Marlene Roedern is a student at the Salzburg Mozarteum, as is her boyfriend, Hans Hellmer, a promising conductor. Strothoff, a government cultural representative, engages Hans to conduct at Hamburg. While in Salzburg, Strothoff meets Marlene, who works as a tourist guide in order to pay her tuition fees. He hires her for an all-night tour of the city. She becomes infatuated with him and he with her. Hans is not happy about this.