Wilhelmine von Hillern

In the mountains of the Ötztal, the wealthy Fender (Eduard Köck) and Wally (Heath Hatheyer), his only daughter and heir, manage a small farm. He wants to marry the rich, but boring, Vincent (Leopold Esterle). Wally escapes to a mountain hut, where she lives alone and withdrawn. Her love belongs to the hunter, Joseph (Sepp Rist). When she unwisely takes a young vulture from its nest and is attacked by the mother, Joseph comes to her aid and from that point on, she fondly calls him her "Geierwally". He also feels attracted to her, but Wally can't escape the feeling, that the young Afra is his mistress. Mad with jealousy, Wally announces that she'll marry the one who kills Josef. Vincent wants to earn her hand and is determined to kill the Geierwally. Just in time, though, the actual relationship between Joseph and Afra is clarified.

Geierwally, who earned her name through a bitter fight with a bird of prey, refuses to marry Vinzenz, the heir apparent assigned to her by her father, and lives a secluded life in a mountain hut. Her love for Bärenjosef seems hopeless, especially since he knows nothing of Wally's love. She becomes increasingly isolated, becomes the laughing stock of the village, and misunderstandings arise because Bärenjosef's sister Afra is mistakenly regarded as his “girlfriend.” Wally then decides that she would rather have Josef dead than not at all...

The old Flender farmer wants to force his daughter Wally into a marriage of convenience with her childhood sweetheart, the wealthy farmer Josef Gruber. This is the only way to save the Flenders' heavily indebted farm. But the stubborn daughter resists the courtship of Josef, who has serious intentions. At the shooting festival, Wally and her suitor get into a bitter argument, during which the wealthy farmer insults the unruly girl as "Geierwally", referring to her tame, hand-reared golden eagle. Deeply disappointed by her father's intrigues and the wrath of her old love, Wally seeks refuge in a lonely mountain hut. But Josef does not give up so easily. He has his heart set on winning the heart of Geierwally after all.

Farmer Regina suffers greatly from her childlessness, because it means that the Hallwanger farm has no heir. A former suitor, whom she rejected for Martin Hallwanger's sake, also torments her with references to her childlessness.

"The Bear Joseph", so named because of a fight with a bear, is rescued by Wally, a farmer's daughter, from a dangerous situation in a vulture's nest. He then calls her "Geierwally". They fall in love. Wally's father disapproves of this romance. He has other plans for Wally.

The father of young maiden Wally wants to force the girl into a marriage.

A young girl flees from her father to be able to marry her true love.