she falls in love with Hagedorn, not knowing that he also has a “secret”: poverty. The romance between Hilde and Hagedorn blossoms rapidly to the point that they are planning to marry. Yet, after a few additional days Tobler becomes so disgusted with the daily harassment by the hotel that he cannot take it anymore and rapidly returns to Berlin with his daughter, his butler, and the housekeeper. The sudden departure, with no prior notice or information, leaves Hagedorn confused and saddened. The lovelorn and depressed Hagedorn returns to Berlin to search for Hilde. Not knowing her true name, he looks for the Schlüter’s. That search is obviously unsuccessful. And, one day to Hagedorn's surprise, he and his mother are invited by to them unknown Tobler for supper. When they arrive, the whole drama unfolds: the friendship forged between Tobler, Hagedorn, and Kasselhut strengthens. Hilde identifies herself as Tobler's daughter. Tobler then learns that he already owns the grand hotel - he purchased it and sacked management promptly. Themes The story is about male bonding and the comedy of errors cutting across socio-economic lines in the aftermath of the Great Depression, and the rise of the Nazism, in Germany. This book is clearly very apolitical. Kästner was not a favorite of the Nazi cultural elite. His few novels and works he authored at that time, reflect an increasing distance from the day-to-day changes in the public discourse. Throughout the predictable story, Kästner infuses warm humor and creates unusually realistic characters. Cast Klaus Schwarzkopf as Otto Tobler Roberto Blanco as Titus Thomas Fritsch as Boris Dorfmeister Susanne Beck as Susanne Tobler Grit Boettcher as Frau Casparius Lina Carstens as Frau Tobler Elisabeth Volkmann as Frau Mallebré Herbert Fleischmann as Zenkel Ingrid Steeger as Gundula von Wolzogen Fritz Tillmann as Kühne Gisela Uhlen as Frau von Wolzogen Klaus Grünberg as Ferry Franz Muxeneder as Kommissar Rainer Basedow as Kellner Dieter Augustin as Barmann Max Strecker as Eduard Schulze Ursula Reit as Wondraschek, Telefonistin Benno Hoffmann as Leo Plotte Bruno W. Pantel as Richter Ulrich Beiger as Prosecutor Joachim Hackethal as Mann in Kneipe Rolf Castell as Anton See also A Rare Bird (1935) Three Men in the Snow (1936) Paradise for Three (1938) Three Men in the Snow (1955) References Bibliography Bock, Hans-Michael & Bergfelder, Tim. The Concise CineGraph. Encyclopedia of German Cinema. Berghahn Books, 2009. External links 1974 films 1974 comedy