Lola (1981 film)

In 1957 in the town of Coburg, as in most of West Germany, reconstruction is the watchword, and the élite of Coburg all benefit: the mayor, the police chief, the bank president, the newspaper editor and most of all, Shuckert. He is a property developer and also owns the town brothel which the other men frequent, his favourite worker being its singer Lola.

This cosy arrangement is threatened by the arrival in the town hall of the high-minded and cultured von Bohm, a refugee from East Prussia, as the new building commissioner. Divorced, he hires a woman with a little granddaughter as his housekeeper and devotes himself to his new job. One day, while he is out at work, his housekeeper shows her daughter round his house. It is Lola, who decides she wants to know this interesting man and under her real name of Marie-Luise soon attracts his attention. Unaware of her night job or of the fact that Schuckert is the father of her little girl, he tries to get involved with her, but she warns him off. When he is finally taken to the brothel, he discovers the truth about her.

In the meantime he has been collecting evidence of the widespread corruption of Coburg, over the rampant corruption, including building permits, masterminded by Schuckert, and now decides to put a stop to it. Nobody is interested, however. Unable to change the system, and still in love with Lola, with Schuckert's blessing he marries her. As a wedding gift, Schuckert gives the pair the deeds of the brothel and, while von Bohm is taking a walk after the church ceremony, takes the bride to bed.

• Lola on IMDb
• Lola at AllMovie
• The Candy-Colored Amorality of the Fifties: Lola Production History an essay by Michael Töteberg at the Criterion Collection