Critic Leonard Martin described:; Three matches "; As'; A severe example of Hollywood being banned;. Indeed, there is no happy ending here, as this movie from the Great Depression tells the story of the rise and fall of childhood friends who fall into the dirty underworld of alcoholism, drug abuse, and gambling, ultimately engaging in transactions in the process. These three friends are Mary Keaton Bernard (played by Joan Blundel), Vivian Revere Kirkwood (played by Ann Dvorak), and Ruth Westcott (played by Betty Davis), who grew up between 1919 and 1932. The montage of newspaper headlines places the story in a historical context. Blondel plays the role of a leading figure in reforming schools, and her life experiences enable her to overcome depression and; Tired of everything; Vivian. After disappearing from the cruise ship with her young son, Vivi began dating her childhood friend Mike Loftus (played by Lyle Talbot). Loftus owed $2000 in debt to please the thug Harvey (played by Humphrey Bogart) and his boss Ace (played by Edward Arnold). This despairing and despicable person attempts to extort the boy's father, wealthy lawyer Robert Kirkwood (played by Warren William), but as the police quickly approach, the plan begins to advance southward. Vivian's determination is one of the more depressing endings, and this story realistically depicts a pair of unfortunate souls whose lives are completely out of control. This movie does have some relaxing moments; One of the clippings described the new fashion trend of beachwear, a "short" sun suit carefully designed by Betty Davis. In sharp contrast, Mr. Kirkwood chose a business suit and tie, sitting under a beach umbrella, which made it difficult to get tanned. Davis' screen time was limited, but it was very effective. In the early stages of the movie, she only wore a underskirt, which was quite bold in this era, showing more skin than people imagined. Warner Bros./First Nations cleverly depicted the dark side of life in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, dealing with various themes in their films such as "three games"; Telling this story doesn't waste time, sometimes relying on scenes that only last a few seconds to advance the story. It has sharp edges, no nonsense, and is more provocative because of its mature subject matter and realistic character portrayal; Highly recommended.