A gentle comedy offering the promise of easy social consensus. Harry (Helmuth) is a simple old-time shop porter offered a chance at self-realisation when he's bequeathed a sum by an unknown relative (via several levels of fiscal blood suckers). He decides to engage a butler to take good care of him for a time. This is a man of distinguished upper class service, but a generous nature which happily integrates with Harry's small but colourful world of drinking buddies and crackpot neighbourhood kids.

During World War I, the engineer Torben returns home with secret papers from the Russian Tsar to the courier Tuschin, Torben's best friend. Tuschin is found murdered, however, and to solve the murder, Torben stays at his hotel. Here he meets several mysterious people, not least the breathtaking stenographer Inge. But in the hotel, no one is who they pretend to be.