Renate Holm

Witty, fun, intoxicating film of Johann Strauss II's popular operetta, based on a stage production from Vienna State Opera; this is a showcase for the entire cast, but most especially Eberhard Wächter as the insufferably boorish Gabriel Eisenstein, and Gundula Janowitz as his long-suffering wife. Open the champagne, have yourself some torte, and enjoy this delectable comedy from Vienna.

Accountant and would-be song-writer Willy inadvertently gets into a live TV game show and is tasked with finding, presenting and performing with a motley band of six amateur musicians within 90 minutes.

The renowned Viennese artist Stefan Helmers spends the summer in a mountain village where he has been commissioned to paint a church window. There, he falls in love with a peasant girl who accompanies him to Vienna after completing his work. But in the metropolis, both realize they have made a mistake. The girl returns to her village, and Helmers marries his longtime friend Anita.

Several young music enthusiasts find a helpful supporter of their passion—singing and making music—in the endearing, friendly elderly gentleman Mr. Herzlieb, who works as a night watchman at a pawnshop specializing in musical instruments. Using a shortwave transmitter, they are even able to broadcast their pop songs all the way to Brazil, after which the music lovers are offered a gig. A German "Schlager-Film" (a musical comedy with popular songs).

To supplement their pension, the eccentric couple August and Ida Bodendiek rent a room to young Klaus. His father wants to remarry, so Klaus moved out of his parents’ house and now works the night shift as a truck driver. This gives the Bodendieks the opportunity to double their income: at night, they rent the room to Lisa Franzen, who works as a secretary during the day. When Klaus loses his job, he inevitably runs into Lisa in their shared apartment. He also tells a white lie, pretending to be Lisa’s husband, which leads the two to fall in love without knowing that they are step-siblings—because Lisa’s mother is Klaus’s father’s new wife.

Styria in the second half of the 18th century: It's Christmas in the forest home of the poet Peter Rosegger. During Advent, Peter, a young forest farmer, first recites his dialect stories to an elegant crowd at the Reininghaus family home, becoming a major attraction in Graz. Hans, the hostess's nephew, befriends the young man, and a close relationship of trust develops, from which each benefits in his own way. During a winter sleigh ride, Peter recounts to his friend Hans the best Christmas experiences from his childhood. He recounts how he got lost in the forest, how he went to collect Christmas cheer, and his adventures with a quaint man named Bremer Sepp.

The fairy Lacrimosa's daughter lives with a forest farmer. If she marries a poor man, her mother will regain her magical powers. «Envy» wants to prevent this and turns the forest farmer into a hard-hearted millionaire.