Playing at Love

Vienna in the beginning of the twentieth century. Cavalry Lieutenant Fritz Lobheimer is about to end his affair with Baroness Eggerdorff when he meets the young Christine, the daughter of an opera violinist. Baron Eggerdorff however soon hears of his past misfortune... —Vincent Merlaud <merlaud@studi.mathematik.hu-berlin.de> In the beginning of the Twentieth Century, in Vienna, Dragoon Lieutenant Fritz Lobheimer and Second Lieutenant Theo Kaiser are at the opera when a girl accidentally drops her opera glass. Fritz has a love affair with Baroness von Aggersdorf and leaves the opera house to encounter her. Her suspicious husband, Baron von Aggersdorf, leaves the opera earlier expecting to catch his wife with her lover but is unsuccessful. Lt. Kaise meets the two girls, Mitzi Schlager and Christine Weiring, looking for the glass and invites them to go to a cafeteria. Meanwhile, Fritz gives his key to the Baroness and flees from her house. He meets the trio at the cafeteria and while Theo and Mitzi go to his apartment, Fritz walks Christine home. Theo schedules a double date and soon Fritz and Christine fall in love with each other, and Fritz looks for Baroness von Aggersdorf to end their affair. However, the military Graf von Aggersdorf tells his brother, Baron von Aggersdorf, the rumors about the relationship of Fritz and his wife. He finds her key and challenges Fritz to a duel, with tragic consequences. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil A Viennese opera house, early in the century. In attendance are lieutenants Kaiser and Lobheimer. Two young ladies on the balcony, Mizzi and Christine, drop their opera glasses, hitting one of the officers. The Baron von Eggersdorff arrives in his box. Lobheimer leaves early for his tryst with the Baron's wife. The Baron soon arrives home, in a suspicious mood. Lobheimer rejoins Kaiser in a café with the two girls. Lobheimer soon falls for Christine... The Baroness wonders why her lover has been absent for so long; the two now part for good. But the Baron learns the secret and discovers that a key still in his wife's possession opens the lieutenant's door. He challenges Lobheimer to a duel... —David Carless