Macheath, genannt Mackie Messer, heiratet Polly, die Tochter des Londoner Bettlerkönigs Peachum. Dieser will seine Tochter nicht hergeben und erpresst den Polizeichef Tiger-Brown, seinen Schwiegersohn zu verhaften. Zwar wird Macheath von seiner eifersüchtigen Freundin Jenny verraten, doch am Ende erkennen Macheath, Peachum und Tiger-Brown, dass sie einander brauchen. Denn: "Erst kommt das Fressen, dann kommt die Moral."

Macheath aka "Mack the Knife" ("Mackie Messer" in German) is presented as an anti-hero and is in league with Tiger Brown, Chief of Police, who is in charge of the coronation of an unspecified queen. Macheath marries Polly Peachum, daughter of Jonathan Jeremiah Peachum, but still visits the brothel on Turnmill Street. Peachum is displeased at his daughter's marriage, and threatens Brown with disruption of the coronation - arranging for a protest march of beggars and others. Macheath is arrested, after a rooftop escape from the brothel where he had gone to visit Jenny, his former lover during a raid. Macheath is imprisoned and sentenced to death. Polly, meanwhile, buys a bank, and runs it with Macheath's henchmen, making him a bank director, and she then arranges surety for Macheath to leave prison. This causes a change of heart by her parents - her father tries to stop the protest march but fails. Jenny visits the prison, and aids Macheath's escape: he makes his way to the bank, where he discovers his new status. Brown, whose police career is ruined by the demonstration, and Peachum, also come to the bank and agree to link up.

DVD-R IS IN GERMAN WITH OPTIONAL ENGLISH SUBTITLES.  APPROX. 110 MINS.  EXCELLENT, DVD DIGITAL QUALITY. 

PLEASE NOTE THAT SWITCHABLE (SOFT) SUBTITLES WILL NOT SHOW UP WHEN VIEWING THE SAMPLE BELOW.  IF YOU SEE SUBTITLES, THEN THEY ARE HARD-ENCODED (meaning, they cannot be turned off when viewing the film):