Die Kabarett-Königin (1913)

Department-store sales assistant Olga Seifert is a sweet, kind girl, a little cheeky and forward, but very popular. Her father is a foreman at a machine factory, and her mother spoils her. Olga has her head full of fancies and dreams of becoming rich and famous one day. She loves dancing, and when she demonstrates a new dance to her colleagues one day on the department store’s packing table, her boss catches her and fires her on the spot. Olga sees this as an opportunity, too, and goes to an artists’ agency, hoping to perform as a dancer in a variety show. Neither her parents nor her fiancé, Robert, know that Olga has been dismissed, and she wants to keep it that way. Robert had always wanted to establish himself before asking Olga’s hand in marriage, so the student waited until he had just passed his exams. Panicking at the thought that she would now have to bury all her own dreams, Olga leaves her entire former life behind without a word and departs from her parents’ home and hometown. Although she succeeds in time as a variety-show dancer through sheer perseverance, Olga still tells her parents nothing about her new life, assuming that her father would disapprove. She has adopted a stage name, so she has no qualms about returning to her old hometown for an interesting engagement. In the meantime, her father has risen through the ranks at work and is now a works manager at the Holzmann ironworks. How could he know that his boss, Mr. Holzmann, is an enthusiastic fan of the young performer who is planning to appear at a variety show in town? Holzmann showers Olga with gifts and, after much pleading, eventually persuades her to accept a date. It is to take place at the Holzmanns’ apartment, outside which a crowd of angry workers has gathered and is about to storm the building. Olga’s father is among them, and happens to be there just as Holzmann’s luxury car pulls up in front of the apartment with his daughter Olga inside. The workers are incensed: a workplace accident the day before has prompted them to demonstrate for better safety conditions. Without being seen, Olga witnesses the strike and immediately recognizes her father’s voice. The situation escalates: Holzmann brusquely rebuffs the demonstrators, who then want to resort to violence. Holzmann suddenly pulls a revolver from his pocket and waves it at the angry crowd of workers led by Seifert. Then a scream rings out, and Olga cries as she rushes between the two men: “Don’t shoot! He’s my father!” Old Seifert is horrified. His daughter is not only a variety-show performer, but also the mistress of the hated factory director?! Seifert tries to punch his boss in the jaw, but accidentally hits his daughter, who is still standing between the two quarrelling men, and she collapses to the ground. Only then do both men realize where their hotheaded behavior has led them. The next day, Director Holzmann goes to Olga’s father and asks for Olga’s hand in marriage. In turn, Seifert hands the director and prospective son-in-law a document stating in black and white that Holzmann will meet the workers’ demands and, in addition, provide a substantial sum to establish a company health-insurance fund. Thus love has brought not only two people together, but also overcome the conflict between labor and capital.