Der Mädchenhirt (1919)

Inspector Karl Duschnitz is on a trip aboard an excursion steamer when its boiler explodes. Panic breaks out, and the passengers jump overboard. The detective is saved from death by the fisherman Chrapot, who takes him home. The inspector wakes from unconsciousness in Chrapot’s bed. Chrapot returns to the scene of the accident. His wife takes advantage of his absence, draws the curtains, and gets into bed with Duschnitz. A few weeks later, the fisherman’s wife turns up at the inspector’s police office. She tells him she is pregnant by him and that her husband has already been informed. Duschnitz offers to provide financial support to the future mother of his child, on the condition that the child must never learn who his real father is. Years pass. Kampa Island in Prague is a popular hangout for young people. Among those who want to let loose in this idyllic spot are the boys “Sharp Adalbert,” “Black Toni,” and “Handsome Jarda.” They are joined by the still very young women Louise Heil, Emmy Dworak, and Emmy’s sister Betka. Jaroslav, or “Handsome Jarda,” and Betka are a couple, while Louise secretly has a crush on Jarda. Later, Jarda and Adalbert meet in a dark pub, a genuine dive. Adalbert has set up his “headquarters” there, from where he sends the girls who work for him out on the streets: he makes his living as a pimp. One of the prostitutes is Emmy. Adalbert wants to train the somewhat naive Jarda in this “profession.” He, too, is to become a pimp, since, Adalbert claims, the job brings in a lot of money for little work. Adalbert also claims that all the girls actually enjoy doing this work. He hopes in this way to persuade Jarda to recruit his girlfriend Betka for prostitution as well. Adalbert has already approached Betka about it, and she is not entirely opposed. Since Jarda, despite his considerable misgivings, does not say no, Betka also starts working as a prostitute. The following afternoon, she meets her first client in a seedy lodging house. Jarda cannot believe it has come to this. He wants to get his girlfriend out of there, but the cheap hotel’s doorman will not let him in. Now completely distraught, Jarda wanders aimlessly through the streets of Prague, disgusted and burning with jealousy. Meanwhile, Inspector Duschnitz has an appointment with a lawyer and tells him that for years he has been under pressure from the mother of his illegitimate child, the result of a quick sexual encounter aboard the fisherman’s boat. It soon turns out that Jarda is in fact the now-grown child of that brief affair. Louise Heil’s family is now broke; they cannot even afford to buy enough food. Louise goes to Jarda, her childhood crush, hoping he can help her. But Jarda, now a fledgling pimp, has become so unscrupulous that he tries to lure her into prostitution, too. He tempts the innocent girl with the prospect of quickly putting all her financial worries behind her. Adalbert persuades Jarda to take a second job: he should work as a temporary waiter at a variety theater. There, the novice meets the dancer Illonka and starts making advances to her in her dressing room. Illonka gives him a cigarette case, and they arrange to meet the following evening. Meanwhile, Betka works the streets and fills Jarda’s wallet. Inspector Duschnitz intends to put an end to the Kampa hooligans’ activities. He sees the young people who have taken over the area as the root of its moral decay. The latest offense reported to the police is the theft of a valuable cigarette case. Meanwhile, Jarda has a serious problem of his own making. Because of his uncontrolled sexual encounters, the doctor examining him diagnoses a sexually transmitted disease, probably syphilis. An informant then tips off the police that Jarda must be the cigarette-case thief. He is arrested at the rundown hangout of the youth group. At the station, Duschnitz gets a tremendous shock: he sees his son Jarda for the first time and realizes that his own flesh and blood has become a truly disreputable person. A direct confrontation between father and son follows. Jarda accuses Duschnitz of being responsible for his having sunk so low and become a pimp. After all, Duschnitz had never been there for him as a father. When Jarda tries to get physical with the inspector, he is promptly committed to a psychiatric institution. After some time, Jarda has recovered from his sexually transmitted disease and is allowed to return to freedom. But now he is entirely alone. His mother turns away from him, as does his old crowd of pimps and young prostitutes. The underworld criminals believe he is now working as a police informant. Only the devoted Louise remains by his side, giving him a room in her home. The young man vows to reform and resolves to start a new life. He believes he can get the money he needs for this fresh start from his father, Duschnitz. His plan is to leave Prague with Louise and go abroad. But the inspector has other ideas. He believes that Jarda can only change his ways the hard way, and intends to send him to a reform institution. Jarda completely loses it. Once again disappointed by Duschnitz’s failure as a father, he breaks into his house the following evening to get money. The inspector catches him in the act. They struggle, and Jarda pulls out a knife and stabs Karl Duschnitz to death. Jarda is now in a trance, utterly distraught. He does not want to go on living with the guilt of having killed his own father and decides to kill himself. Louise, in turn, does not want to go on living without Jarda and joins him. They both throw themselves into the Vltava.