About a Cologne sparkling wine manufacturer who is pretending to be passionate about mountaineering in order to be able to devote himself to his real passion, theater.
Jonny Wilken is an ageing lion trainer in a circus. He is in love with his younger colleague Jutta Sarris. On her wedding day, Jutta's favorite Bengal tiger attacks her out of jealousy and kills her. Jonny, full of pain and out of revenge, enters the cage to kill the animal with his bare hands. However, the tiger bows to him without any resistance.