The 42nd Heaven

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• 1962
• 1 hr 30 mins
• Comedy, Music, Drama

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SPOILERS: The film opens with the protagonist, Wendelin Pfannstil (a very young Walter Roderer), directing all of the visitors to City Hall to the appropriate offices with clairvoyant accuracy, before they have even announced their business. The aging marriage registrar, Trautwein (Heinrich Gretler), passing by, is duly impressed by Pfannstil's performance. Later he accidentally witnesses Pfannstil, who would love to become marriage registrar, rehearsing the act of marrying a couple. Wishing to retire, and having just lost two recruits for the job to the private sector, Trautwein recruits Pfannstil as marriage registrar. Pfannstil's first wedding is a disaster, and, when he is convinced that he will be fired, the mayor informs him that he is heir to a large fortune left by an intestate remote relative in Australia. His friend, Alfons (plaayed in the Swiss German version by Ruedi Walter) advises him to stop working, now that he is a millionaire, but he perseveres and soon warms to the task of marrying couples, both well- and ill-matched. When the arrogant and jealous Marius (Emil) Wolkensinger (Ernst Stankovski) breaks off his wedding to the beautiful Julia Zimmerlin (Elvira Schalcher in the Swiss German version), Wendelin is smitten by her and tries to console her by bringing the flowers she left at the registrar's office to her home. This only serves to inflame Marius's jealousy, but endears Wendelin to Julia's flatmate, Doris (Verena Hallauer in the Swiss German version). Wendelin is so infatuated with Julia that he daydreams of marrying her every time he marries another couple. When Julia and Marius show up for a second attempt at marriage, he questions Marius's intention, provoking yet another fit of jealous rage and a breakup, with Marius heading off to Hamburg and it's notorious Reeperbahn (red-light district). By his assiduous courtship, Wendelin eventually convinces Julia to marry him, but breaks it off himself, just as they are about to be married, having overheard Julia pining for her Marius. Disconsolate, Wendelin needs a way to feel good again, and Alfons advises him to engage in charity. He therefore decides to start giving presents to the couples he has married on their wedding anniversaries. Unfortaunately, this confronts him with more examples of marital strife than of marital bliss. Disillusioned, he resolves to marry only couples he finds well-suited to one another. Meanwhile the remotely related couple Beilfleiss, from whom he rents his living quarters, realizes that his erratic behavior offers them a golden opportunity: if they can have him declared mentally incompetent, they, as his closest relatives, will be given the administration of his fortune, with which they plan to open their own butcher shop. At his competency trial, numerous witnesses testify on his behalf: couples he has married, a couple he refused to marry and Doris, who praises his good intentions. Finally, a visiting attorney from Australia speaks up, revealing that an error has been made, and Pfannstil is not, in fact the heir to the fortune. After hearing this the Beilfleisses promptly withdraw from the case, and the court proceedings are abruptly terminated. To Doris's disappointment, Wendelin still fails to recognize her feelings for him and only asks how Julia is doing. He has meanwhile returned to his old job as receptionist, and everyone at City Hall feels very sorry for him. Doris then shows up at City Hall asking for the emigration office: she needs to be as far away from him as possible and plans to move to Australia. Wendelin finally realizes that her unrequited love for him is driving her to this desperate measure, and he escorts her to the marriage registrars office, where they are immediately married by the old Trautwein.