DEFA - Stiftung

Die Elektrifizierung der Bahn und die Einführung der Elektronik machen den 57jährigen Schrankenwärter Platow "überflüssig". Er soll in ein Bahnwärterhäuschen an einem Nebengleis abgeschoben werden. In Platow regt sich Widerspruch, er will sich nicht zur Ruhe setzen. Da kommt ihm der Zufall zu Hilfe. Für ihn völlig unverständlich, weigert sich sein Sohn, ebenfalls bei der Bahn, einen Qualifizierungslehrgang zu besuchen. Der Alte sieht seine Chance und tritt beim Lehrgang unter dem Namen seines Sohnes an. Damit begibt er sich in eine Lage, die Folgen hat über die Qualifizierung hinaus. Er muß als vermeintlich zwanzig Jahre Jüngerer eine andere Lebenshaltung finden - was ihm mit Entschlossenheit und Schlauheit auch gelingt. Und am Ende demonstriert er seinen Kollegen mit einer kühnen Draisinenfahrt durch das verzweigte Schienennetz, daß er das Prinzip der neuen, elektronischen Schaltung durchaus begriffen hat.

(Quelle: Das zweite Leben der Filmstadt Babelsberg. DEFA-Spielfilme 1946-1992)

Friedrich Wilhelm Georg Platow worked for the railways his entire working life, He took up service at the small station of Luege 34 years ago. Here he lived happily with his family, And here he suffered much grief when his wife and two children died during a wartime air raid.
Now the line is to be electrified and Platow who cannot cope with the new technology has to work on a secondary local line, Georg, his son, a railway worker as well, is to attend a training course, but Georg refuses to go. Then his father comes to a surprising and highly unusual decision, He pretends to be Georg Platow, making himself twenty years younger than he really is and registers for the course, He feels so good in the role of his son that he even falls in love again, but also Schildt, the lecturer, is making eyes at Malvine, a young, unhappily married woman, besides, Schildt knows the "old" Platow. Finally, he forgets himself and drops a brick when Schildt - rejected by Malvine - pours out his heart to him. Platow's deception is now exposed. He flees the school in shame, but Platow has learned some lessons which he can now convincingly put to the test. The outcome is that he may now work at a largish railway station, coping confidently with the new technology.

Source: Progress Film-Verleih

Divenuto "obsoleto" dopo l'elettrificazione delle ferrovie e l'avvento dell'elettronica, il 57enne casellante Platow viene invitato a trasferirsi in un piccolo casello accanto a un binario secondario. Lungi dal voler andare in pensione, Platow frequenta un corso d'aggiornamento pensato per suo figlio, anch'egli collaboratore delle ferrovie. Al termine del corso, ringiovanito di vent'anni, il casellante mostrerà con una corsa in draisina lungo la tentacolare rete di binari, di aver compreso il principio dei nuovi cambi elettornici. (italienisch)