Ulli und Marei (1948)

The old, widowed farmer Markt lives with his farmhands and maids on his large farm in a remote Alpine valley. One of the farmhands is his former foster son, Ulli, a powerfully built and good-natured fellow. One day, the farmer sets off for town, intending to visit a notary and name Ulli as his heir. On the way, he passes the Klarerhof, just in time to rescue Marei, the daughter of the woman who runs the farm, from a dangerous situation. In gratitude, she invites Markt into her parlour. Over coffee, he offers Marei a job as his new housekeeper. He then returns to his farm. He is no longer in a hurry to transfer it to Ulli. When Ulli and Marei meet face to face on Sunday, they both realize that they had once grown close. Neither has forgotten it. Marei runs the Markthof to her employer’s complete satisfaction. Ulli soon realizes that Markt has taken an interest in his housekeeper. Jealousy takes hold of him; he becomes angry and confused. One day, as a storm is brewing, he tries to haul the heavy hay wagon alone across the steep meadow to shelter. He is badly injured in the process. While he is recovering in bed, Marei and Ulli talk things through. In the end, they promise to be faithful to each other. At the same time, the farmer tells Marei’s mother that he intends to marry her. The old woman has no objection, but adds that her daughter must have the final say. Thanks to Marei’s love, Ulli recovers well from the accident. It is not long before the farmer realizes what is going on between his two employees. Reminding Ulli of all he has done for him, he demands that Ulli give Marei up for his sake. Ulli then leaves the farm in despair without telling Marei why. Feeling hurt, she spitefully gives the old farmer her consent. Ulli ends up in town. There, he buys a gingerbread heart bearing the words “I’ll be true to you” from a peddler and asks him to give it to Marei if he passes by Markt’s farm. Preparations for the wedding are underway at the Markthof. When the bride, who is anything but happy, unwraps the heart and reads the inscription, she says only, “Too late.” But her mother feels that Marei will be unhappy for the rest of her life without Ulli. So she brings the young man back to his home. As soon as Marei catches sight of Ulli, she throws her arms around his neck. Beside himself with rage, the farmer takes aim at his former foster son with a rifle. At the last moment, he comes to his senses. Ashamed, he recognizes his folly and gives the young couple his blessing.