Die dritte Eskadron (1926)

Austria-Hungary in the time of Emperor Franz Joseph I: The Third Squadron of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy is in utter disarray. Several officers have taken part in all manner of rowdy pranks, prompting the military authorities to banish the hussar regiment from Vienna and transfer it to the Hungarian provinces, to Klein-Dobberau. The lively dancer Mizzi Blank, who is rumored to have had affairs with the entire squadron, and the fleet-footed regimental paymaster Max Freundlich follow the regiment into exile. At the Hotel Habsburg, the officers initially find reasonably respectable lodgings. One day, Reserve Captain von Mikosch arrives with his young daughter Ilonka, who has been engaged for years to the dashing Hussar Lieutenant Edler. Edler, who had not really wanted to make such a commitment so soon, is a bit of a rogue, like most of the officers in the Third Squadron, and he too flirts with Mizzi, doing little honor to his name. Reserve officer Mikosch wants to get to know the Third Squadron’s excessively high-spirited rascals a little better, so he invites the officers to a boisterous evening of wine, women, and song. Edler is already dead drunk under the table when news jolts everyone: the colonel of the hussar regiment has arrived unexpectedly to inspect the undisciplined hussars. Everyone immediately scrambles to their feet, including Lieutenant Edler, who is still thoroughly befuddled by alcohol. But he cannot sober up quickly enough, and, right before the colonel’s watchful eyes, he falls off his horse during the inspection. With great difficulty, the scoundrel manages to make it look like an accident. Lieutenant Edler has been in love for some time with Julie, the daughter of his captain, and for once his intentions toward her are serious. But he will probably have to give her up, since Edler is deeply in debt and cannot pay the bills of exchange that have come due. So he will apparently have to marry Ilonka after all, though he likes her far less. When Julie learns of his financial predicament, she moves heaven and earth to find a solution. She even travels to Vienna to request an audience with Emperor Franz Joseph. He grants it and allows Julie to be exempted from the customary marriage deposit of the time, so that the young couple can still make it to the altar. And so, in the happy ending, the right couples come together: Ilonka finds a perfect husband in Senior Lieutenant Huber, a friend of Edler’s, while Lieutenant Edler, after Mikosch generously clears his debts, can finally marry his Julie.