
During the 1913 carnival, a man is stabbed to death in the confessional of Mainz Cathedral: Ferdinand Dörfler was the illegitimate son of the businessman Panezza, who never confessed to him. Ferdinand's brother Clemens is accused of fratricide by his own mother. The young Viola, who had come to Mainz from Italy, makes a confession: she loved Ferdinand and had been abandoned by him. Lolfo, who was unconditionally devoted to her, pursued Ferdinand and killed him. Lolfo commits suicide.
Cast

Hans Söhnker
Panezza

Gitty Djamal
Viola

Götz George
Clemens

Christian Wolff
Jeanmarie

Berta Drews
Frau Bäumler

Hilde Hildebrand
Mme. Guttier

Grit Boettcher
Bertel

Ursula Heyer
Rosa
Helga Schlack
Bettine

Rainer Brandt
Ferdinand Bäumler

Wolfgang Völz
Regierungsassessor
Ernst Neger
Sänger

Friedrich Domin
Unknown
Helga Tölle
Unknown

Herbert Tiede
Unknown
Milena von Eckhardt
Unknown

Albert Bessler
Unknown
Harry Engel
Unknown
Crew

William Dieterle
Director
Kurt Heuser
Writer
Carl Zuckmayer
Novel

Carl Otto Bartning
Editor
Heinz Pehlke
Director of Photography

Eberhard Itzenplitz
Assistant Director
Dietrich von Theobald
Line Producer, Production Manager
Wolfgang Völker
Production Assistant
Walter Kutz
Production Design
Emil Hasler
Production Design

Wolfgang Treu
Camera Operator
Bernhard Hellmund
Assistant Camera
Manon Hahn
Costume Designer
Ernst Erdmann
Costumer
Edith Dahlke
Costumer
Alois Woppmann
Makeup Artist
Ursula Mrukwa
Makeup Artist
Heinz Garbowski
Sound
Siegfried Franz
Music
Karl Reiter
Still Photographer
Walter Rother
Property Master
Helmut Deuckert
Property Master
Hans-Bolko Marcard
Unit Manager
Jürgen Noack
Assistant Unit Manager