This romantic drama follows two policemen whose job is to investigate the lives of foreigners who have applied for Swiss citizenship. Among the applicants they must screen are a French psychiatrist and his wife, and a ballet dancer. The married couple are quickly accepted, but the dancer's life offers some objections. However, since the younger policeman has fallen in love with her, there is a chance that she, too, will win Swiss citizenship.
Willi Schulze is a car mechanic. Together with Paul, who escaped from an orphanage, he runs a garage. During the testing of a car, Willi finds out the brakes aren't working that good. A fatal accident can just be prevented. He tries to hitchhike home and gets picked up by American election expert Willy Schneider. Together they also get an accident and both lose their memory. The police assumes Schulze is the election expert and rapidly he turns into the pivot in a stone-hard election-contest.
Karl Tellenbach, called "Dällebach Kari", was one of Bern’s legendary characters at the beginning of the 20th century. Born with a strong hare lip which left him disfigured and gave his voice a peculiarl nasal tone, he devoted his entire life trying to get people to laugh with him instead of at him. Ultimately, his despairing at ever becoming accepted as a fellow man coupled with unrequited love made his life tragic, culminating in his suicide at age 54. His jokes are still well known today.
