A dozen ladies expect marriage impostor Lanski to keep his promises. But he needs more money and decides to kill Mrs. von Droste who has changed her will in his favor. He covers his tracks but is seen by a neighbor who soon blackmails him.
After serving five years Willi soon learns that his new life is another kind of prison since no one trusts an ex-convict. His uphill struggle for a job and shattered hopes of a normal existence grind him down to utter despair.