Das Mädchen aus der Südsee

Hamburg student Richard Kirbach indulges in an unusual hobby: he plays chess via shortwave with Arnold Pieper, an old German coconut planter in the South Seas. The men, who are so different, become so close that one day Pieper asks the young man for a big favor. Arnold has a capricious and rather volatile daughter named Lale, who, in his opinion, gets up to a lot of mischief in Europe. To put an end to this, Pieper quickly asks Richard to marry Lale, who is unknown to him. In order to make the marriage attractive to him, the fat old man also offers “prize money” of $5,000, which the poor student could really use.

Directed by Hans Müller, Das Mädchen aus der Südsee leans on a strong ensemble — Angelika Hauff, Hardy Krüger, Peter Mosbacher — 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 1950.