Kauf dir einen bunten Luftballon (1961)

Inge, the niece of ice rink owner Hermann König, is supposed to continue her skating career at her uncle’s insistence, but she has other plans: she is determined to make a career as a singer in a theatrical revue. Through a case of mistaken identity, Inge gets the chance to land a leading role in a revue at the Palace Theater, whose success or failure will determine whether the theater survives—though Inge does not know this. The indebted theater director, Knapp, and the theater owner, Miffke, have made a deal: the theater will continue to exist only if the revue, which features the owner’s unmusical and no less stubborn girlfriend, Mia, is a flop. Miffke wants this to make Mia finally give up her singing, since all his other attempts to dissuade her have failed. Knapp is not exactly happy about the deal, as he fears that such an embarrassing performance could bring the revue theater into disrepute. But thanks to the mix-up and Inge’s engagement, the revue now has the greatest chance of becoming a success. On opening night, both Inge and Mia take the stage, each believing she has the right to do so. This leads to situations that set the audience off laughing and calling for encores. Since the performance is not going as Miffke intended, he throws Knapp and the theater crew out. Hans Haller, a scenery painter and ice hockey player who has fallen head over heels in love with Inge, comes up with a solution. Without the knowledge of ice rink owner König, he turns the stage show into an ice-skating revue. Now Inge can finally show what she can do without interruption, and the show becomes a great success.