Pension Schöller (1960)

The landowner and bachelor Philipp Klapproth, who is financing his nephew Peter Klapproth’s medical studies, receives a letter from him one day asking his uncle for 20,000 marks. Peter writes that he wants to invest the money in a mental institution. In truth, however, the nephew has entirely different plans: he can’t stand the sight of blood and has never studied medicine at all; instead, he and his music-loving friend Tommy devote themselves heart and soul to their band. With his uncle’s money, nothing would stand in the way of opening their own venue and rehearsal space. There is one snag: the skeptical Philipp wants to inspect the supposed institution before handing over the money, and promptly sets off to visit Peter. At a loss for an explanation, Peter follows Tommy’s advice and takes his uncle to Pension Schöller, which he claims is “Peter’s madhouse.” Their deception works rather well: if someone suspects that the residents are “mad,” all the normal, merely somewhat eccentric pension guests seem that way. This is the source of the plot’s many comic situations.