Post by Brad Nelson on Nov 2, 2020 9:45:21 GMT -8
I think more movies should match the brisk, concise 63-minute runtime of 1932’s Three on a Match.
We follow (in jumpy flashbacks) the lives of three women starting from elementary school: Bad-girl Mary Keaton (Joan Blondell), angelic working girl Ruth Westcott (Bette Davis), and rich-girl Vivian Revere (Ann Dvorak).
Once we make it to the adult segment of the flashbacks, rich lawyer Robert Kirkwood (Warren William) becomes the focal point for the story. He is married to Vivian Revere. And I’m not going to give away the story. But I will tell you that Ann Dvorak should have won award for playing one of the most iconic c-words on the silver screen.
Ann Dvorak is no less than brilliant portraying a woman who you just want to b-slap. You can imagine catcalls and rotten vegetables being thrown at the screen at her character.
Davis is not central to the story and plays just a jolly nice gal who is kind to everyone. Joan Blondell’s character has a lot more interest and variety. I believe she was voted as “most likely to be thrown into reform school” and by golly she made it. But she doesn’t stay that same person, although there is little depth in looking at that transformation. It’s just presented as a fait accompli.
Bogart has a somewhat minor role as a bad guy (really bad guy) who intersects more or less in the latter part of the film. Edward Arnold is briefly interesting as his boss, although there’s basically one (good) scene with him and that’s it.
One reviewer rates the movie as “A fresh, fast, surprising, excellent ride.” I’m not so sure about surprising. But it does exactly what all good movies do: It entertains with good characters and a plot that isn’t ridiculous. I think Warren William anchors it all well as the good, reasonable man (if not a dashing man) who provides a stable moral center to the film.
We follow (in jumpy flashbacks) the lives of three women starting from elementary school: Bad-girl Mary Keaton (Joan Blondell), angelic working girl Ruth Westcott (Bette Davis), and rich-girl Vivian Revere (Ann Dvorak).
Once we make it to the adult segment of the flashbacks, rich lawyer Robert Kirkwood (Warren William) becomes the focal point for the story. He is married to Vivian Revere. And I’m not going to give away the story. But I will tell you that Ann Dvorak should have won award for playing one of the most iconic c-words on the silver screen.
Ann Dvorak is no less than brilliant portraying a woman who you just want to b-slap. You can imagine catcalls and rotten vegetables being thrown at the screen at her character.
Davis is not central to the story and plays just a jolly nice gal who is kind to everyone. Joan Blondell’s character has a lot more interest and variety. I believe she was voted as “most likely to be thrown into reform school” and by golly she made it. But she doesn’t stay that same person, although there is little depth in looking at that transformation. It’s just presented as a fait accompli.
Bogart has a somewhat minor role as a bad guy (really bad guy) who intersects more or less in the latter part of the film. Edward Arnold is briefly interesting as his boss, although there’s basically one (good) scene with him and that’s it.
One reviewer rates the movie as “A fresh, fast, surprising, excellent ride.” I’m not so sure about surprising. But it does exactly what all good movies do: It entertains with good characters and a plot that isn’t ridiculous. I think Warren William anchors it all well as the good, reasonable man (if not a dashing man) who provides a stable moral center to the film.