Wenn beim Herrenabend seine Freunde Anekdoten aus der Schulzeit austauschen, kann der bekannte Schriftsteller Dr. Johannes Pfeiffer nicht mitreden. Er ist auf dem väterlichen Gut von einem Privatlehrer unterrichtet worden. Um seine verlorene Jugend nachzuholen, verwandelt sich Dr. Johannes Pfeiffer in den Pennäler Hans Pfeiffer und besucht das Kleinstadtgymnasium zu Badenburg. Mit immer tollkühneren Streichen treibt er die versammelte Lehrerschaft in den Wahnsinn – und findet nebenbei die Frau fürs Leben: Eva, die Tochter des Schuldirektors.

Die Feuerzangenbowle ("The Fire-Tongs Bowl" or "The Punch Bowl") is a 1944 movie, directed by Helmut Weiss and is based on the book of the same name.  It follows the book closely as author Spoerl also wrote the script for the movie.  Both tell the story of a famous writer going undercover as a student at a small town secondary school after his friends tell him that he missed out on the best part of growing up by being educated at home.  The story in the book takes place during the time of the Wilhelminian Empire in Germany.  The movie was produced and released in Germany during the last years of World War II and has been called a "masterpiece of timeless, cheerful escapism."   The movie stars Heinz Rühmann in the role of the student Hans Pfeiffer, which is remarkable as Rühmann was already 42 years old at that time.

The title refers to the Feuerzangenbowle punch consumed by a group of gentlemen in the opening scene.  While exchanging nostalgic stories about their schooldays, the successful young writer Dr. Johannes Pfeiffer realizes he missed out on something because he was taught at home and never attended school.  He decides to make up for it by masquerading as a student at a small town high school and quickly gains a reputation as a prankster.  Together with his classmates, he torments his professors Crey, Bömmel and Headmaster Knauer with adolescent mischief.  His girlfriend Marion unsuccessfully tries to persuade him to give up his foolish charade.  Eventually, he falls in love with the headmaster’s daughter and discloses his identity after provoking the teachers into expelling him from school.