Maske in Blau (1953)

The successful painter Armando Cellini has fallen in love with the revue star Juliska Varady. Now he is determined to paint her portrait. But she wants nothing to do with him because she considers him a womanizer. So Armando tries a ruse: His friend Seppl temporarily moves into his apartment and pretends to be Armando Cellini, while Armando himself passes himself off as a poor, unknown painter. Since Seppl is chronically short of money, he enjoys life in his friend’s villa. There he also meets the dancer Putti, who has set her heart on being painted by the famous Cellini. Meanwhile, Armando plays his part so convincingly that he quickly achieves his aim: Juliska lets herself be charmed by him. She spends every minute of her free time with the “unknown painter” in a cottage by the lake. But she, too, pretends to be someone else, because she does not want her fame to intimidate the painter: she presents herself as Juliska Varady’s secretary. After a few confusing situations, Juliska has no choice but to reveal her identity. To make her beloved famous, she now offers to pose for him as the “Mask in Blue.” Cellini enthusiastically gets to work. When the painting is exhibited publicly, Armando, too, has to reveal his true identity. Juliska feels duped and leaves him. But her indignation does not last long, because she soon becomes convinced that Armando’s feelings for her are genuine. In the end, there are two happy couples: Juliska and Armando, and Seppl and Putti.