Der blaue Strohhut (1949)

Germany at the turn of the century. Isabella was once a celebrated operetta singer, a stage diva adored and admired by all. Today, as the saying goes, she is respectably married to a man named Cäsar von Waldau, who comes from a “respectable” background. For his sake, she gave up the stage. But now her former stage partner, Paul, gets in touch again and tries to persuade Isabella to return to the boards with him, as a new operetta is about to be staged. Isabella’s latest purchase is a fashionable, chic blue straw hat, which she bought at a hat shop from the saleswoman, Lola. Much to her boss, Mr. Ciapollini’s, displeasure, Lola has a habit of trying on the hats she is supposed to sell before offering them to customers. Lola has an impressive voice and wants to seize the opportunity to use Isabella to pave her way to a career. She wants Isabella to help her meet the famous operetta composer Paul Lincke so she can audition for him. While Lola pursues her wish to make it as a chanteuse, the wife of the court singer has an entirely different goal. She is angry with Isabella because she thinks Isabella snatched the handsome blue straw hat right from under her nose. To get back at Isabella, the jealous woman promptly slanders the retired operetta diva. The hat saleswoman Lola stands by the former diva, hoping that this act of friendship will earn her support in her wish to meet Mr. Lincke. Singer Paul, meanwhile, hopes to persuade Isabella to return to the stage, and so meets her in private. But her husband, Cäsar, finds out. The thought that Isabella is apparently considering a return to the stage makes him anything but happy. Cäsar is now also firmly convinced that Paul’s intentions toward his wife involve more than just a desire for a professional partnership. They must be having an affair! Cäsar has seen a woman wearing a blue straw hat meeting Paul in private. Cäsar and Isabella’s marriage seems to be in serious danger. Isabella, who really did wear the fashionable accessory on her head that day, must now make sure that Lola wears the titular item of clothing next time, in order to reassure her husband, Cäsar. She brings the saleswoman, with the hat on her head, together with Paul, and makes sure Cäsar witnesses them. Lola assumes that the Paul she has been introduced to must be Mr. Lincke. But Cäsar is not so easily fooled: he insists on meeting Lola, wearing the blue straw hat, at the Kur-Café at seven o’clock; otherwise, he will challenge Paul to a duel. However, his demand will be impossible to meet, because Lola has meanwhile sold the blue straw hat on to Mathilde, a woman from the demi-monde. But, wonder of wonders, at exactly seven o’clock the new owner, Mathilde, appears at the Kur-Café wearing her new hat. Cäsar is reassured, since Isabella has proved herself a faithful wife. In her place, the little hat saleswoman now becomes a singer and the star of the new operetta. And she gets her Paul… even if his surname isn’t Lincke.