Chicago Film Club Meetup Group

Directed by Frank Borzage, Little Man, What Now? (1934) stars Margaret Sullavan as Emma “Lämmchen” Pinneberg and Douglass Montgomery as Hans Pinneberg. Set in early 1930s Germany against the backdrop of the Weimar Republic’s collapsing economy, the film follows the newlyweds as they attempt to navigate extreme financial hardship, widespread unemployment, and social turmoil. Deeply devoted to one another, Hans and Emma struggle to build a stable life together while hiding their marriage so Hans can retain his modest clerk job.

When Hans loses his job despite their caution, the couple relocates to the bustling city of Berlin in search of new economic opportunities. They move into Hans’s estranged stepmother's house, hoping her connections will help them get back on their feet. Hans manages to secure a position as a department store salesman, but the pervasive poverty and political tension in the city constantly threaten to undermine their fragile security.