Rummelplatz der Liebe (1954)

Lilli is broke. The young, beautiful woman is caught stealing by Toni, the manager of a traveling-show performer. He takes advantage of the situation to seduce her and gets her a place with a circus, with which she is to travel from then on. The daring trapeze artist Franz works at the circus. Lilli falls in love with Franz and marries him. But Toni, too, feels more than just collegial friendship toward Lilli. He pursues her and continues to pose as a good adviser to the naive Lilli. Lilli is obedient to her adviser, and he takes advantage of her. Toni, however, wants to be more than just Lilli’s fatherly friend. His jealousy of Franz finally leads him to loosen the rungs of the diving tower, causing Franz to fall to his death. The police consider the murder an accident. Toni confesses to Lilli that he was responsible for her husband’s death. But Franz’s murder destroys his relationship with Lilli, who suddenly sees the real person behind the kindly façade. Toni dies on the Ferris wheel, and Lilli can now begin a new life.