Alles für Geld (1923)

The First World War ended several years ago. The once-small master butcher Rupp emerged from it a winner: he knew how to turn the upheaval to his advantage and worked his way up to become a major industrialist. Rupp is a brusque, rough-and-ready sort of man, but he has not forgotten the hardship of others. For example, he funds a soup kitchen for the needy with his donations. He himself lives in great comfort, has a number of servants at home, and spoils his son by financing his hobby, motor racing. The world of upstarts and profiteers of the new order, represented by Rupp, is now set against impoverished nobles who, until 1918, had enjoyed every social privilege. One of them is the handsome, well-mannered Henry von Platen, who keeps himself afloat financially, with varying degrees of success, through his inventions. He is engaged to young Asta, who has plenty of troubles at home too: her elderly mother is ill, and her younger siblings also need supporting. Night after night, Henry earns extra money as an electrician at a variety theater, which the old, uncouth Rupp often frequents. Rupp believes that money can buy anything. One day, acting like a classic parvenu once again, he harasses a young dancer with his bad manners, and Henry immediately intervenes. Rupp is a valued customer, since he leaves a lot of money behind every time he visits. So things turn out as they must: Henry pays for his courageous intervention with the loss of his job, as the theater manager fires him. Henry and Asta are now in dire financial straits. At her mother’s request, Asta sets out to sell the family jewelry, but the jeweler she consults is unwilling to pay a fair price. Rupp, who gets wind of this, sees a chance to settle his “score” with the noble Henry in this way, and ultimately to win Asta away from him. So the social climber pretends to be interested in the jewelry and invites Asta to his home. There, he courts the young woman and buys the jewelry from her. This seems to secure Asta’s family’s livelihood for the foreseeable future; Henry, however, is outraged when he learns who is responsible for their “new wealth” and breaks off the engagement. One day the money they received is gone, and, to make matters worse, Asta’s mother’s illness worsens. Showered with love letters from Rupp, Asta decides to visit the uncouth millionaire once more. To secure her family’s survival in the long term, she eventually even agrees to become engaged to Rupp. Meanwhile, things initially go badly for her former fiancé, Henry. The hoped-for sale of an invention to the Goliath automobile works falls through. But then he manages to sell his patent to the rival Phoenix automobile works. Soon, Rupp and Henry meet again, and the encounter is anything but pleasant. Henry is out on a test drive, trying out his invention in a car, when he crosses paths with Rupp. A fierce verbal argument ensues. Their honor is to be satisfied the following morning in a pistol duel. That night, old Rupp is plagued by nightmares. His valet, Pitt, therefore advises his master to avoid the duel and leave town beforehand. But Henry and his second have guessed that Rupp may be rich, but is entirely without honor or conscience, and have already positioned themselves outside Rupp’s house early in the morning. Now Rupp can no longer avoid the duel. The exchange of shots is to take place in a clearing in the woods. At the last moment, Rupp tries to slip away, while his son offers to fight Henry in his father’s place. Then senior Rupp returns and prevents this. He is determined not to lose his son. The duel does not take place… Back at home, Fred Rupp tells Asta, his future stepmother, about the duel with Henry that was averted. He notices that Asta obviously still has deep feelings for her former fiancé. So he asks Asta not to marry his father, since under the circumstances their marriage could not be blessed. Father Rupp suddenly walks in and misunderstands the situation, believing that his own son wants to steal his bride from him. The old Rupp then throws the younger man out of his house. Fred must now earn his living by the work of his own hands for the first time. He finds a job at the Goliath automobile works, while his father takes over the Phoenix works. Fred’s skill as a racing driver is a great asset to Goliath, whose cars are favorites in an upcoming race. Old Rupp is determined not to be defeated by his own flesh and blood, and bribes a crook named Jack to rig the race. Too late, Rupp learns that Fred will be driving the Goliath car. He tries in vain to stop the race. Fred’s racing car crashes on a bend, and the younger Rupp is killed. The old Rupp’s world falls apart. He is charged with murder. At the trial, valet Pitt testifies that he recognizes in the courtroom the man with whom Rupp spoke during the race: it is Jack. Jack tampered with the car, and the old Rupp is acquitted of the murder charge. In the end, Henry and Asta, who have found their way back to each other, are even reconciled with Rupp.