When Clara sees an ad announcing that the tabloid newspaper B.T. is looking for a young, beautiful woman to play a part in their upcoming amateur film, she does not hesitate. She submits her photo and confidently predicts a great future for herself in film. Her father, a grumpy merchant called Mr Balle, forbids her to attend the audition, just as he forbids her to get engaged to the neighbour’s son, Peter. Yet unbeknownst to all, Mr Balle has himself been called in to audition for a role in the amateur film. As a result of a series of coincidences, Clara, Peter and Mr Balle find themselves together in front of the rolling cameras. (Stumfilm.dk)

A new assistant priest arrives at a parish in western Jutland. Here, he falls in love with the daughter of a powerful merchant's wife and local politician. She hastily marries her daughter off to the commission agent in the business, and to the strains of the wedding march, the priest swears revenge on the mother. He becomes the parish priest himself and outmanoeuvres her in the following years, both commercially and politically. The political disputes concern the construction of a dike against the North Sea.