man.
- What have you been doing all day?
- Chasing around.
- Chasing what?
- Money.
[Band continues playing lively music]
- You were very different yesterday.
- That was yesterday.
I served as a surgeon in the Great War...
till the end.
Grenade in my face.
I carried diphtheria bacilli
in the wound till 1920.
Isolated two years.
- Drink, Mr. Kringelein.
- Yes.
That was lovely.
Listen, funny one,
do you want to make a man happy?
FLAEMM: I'd love to.
BARON: Dance with old Kringelein.
Why?
I don't know. He's a dear old duck.
I feel rather sorry for him, don't you?
[Piano playing]
You know, you're not a bit
like you were yesterday.
Yesterday?
No, perhaps not.
I fell in love last night.
The real thing.
There's no real thing. It just doesn't exist.
I thought that, too.
But now I know that it does.
It's wonderful.
Come along.
- Dance with old Kringelein?
- Of course. Anything for you.
BARON: You're sweet.
Here you are. I must speak with you.
- Presently, Mr. Preysing.
- No, now. This is very urgent.
This lady has urgent business with me
at the moment.
PREYSING: Insolence. Berlin manners.
Good evening, Mr. Preysing.
You're staying here, too?
- I'm sorry, but I cannot place you.
- Kringelein, at the plant.
One of our agents.
No. Assistant bookkeeper,
Room 23, Building C, third floor.
- I am away, sick.
- That's very interesting.
Good day.
[Band playing swing music]
FLAEMM: Would you like to dance,
Mr. Kringelein?
Miss Flaemm, I’ve never danced in public.
- Come along and try it.
- I'd be afraid.
There's nothing to be afraid of.
You'll love it.
Miss Flaemmchen, I must speak to you.
This is about a dictating job.
- When do we start? Tomorrow morning?
- No, right now.
We were just going to dance.
Do you know each other?
Mr. Kringelein, Mr. Preysing.
Mr. Kringelein would be a good friend
and not accept your invitation to dance.
I couldn't think of not accepting
the invitation to dance.
I understood you to say
that you reported to our plant ill...
and you're here in Berlin
indulging in diversions...
which are very much beyond your means?
This is very extraordinary, Mr. Kringelein.
I think we should look over your books.
Come along now, children. No fighting.
Save that for the office.
Does the world belong to you,
Mr. Preysing?
Haven't I got any right to live?
I will wait 10 minutes for you.
If you're not back, it will be necessary
to engage someone else.
BARON: What happened to your dance?
We're going now, thank you, Baron.
Come along.
I shall remember this, Mr. Kringelein.
Let the poor devil alone.
Death's staring him in the face.
I did not ask your advice.
I think you'd better go away.
We will see
who will remain here the longer.
BELLBOY: Baron von Geigern, please.
Mr. Kringelein, you must look at my face,
and not the floor.
Yes.
- Why, you're trembling.
- I never danced in public before.
- You dance beautifully.
- Thank you.
- That's right.
- I'm happy, Miss Flaemm.
Are you really?
For the first time in my life, I’m happy.
Are you all right?
Yes. Excuse me, I just stopped a second.
FLAEMM: All right. Here we go.
I'm very tired. Do you mind if we stop?
OTTO: Thank you.
- I must go back to Mr. Preysing now.
- Must you?
Yes, business.
One has to earn a living, you know.
Not you, Miss Flaemm.
Just another desk slave. Money.
PREYSING: I'm glad you're here.
FLAEMM: Here I am.
- Did you enjoy your dance?
- Yes, thank you.
- Excuse me. Go away, please.
- Where's the Louisiana Flip?
- Would you like a little cognac?
- Yes. You wanted to see me?
PREYSING: Yes.
You may go, Mr. Kringelein.
Mr. Preysing, I am not taking orders
from you here.
What is this insolence? Please go away.
OTTO: You think you have free license
to be insulting?
Believe me, you have not.
You think you're superior,
but you're quite an ordinary man...
even if you did marry money...
and people like me
have got to