She is close friends with the equally talented and unsuccessful musician Fred, who only laughs at Dolly when she tells him about her stage plans.

With a trick, she can visit the local theater director Silbermann, who is in dire need: the leading role in a play has to be filled again because the previous star has ignominiously let him down.

In order to make the delicate girl a little more interesting for the audience, Silbermann also started the rumor that Dolly was the mistress of the noble Duke Eberhard von Schwarzenburg.

The man "in his prime" quickly falls in love with the girl, but has to rethink his attitude when he overhears a conversation about Dolly's (supposedly platonic) friend Fred.

Dolly succeeds in turning Fred, an unsuccessful clarinettist, into a sought-after composer who is soon able to land his first big hit.