Fritz Holl owns a plantation in Cameroon. He works hard and, with the help of his wife, Helene, also cares for his sister Anna, who became blind after an accident. Fritz is very concerned about Helene, for his once vivacious wife has become depressed. For a while now, Herbert, Fritz’s younger brother, has been living on the farm. Herbert is no big help to Fritz because he's reclusive and an alcoholic. Herbert Miller, the farm's administrator, is overheard in a bar telling someone that he recently split up with his girlfriend Marianne back in Hamburg. In Hamburg, Marianne Carsten has gotten engaged to Kurt von Kollinghausen. She soon realizes, however, that the arrogant Kurt isn't the man for her and she now wants Herbert back. Her father understands and wants to send her off to Cameroon. While Marianne flies to Cameroon, Herbert takes the ship back to Hamburg because he's going to sell his brother's cocoa crop in Germany.