It Only Happened Once

Sabine Schröder, who works as a hairdresser's assistant in a small town, feels called to higher things: to acting. She gets on everyone's nerves with her madness: her boss, her parents and above all her fiancé, the car mechanic Jürgen. One day, when Schröders received a letter from a Berlin film company, the father burned it unread. Out of disappointment, anger and defiance, Sabine packs her bags and makes her way to Berlin, where the film festival is taking place.

Directed by Géza von Bolváry, It Only Happened Once leans on a strong ensemble — Hans Albers, Charlotte Ander, Emmy Burg — 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 drama titles of 1958.