"Three on a Match" was a film made at a time when the American Film Censors were changing what the general public were permitted to see. By 1934, any content that showed any graphic violence or anything of a sexual nature was ultimately turned down for release. Released in 1932, the above film was one of the last of its kind and more's the pity. The plot is brutal and unpretentious, there's none of the glamour or glitz that were to soon follow in Hollywood films. The story is about the parallel views of three women who have known each other since childhood. The film follows the various trials and tribulations of these characters, events that bring happiness, tragedy and uncertainty. Bette Davis was in one of the better films from early on. A young and pre-star actor by the name of Humphrey Bogart makes an early film appearance as a gangster, funnily enough! He comes into the film after halfway and he makes a good impression. The climax is one of the most grim you will ever see. Its graphic depiction of drug and alcohol addiction is undiluted as circumstances regarding one of the female characters reaches a point of crisis. It is an unforgettable film and a winner from "Warner Bros."

This 1932 Warner Brothers drama could be classified as the examination of three different leading ladies with unique places in Hollywood history. For the future legend Bette Davis, this was just a small stop on her road to screen immortality. She's not given any juicy material here to make the part stand out. In fact, when this film was remade as "Broadway Musketeers", the light-hearted comic Marie Wilson was given her part. Ann Dvorak, "the legend that could have been", had much potential, but for some reason, she finished out the 1930's in "B" leads and went into supporting roles in the 1940's and early '50's. Pop-eyed blonde Joan Blondell was a definite "Studio Era" gal, a popular actress that always got great reviews, yet never rose into super-stardom. While Davis continued to fight for leading roles well into the 1960's and '70's, Blondell was content to take on character parts, which suited her lovably blowzy appearance.Here, the three girls are chums from school who reunite years later, and break the superstitious rule of "Three on a Match". Legend has it that the third person to light their cigarette off one match will meet tragedy, and indeed, it happens. Dvorak seems lucky by marrying into society, but that luck isn't meant to last. Her husband (Warren William) falls in love with Blondell, tired of Dvorak's neurotic tendencies (which includes infidelity and substance abuse), and Davis is hired as the nanny to William and Dvorak's young son. But enter criminal Humphrey Bogart to put the fly in the ointment, and Dvorak's descent is set.Bravo performances by Blondell and Dvorak make this a thrilling drama, and a top-notch cast of Warner Brothers contract players make it fascinating, all in the short span of just over an hour.

Though I'm a big fan of movies of the 30s and 40s, I was unaware of Ann Dvorak prior to seeing this one. I thought she gave a very realistic performance (for the time), and it's a shame she didn't have a longer career.Others have synopsized the plot in prior reviews, so I won't rehash it. However, I am surprised that no one else has made the connection to the Lindbergh kidnapping that seemed so obvious to me.On March 1, 1932, the young son of America's hero of the day, Charles Lindbergh, was kidnapped. Google the kidnapping and take a look at pictures of the child...the resemblance to the child in "Three On A Match" is striking. And certainly, the audiences of the day would have been well aware of the connection, as the kidnapping was the top news story in the country for months.A fascinating film!

Didn't like this picture as much as I thought I would. It had a great cast of future and contemporary Hollywood stars, some who are not credited or listed in the credits. It was directed by Mervyn Leroy so there was no argument there.Maybe I just don't like soapers as much as other viewers. This one had some melodramatic moments, true, but it was too stagnant and the story line lacked energy. It is basically a woman's picture, a "chick-flick" as they like to say, and, speaking for myself, I have a hard time sitting through these. Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep specialize in this type of movie nowadays and they make lots of money, so I guess I'm out-voted. I almost forgot to mention that this picture belonged to Ann Dvorak and she was excellent. She added weight and substance to the picture which I felt needed some. She was especially effective at the climax of the picture.Always enjoy Joan Blondell, thought Ann Dvorak is very close to plain and didn't know Bette Davis was a thunder-thighs, as she appeared in a bathing suit towards the end of the picture.I would certainly recommend it to fans of the Golden Age of Hollywood and to those who would disagree with my jaundiced view of motion picture entertainment.