Drei Unteroffiziere (1939)

The three noncommissioned officers Rauscher, Kohlhammer, and Struve are squad leaders in the first platoon of the third company, and they have very different temperaments. Kohlhammer is a daredevil with a weakness for beautiful women; Struve enjoys reading and tries to please everyone; Rauscher is a quiet man who gives a lot of thought to his future. Despite their differences, the three are good friends. One evening, Kohlhammer has fatally arranged dates with two women at the same time: the gymnastics instructor Käthe and the telephone operator Lisbeth. So he tries to persuade Struve to go out with Käthe in his place. Since Struve is supposed to take twenty soldiers to a theater rehearsal, he in turn hires Rauscher to cover for him at the theater. Rauscher agrees, but has to cancel his evening date with his fiancée, Lotte. During the performance, Rauscher falls in love with the actress Gerda, who returns his feelings, much to the displeasure of the musical director Lautenbach, who not only promotes Gerda but is also in love with her himself. Rauscher’s performance in the company begins to suffer because of the relationship, and his captain notices. Despite repeated warnings from well-meaning friends, Rauscher wants to make his relationship with Gerda permanent and officially breaks off his engagement to Lotte. But when Gerda’s landlady tells him about Gerda’s relationship with Lautenbach, Rauscher rushes angrily to the theater and causes quite a commotion. Gerda finally promises to break things off with Lautenbach, but only if Rauscher goes away with her for a week. Both the senior sergeant and the platoon leader refuse the leave request of the decidedly unexemplary noncommissioned officer. To make matters worse, Rauscher’s misconduct at the theater is now reported to the company. His friend Struve steps in for him and serves the resulting period of detention in his place. When a quarrel between Kohlhammer and Rauscher breaks out over Gerda as well, Struve and Kohlhammer take matters into their own hands and try to save their friendship as a trio. Struve asks Gerda to give up the trip, and she eventually does. Kohlhammer goes to see Rauscher, who is sitting at the station in civilian clothes in defiance of orders, waiting for Gerda. He manages to change his friend’s mind and quickly gives him his own uniform so that Rauscher can go to quarters with his unit as ordered. Kohlhammer therefore has to return to the guardhouse in Rauscher’s civilian suit, which earns him a punishment too. In the end, Rauscher himself confesses the whole story to his lieutenant and admits his guilt. The captain, who would really have to punish his three noncommissioned officers severely, is instead impressed by their sense of comradeship and plans to give them tasks in future that will let them prove themselves together.