Inge und die Millionen (1933)

Berlin secretary Inge Hensel travels to Switzerland on behalf of her boss, banker Seemann. She is supposed to take the bank’s money there, which is forbidden in Germany in 1933. At the station in Konstanz, she meets Walter Brink, who has missed his train to Berlin and decides to accompany her to Schaffhausen. They spend the afternoon together, so Inge arrives late for her meeting with Seemann’s business partner, Conrady. On the journey back together, Walter says he would like to see Inge more often in Berlin, but she says that would not be possible. Seemann and his business partners, Conrady and Kutzner, are worried about their money and want to move it all abroad. To do so, they plan to call in all their loans, including that of Walter’s boss, Böttcher, a freight company owner who comes to the bank in person to ask for an extension. His company is doing well, and he is worried about his employees and their families. But Seemann remains adamant. Walter wants to invite Inge to the wedding reception he has organized for his friend Lindemann and Lotte, the innkeeper’s daughter. But Inge has to work, since Seemann wants her at a meeting with Conrady. Conrady, however, sees it only as an opportunity to get drunk. Inge then goes to the wedding reception, which is being held at Böttcher’s company. When the guests go to fetch Böttcher, they find him dead; he has taken his own life. The freight company’s assets are auctioned off for far less than their value, so Walter tries to persuade Seemann to halt the auction and resume it a few days later, when it will probably bring in a better price. Seemann makes sure that the proceeds will still cover his claims and insists that the auction continue immediately. Inge is to stay and then bring him the money. When she does, Seemann is already preparing to flee abroad. He invites her to come with him, but when Conrady arrives with friends for a farewell party, Inge goes to the inn run by Lotte’s parents. There she writes a confession reporting herself for currency smuggling and mails it to the police. Before going to prison, however, she wants to spend a pleasant evening with Walter. He knows nothing about this and talks about marriage. Only when he takes her home in the middle of the night does he realize she is in trouble. She takes him into the apartment to explain. But there they find Seemann, who is trying to dissuade Inge from reporting herself. Walter leaves the apartment, outraged. Shortly afterward, the police arrive and arrest Seemann and Inge. The next morning, Walter seeks help from Lotte, who assures him that Inge is the right woman for him. When they read in the newspaper that Inge has been arrested, Walter rushes to the police to help her. But Inge has already been released. Now nothing stands in the way of Inge and Walter’s wedding.