Three on a Match (1932)

Although Vivian Revere is seemingly the most successful of a trio of reunited schoolmates, she throws it away by descending into a life of debauchery and drugs.

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

Lucien Hubbard (screen play), Kubec Glasmon (story),

Stars:

Virginia Davis, Joan Blondell, Anne Shirley

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Virginia Davis	...	Mary Keaton as a Child
Joan Blondell	...	Mary Keaton
Anne Shirley	...	Vivian Revere as a Child (as Dawn O'Day)
Ann Dvorak	...	Vivian Revere
Betty Carse	...	Ruth Wescott as a Child
Bette Davis	...	Ruth Wescott
Warren William	...	Robert Kirkwood
Lyle Talbot	...	Michael Loftus
Humphrey Bogart	...	Harve
Allen Jenkins	...	Dick
Edward Arnold	...	Ace

Storyline

Three women who were childhood schoolmates take different paths in life. Vivian marries a very wealthy lawyer and has an adorable boy. Mary, on the other hand, takes the hard road through reform school. After a superstitious faux pas, Vivian's luck turns. She strays from her steadfast husband to a life of debauchery and alcoholism. Meanwhile, Mary turns her life around and not only wins the heart of Vivian's ex-husband, but also becomes a loving step-mother to Vivian's only child. Then Vivian's worthless boyfriend makes a desperate move.

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Plot Keywords:

lawyer | prohibition | cigarette smoking | jazz age | boyfriend girlfriend relationship | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 October 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hans hustrus brott

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$444,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

First National Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

63 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Vitaphone)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title refers to the superstition that if three people light their cigarettes with the same match, the third person will soon die. While some attribute the superstition to World War I, where it was sometimes thought that lighting a match long enough to light three cigarettes would attract enemy gunfire, it is now known that a match company "created" the superstition to cut down on sharing of matches and thus increase sales.

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Goofs

Ruth Wescott's name is misspelled Westcott in the opening titles.

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Quotes

Mary Keaton, aka Mary Bernard: Will you stop remindin' me of Heaven when I'm so close to the other place?

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Connections

Featured in Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood (2008)

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Soundtracks

"The Sidewalks of New York"
(1894) (uncredited)
Music by Charles Lawlor
Played during opening scene at the playground

User Reviews

Lots of fun for fans of early 30s melodramas!

After viewing the video version of this movie again last night, I was surprised at how most of the movie stands up today. As with many "from the headlines" movies produced by Warner Brothers and First National in the early 1930s, the pace is rapid. I prefer the latter part of the movie to the earlier scenes, which provide a lengthy prologue to the main story. It is unfortunate that the lead actress, Ann Dvorak, is almost forgotten today, for she was a beautiful and talented actress, who more often than not was more capable than the material she was given. Hers is an unusual character, but an interesting and not too hysterical performance. It's also fun to watch future stars like Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart in supporting roles, as well as to savour supporting performances by Jack LaRue, Allen Jenkins and Lyle Talbot. The climax is quite remarkable, although the tacked on happy ending jars with the mood of the movie as a whole. Well worth watching on the late show, cable, or if you find a copy of the video.