Eine Frau, die weiß was sie will (1958)

The story is set in Central Europe at the turn of the century. Angela Cavallini, reverently known to her admirers as “La Cavallini,” has died. She was considered one of the greatest revue stars of her time. The theater is now in a quandary: a new revue is being prepared at the Apollo Theater, run by director Arpad Kelemen, and no one knows of anyone with the talent to take Cavallini’s place. Emmy de la Motte, a moderately talented soubrette, would like to step into her predecessor’s enormous shoes, but despite the generous backing of a wealthy benefactor, the young woman does not really impress. One day, a huge overseas trunk arrives at the theater management’s office from Brazil. It contains Cavallini’s belongings. In a letter, the deceased asks that the trunk, with its magnificent revue costumes and 10,000 thalers in cash, be handed over to her granddaughter. Director Kelemen, theater secretary Herzmansky, and revue writer and composer Viktor Keller suddenly feel hopeful: perhaps the granddaughter has inherited her grandmother’s talent, or at least might be willing to invest that sum in the cash-strapped theater. When they see the young woman, they are deeply disappointed. The granddaughter, Julia Klöhn, is a shy, inconspicuous “gray mouse” who earns her living as a gymnastics teacher at the girls’ school run by its director, Dr. Kladde, a plump, good-natured man. They quickly abandon the idea of making Julia into a new Cavallini. Then something unexpected happens: Emmy’s wealthy benefactor catches his soubrette in flagrante in the arms of the orchestra conductor, Fritz Hollmann, and abruptly decides to cut off her funding. There is no longer any generous financier, and in the wake of this “scandal,” soubrette Emmy is no longer in any way a possible successor to Cavallini. The theater management then assigns the elegant charmer Viktor Keller to woo Julia Klöhn and persuade her to finance the next revue. Julia, inexperienced in the theater, agrees, but sets one condition: she absolutely wants to play the leading role. Director Kelemen and his men are horrified, anticipating an artistic disaster. But they are mistaken: Julia is more talented than anyone thinks, and, moreover, her dead grandmother regularly appears to her to give her artistic instruction and inspiration… In the end, however, Julia decides to seek and find happiness as Viktor Keller’s wife.