Love Must Be Understood

The stenotypist Margit is supposed to take 3,000 Marks to the bank for her boss, Mr. Plaumann, but she lazes away the time window-shopping, and eventually stands before a closed door. She follows Plaumann to Dresden, where he, believing the money is deposited in a bank as a down payment, wants to purchase a newfangled remote control from the inventor Lambach. Since Plaumann’s car breaks down on the road, Margit arrives before him and rests in the seemingly empty hotel room which later turns out to be Lambach’s. Meanwhile, Lambach himself is being spied on by the jealous cousin of his fiancée, who can’t wait to catch him in the act…

Directed by Hans Steinhoff, Love Must Be Understood leans on a strong ensemble — Rosy Barsony, Max Gülstorff, Käthe Haack — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 1933.