This film is a fascinating showcase for Emil Janning's theatrical play. He's a gentle school teacher who believes in his boys and is easily fooled about all things, while the other town officials want him dismissed. Curiously it's very hard to see what the film is exactly aiming for. Disaster strikes and the lax prof proves to be too far removed of the real problems of the world, on the other hand his enemies are shown in the most unsympathetic, satirical way denouncing the militaristic, bourgeois ideology of the Kaiserreich.

Early morning romantic excursions in a North German village under the thumb of a crusty old mayor.

A rich East Prussian shopkeeper,jealous that one of his male employees is in love with a female employee he himself covets, frames the couple for stealing lottery tickets.