When the Lutheran pastor Roland retires, the young priest Roll shall replace him. He plays the trumpet, loves Jazz and his methods are unconventional: From the first day on he offends the village's notables, but he doesn't care so much since he especially targets the youths, wants them to get back to the church again. However the mayor agitates against him, manages to endanger Roll's success. The conflict leads to vandalism and open violence against Roll.

In Franz Joseph I's Vienna, Captain Eichfeld publishes a witty satire on imperial Austrian army abuses, using the pseudonym "Spectator." It's popular, but Eichfeld dares not reveal his identity, as he wants the hand of conservative General von Trattenbach's daughter. His race rival blackmails both lovers.

Vienna, 1957: Head waiters Gustav (Paul Hörbiger) and Franz (Hans Moser) are working for the stinted Cafétier Panigl and are close friiends despite of their different characters. Franz is happily married and a good family father, Gustav, a relaxed charmer, is living a calm single life. Overnight both of them become jobless, because Panigl decided to sell his Café which was not successful anymore. Right in this moment, Franz' brother is sending 20.000 Dollar from USA. Money, he once peculated and now wants to pay back.. Gustav and Franz are buying half of the Café for each from the unexpected money. One half they develop as the modern Musicbox-Espresso «Pinguin», the other half as a traditional old style Vienna Café . Misunderstandings between guests and generations are inevitable and stretch the long term friendship of the two waiters.

Austria, Bad Ischl: The young Princess Christine and the Imperial Count of Hohenegg are supposed to meet at the annual Imperial Ball before their planned engagement. But things turn out differently than expected: Christine falls in love with Count Baranyi, and her future husband falls in love with the seamstress Franzi, who is mistaken for a countess at the wrong moment...