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:

Joan Blondell, Warren William, Ann Dvorak

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joan Blondell	...	Mary Keaton
Warren William	...	Robert Kirkwood
Ann Dvorak	...	Vivian Revere
Bette Davis	...	Ruth Wescott
Lyle Talbot	...	Mike Loftus
Humphrey Bogart	...	Harve
Patricia Ellis	...	Linda
Sheila Terry	...	Naomi
Grant Mitchell	...	Mr. Gilmore
Glenda Farrell	...	Vivian's Friend
Allen Jenkins	...	Dick
Edward Arnold	...	Ace
Frankie Darro	...	Bobby
Clara Blandick	...	Mrs. Keaton
Hale Hamilton	...	Defense Attorney

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:

younger version of character | defenestration | pre code film | bad mother | song | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 October 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

3 on a Match

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

First film released where Humphrey Bogart plays a hoodlum.

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Goofs

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

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Quotes

Ruth Wescott: It must be a grand feeling to get everything you want.

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Connections

Remade as Broadway Musketeers (1938)

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Soundtracks

Oh! What a Pal Was Mary
(1919) (uncredited)
Music by Pete Wendling
Lyrics by Edgar Leslie and Mort Dixon
Played on piano and sung by Harry Seymour

User Reviews

Fast-moving and somewhat racy

The title is based on a saying that if three people share a match tragedy follows.

Story of three woman--Mary (Joan Blondell), Vivian (Ann Dvorak) and Ruth (Bette Davis). They are friends in grade school but go their own separate ways--Mary ends up in jail, Vivian marries a wealthy husband and Ruth becomes a stenographer. Ten years after school they meet and share a match--and tragedy follows. There's a LOT more to this but I won't spoil it by giving it away.

This moves VERY quickly--so fast that you don't have time to question some of the more silly aspects of the story. It's also pretty potent (this was made pre-Code) with some fairly graphic scenes toward the end. The acting is basically pretty good except for Davis. She's pretty terrible--but this was one of her first films. Even she dismissed this in later years. Blondell however is great and Dvorak is just perfect. She has some difficult scenes to play and pulls them off. Lyle Talbot is also very good (and very handsome) as Michael. There's also a pre-stardom Humphrey Bogart (looking surprisingly young) playing a vicious hood.

Fast, racy and loads of fun. Just don't think about it too much afterwards. I give it an 8.