影片根据《吹牛大王历险记》改编，讲述了13世纪一位叫孟豪森男爵的善于吹牛的德国人，因为一次与苏丹王的打赌，搬走了苏丹王的所有宝藏，并引发了战争。孟豪森男爵只好找来他那一群天赋异秉的仆人——飞毛腿、大力士、千里眼和顺风耳，一起去消弭战祸……

Professor Mauthner, after many years of exile (having emigrated in 1933 to the USA), returns to Germany in 1948. He can in fact return to his teaching post, but the rejection and petty intrigues of his reactionary colleagues and students make his work almost unbearable.