oficial (Wolfgang Liebeneiner) y la hija de un violinista (Magda Schneider, madre de Romy) se enamoran y parecen estar destinados ser felices. Pero un duelo de honor por una mujer casada pondrá a los amantes en peligro.

Before melancholic romantic Max Ophüls became a great itinerant director, making such classics as Letter from an Unknown Woman and La Ronde in different countries, he worked in his native Germany. That is, before the Nazis suppressed this richly tragic, densely romantic tale, recently resurrected.