Das alte Lied (1945)

Berlin in the 1880s. At a celebration, the young Count Erwin von Haldern meets Stine, a shy flower arranger. He quickly falls in love with the modest young woman, who is herself being timidly courted by the gardener, Franke, and soon pays her a visit. Stine begins to return the count’s advances, and the two cautiously grow closer. They spend a happy time together, but Erwin has a problem—and that problem is Uncle Richard. He is very conscious of social rank and expects Erwin to marry Käthe von Sellenthin, who is his equal in social standing. When Erwin attends a New Year’s Eve ball with Stine, an acquaintance from his aristocratic circle makes advances toward her. This man, Alf von Rexin, compromises Stine, forcing Erwin to challenge the brazen Rexin to a duel. Erwin is badly injured. Stine knows nothing of what happened and only learns of Erwin’s injury when Franke tells her. By the time she tries to visit Erwin, he is already recovering. However, the count’s servant will not let a girl from the lower classes in to see him, so Stine has to leave without accomplishing anything. Käthe sees this and speaks to Stine. Completely bound by her sense of class, Erwin’s aristocratic friend makes it clear to the flower arranger that the lovers’ difference in social standing would make a future union impossible. Stine accepts defeat and does not want to pressure Erwin any further. But as soon as he has fully recovered, his first impulse is to go straight to the woman he loves. Erwin proposes to Stine, but the deeply unsettled young woman now tells him in turn that, because of their very different backgrounds, the two of them could never be happy together, especially since his aristocratic relatives would never approve of their union. They then part ways. Stine marries her longtime suitor, Franke, and Erwin eventually marries Käthe von Sellenthin.