On August 25th 1931, the Censors (Filmprüfstelle Berlin) disallow this
film for viewing by "the youth" (document: B.29678, 9 Akte
2620 m).
Appealed, this decision
is upheld on August 9th 1931 (document: 29773).
Finally, on September
17th 1931, the Chief Censors (Oberprüfstelle) over-turn the
initial decision, leaving the film free for projection before all
audiences.
The reason cited for the Chief Censors' decision is: "The film
portrays a "grotesque", partially because one can suppose that young
persons viewing this film will be far more interested in the six day
race than in the relationships between the leading characters.
Nonetheless, this can be characterized as a borderline case. Further, so
that the viewer isn't lead to question why Lachmeier in the third act is
afraid to come too late, the title Dear Heaven, I'll Probably Come
too Late is forbidden" (O.3061, 9 Akte 2620 m:
see Pg. 1;
see Pg. 2).
The premier showing takes place
on August 28th 1931
in Berlin at the Titania-Palast and the
Primus-Palast.
The
newspaper delivery boy Hans Dampf is a poor "sThe
newspaper delivery boy Hans Dampf is a poor "schnook." Nothing he
undertakes succeeds, he always runs behind by a nose's length. For
example, he doesn't have a bicycle, so he always arrives too late with
his newspapers. But that day luck is with him and, ecstatic, he gets
hold of an old tandem bike. Then, while he's still in the newspaper's
loading yard, it falls apart.
While
he tries to repair it, his old friend and colleague, Renz, drives up in
a car for an interview at the newspaper. Renz has succeeded in becoming
a world champion bicycle racer.
The
two old friends greet each other warmly. Renz gives Dampf a thick stack
of dollar bills. What a happy day! Now he can buy new clothes.
Dampf
then makes the acquaintance of a nice young girl, Lilly, who introduces
herself as a dancer.
In
fact, Lilly has found Dampf's lost wallet; but because Renz's business
card is in it, she thinks that it belongs to him and mistakes Dampf for
Renz. A misimpression that he doesn't correct because the girl appeals
to him and he fears that he won't be successful with her if she knows
he's only a newspaper delivery boy.
Lilly
is so impressed by her encounter with Dampf whoLilly
is so impressed by her encounter with Dampf whom she takes for a champion
bicycle racer that she breaks up with her boyfriend, Teddy the
Mixer.
Renz's manager, Lachmeier is distraught because his athlete must loose 4
pounds within 4 days. This is because, instead
of training, he parties and womanizes. Now he is deeply in love with beautiful Marion. He agrees to
ride
in the 6 day race, but only under the condition that Marion spends all 6
days and nights with him in the Sports
Palace where the race takes
place. Lachmeister charges Lilly, the building
superintendent's daughter, to
watch Marion's apartment and not to open the door for anybody.
Marion's guardian, a rich gentleman from out of town named Bumsdorf
angrily orders her to let him enter. Shocked, Lilly calls the police. An
article in the evening newspaper recounts the attempted break-in and
when Marion reads this, she races to her apartment where she meets
Bumsdorf who's already been freed by the police. From this point on, he
doesn't want to leave her side and Marion doesn't know what to do.
At
the bicycle track, the race has already begun At
the bicycle track, the race has already begun
and there's an enormous
crowd of spectators. The most famous racers of
the time are participating and are
being loudly cheered.
RenzRenz,
because he
has noticed Marion's absence, gets nervous and has already lost
one round
in the race.
Lachmeister charges Dampf to get Marion and bring her there. Imagine
Dampf's surprise when he
Lachmeister charges Dampf to get Marion and bring her there. Imagine
Dampf's surprise when he realizes that she lives in the same house as his
beloved Lilly. Next, he
executes a brilliant plan
to get rid of the
bothersome Mr. Bumsdorf; he pretends to be Marion's crazy brother and
raises such antics that Bumsdorf, shocked, races away from the
apartment.
Lilly
has been watching Marion and Dampf together. Still mistaking him for
Renz, she thinks that he's cheating on her with Marion. SLilly
has been watching Marion and Dampf together. Still mistaking him for
Renz, she thinks that he's cheating on her with Marion. So
she asks Teddy
the Mixer to bring her to the 6 day bicycle race so that she can find
out what the relationship is between "Renz" and Marion
really is.
ThereThere,
at the race, Renz has taken a bad fall. Luckily he's only injured
slightly, but has a big bandage around his head and is carried to the
first aid station.
Marion, brought there by Dampf
Marion, brought there by Dampf
immediately tends to her lover.
Meanwhile, Dampf has
returned to his seat nearby. Suddenly he sees Lilly and Teddy enter the
arena. He's ready to do anything to avoid being found out.
So he
sneaks into the first aid area where Renz lies sleeping and there puts
on Renz's racing Jersey and bandages his own head so that he looks just
like Renz.
Then
he goes over to Lilly. Lachmeier and his assistants also mistake him for
Renz so they forcibly seat him on the bicycle and send him out into the
race.
He
gathers all his strength and wins the race... by a nose's length!
The
spectators greet the winner with stormy enthusiasm. Thrilled, Lachmeier
just doesn't understand one thing; who is this third
e
spectators greet the winner with stormy enthusiasm. Thrilled, Lachmeier
just doesn't understand one thing; who is this third
rider in his team?
When
Dampf removes the bandage, Lachmeier recognizes him by his nose and,
full of gratitude, hires him When
Dampf removes the bandage, Lachmeier recognizes him by his nose and,
full of gratitude, hires him to join his team
of racers.
Lilly
has slid into the riders' box next to Dampf. Now she
too realizes that he
isn't Renz after all. But she also has deceived him,
because she's not
the dancer that she pretended to be.
Still, none of this matters. They
fall into each other's arms while, outside, Renz rides the winner's
round before the mass of spectators all crying "Bravo!"
