Just before the Nazis ascend to power in Berlin, Chris, an aspiring novelist from England, meets flamboyant cabaret entertainer Sally Bowles and an unusual friendship is born. As Sally feeds her extravagant tastes, Chris goes along for the ride, until their Jewish pal, Fritz, encounters trouble.
Maria lives with her grandfather in a secluded fishing hut on Lake Constance where they barely survive on what the fishing grounds provide. The daughters from next door make things worse by scaring away the fish with their motorboat. But Hans, the son of a rich family, falls in love with Maria and tries to help her, although she is unsure if he can be trusted.
