A wondering minstrel three , one of them played by Hans Richter, are strolling along the German countryside playing instruments and singing songs for money and their supper. All three ends up at a gas station , owned by Paul Klinger, smell food they all go in the back and it's soup they're hungry and attempt to eat but Paul shows up. Seeing that their hungry he shares his lunch until they see the cop in the motor cycle and take off. Before you know it, they're walking towards a mansion in some estate. they start to sing songs near the window hopping somebody will offer money but know one doesn't. they sneak in and notices that no ones home so they take advantage of it and sleep for the night. Then the house keeper shows up and catches all three sleeping at her masters house . She tries to call the police but the master arrives from a trip , played by Hans Stuw.This is how the story starts. He's sympathetic and gets them jobs as waiters at a near by court restaurant called" Am Brunnen Vore Dem Tor". Inga,Played by Sonja Zimmerman, is the host. She has a problem her brother has been accused of a crime he didn't commit. Paul help's him out by hiding him until he's able to get him to his sister's place so she can hide him. Inge is in love with two men Paul and Fritz Wagner. The latter she met him during the war he's from Britain. He's visiting his parent's ,who are visiting the same place. He recent his dads either new girl friend or wife, that was hard to decipher. Inge must have been an under ground anti Nazi spy during the war to meet Fritz.He must have been Working for the British secret service or else they would of never met.In the evening all the characters show up at the court yard restaurant. the minstrels are waiters hopping that they can sing also in that place. But,a band of local mandolins show up that stop them. a local band of harmonicas and accordions show up too. They battle each other out with music.Them all three minstrel go up to Inga asking them if they can start to play. She sings a song and they play, this actress was in the 70's German revival of the stage musical my fair lady even though shes no Marni Nixon.Paul wants Inga bad but he doesn't want to hurt his best friend fritz. the house maid has fallen in love with one of the older and fat bald headed mistral and chases him for marriage.HAns Stuw doesn't seem to be much interested in Inge. It turns out that hes obsessed with her mother , he has a secret painting of her that he worships every day in her memory He was turned down for Inge's father. She doesn't know this yet. The village is having a celebration, a centennial of a their town and a battle that happen in the Renaissance to the colonial times.Every body participates. The police catches her brother.After playing a hero ,in the parade,Hans Stuw is about to go home and do something desperate. He removes the picture from his secret cabinet and abouts to put it in the storage when Paul is spying on him behind bushes,.So when Hans Stuw goes back into the house , he's confronted by Paul and Hans own picture of Inges mother. He confesses his dying love for her mother and cant live without her. He ends up committing suicide.Inges brother is let out of jail when he's found innocent. Paul decide's to let go of Inge and let his German speaking British friend have her. She changes her mind and realizes that she was in love with Paul all along. this is a very colorful movie with colorful characters. the print that I got is a NTSC VHS version being sold by the 'German video language center. It's from a master video that was made before it was restored for the euro DVD version. The Agfa color isn't bad but its a bit dull.Kinowelt video, thru Amazon.de has the restored to brilliant print version on DVD. But American VHS version isn't bad Up date , made a mistake again Willy Fritzes character does not have his wife with him . Whether he's divorce or not that is a question mark The British pilots sister is with fritz. But why is the character that Fritz plays, last name is different? unless Murphy was the British pilot characters mother fist marriage then she got a divorce and married Fritz's character after he had the son an daughter. this is still confusing . 12-9-08 One more time and no more up date 12-10 -08. Heli Finkenzeller does not portray Fritz's sister but Willy wife sorry. I looked at the titles in the movie more closely when it stated "Willy Fritz", Mr Murphy. Also the color is okay , In this copy they turned the color down a bit making it looked dull. I turned the color up 80 degrees temperature and it looked exactly like the DVD version.
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