Revue um Mitternacht (1962)

One day, three prominent figures in filmmaking are kidnapped: production designer Jens Holle, composer Herbert Schöniger, and dramaturg Eberhard Gallstein eventually find themselves at the home of film producer Otto Kruse, who wants the abduction to bring them together to work on a revue film. Author Paul Biesack was also supposed to be kidnapped, but he guessed the plan and refused, so the small-time composer and former plumber Alexander Ritter joins the group instead. Alexander is enthusiastic about the idea of the revue film, but the other three see it as too great a risk and eventually slip out of the villa in secret. Production assistant Claudia Glück is not at all pleased with the situation: she would have trusted the experienced film men, whereas she had previously found Alexander rather reckless and irresponsible. Alexander seems to prove her right when he flatly rejects director Knüller’s suggestion to include Schlager songs in the film, because he does not want any canned music in it. Claudia accuses Alexander of being only a “half-finished person.” When Holle, Schöniger, and Gallstein decide, along with Biesack, to join the project after all in view of the preparations already under way, Alexander sulkily drops out and retreats to Biesack’s apartment. His brief affair with Claudia is over before it has really begun, and Claudia immediately blames herself. Director Knüller also needs Alexander in order to bring the film-within-a-film to a happy ending. Only Biesack discovers where Alexander is hiding and has him brought to the set in an unconventional way. Alexander and Claudia reconcile, including with a kiss, and Knüller is delighted with the film’s successful ending.