The sensitive Austrian Crown Prince Rudolf is suffering from his marriage, dictated by his father, Emperor Franz Joseph, and the strict court etiquette. He meets a kindred spirit in the very young Baroness Mary Vetsera.

A group of talented young people are dismissed from an ice dancing troupe as a result of the intrigues of Alida, the wife of impresario Gordon. Outraged, the young people leave Gordon's troupe and, having organized their own group, soon achieve success with audiences. Gordon, deprived of his talented performers, suffers a collapse and goes bankrupt.

The simple and good-natured coachman Henschel has a sick wife and a deceitful maid who looks after the household. The wife makes him promise never to marry the maid. But after his wife's death, Henschel succumbs to the temptation of the maid.

Matthias Scheichelroither is a poor but always cheerful, or rather, jolly farmer. He has grand plans for his son Heini, nicknamed "Heinerle": He intends for him to one day become a trained academic, a doctor. To achieve this, the old man scrims and saves to give Heinerle a perfect education. But Heini has other plans: Instead of focusing on his studies, he is drawn to music. With the help of Vivian Harrison, a wealthy American woman who is in love with him, he finally manages to organize his first concert as a composer.