...und du, mein Schatz, bleibst hier (1961)

Instead of attending seminars and lectures at the University of World Trade, Peter Baumann prefers to devote himself exclusively to the student orchestra. With his friends Hans, Tommy, Udo, Gus, and Max, he has so far tried in vain to get a record deal or at least an audition at Vienna’s Stadthalle. When Peter’s uncle, who has until now financed his nephew’s studies, finds out that Peter is only making music, he cuts off his financial support. Peter now starts working as a chocolate deliveryman. His girlfriend Helga, who works at a nursing home, is devastated because the loss of his uncle’s support threatens not only Peter’s musical career but also their future together. The old gentlemen at the home are dismayed when they notice that their favorite caregiver, Helga, has suddenly become distracted and sad. They learn of Peter’s failure in trying to audition at the Stadthalle. Old Mr. Haberl knows Gabriel, an employee at the Stadthalle, from years ago, and asks him to arrange an audition for the group. Gabriel, however, refuses. After a car accident, Peter happens to meet Margot, the daughter of the Stadthalle director, and keeps charming her until the group is allowed to audition. But Helga saw him flirting, and from then on she regularly stands him up. Meanwhile, the pensioners have come up with a few tricks of their own to help Peter. They want to get Peter’s group onto the program for the Stadthalle event Hot, Hotter, Hottest, and smuggle old Mr. Berger into the building as an electrician. He is supposed to do a little spying inside. When he hears that a young band is due to audition for the director, he sees them as a potential threat to Peter’s band. He secretly puts on a record of brass-band music and pipes it into the director’s office. The director believes the music is being played by the band and rejects them without having seen them. Berger then secretly steals the running order for the show Hot, Hotter, Hottest. What Berger doesn’t know is that the band in question was Peter’s group. When he realizes his mistake, the pensioners come up with a new plan. Because Peter and his group had to pawn their instruments for lack of money, the pensioners hand over various valuables of their own in exchange, so they can get the instruments back. By means of a trick, they have the show’s headlining act, the Bill Sanders Orchestra with singer Laurie London, arrested, and kidnap Trude Herr when she lands at Vienna Airport. The director, Grossmüller, is then forced to agree to let Peter’s group perform. Peter has accidentally taken a sleeping pill that was meant for someone else, but Helga revives him with an antidote. Thinking that Peter tried to take his own life with the sleeping pills because of her behavior, Helga reconciles with him. The evening is ultimately a great success and convinces Director Grossmüller of the band’s talent as well. And in the end, Trude Herr also arrives at the Vienna Stadthalle and performs in the finale alongside numerous other artists, accompanied by Peter’s band.