Synopsis:
Three former showgirls — Schatzi (Joan Blondell), Polaire (Madge Evans), and Jean (Ina Claire) — hoping to land sugar daddies find their friendship compromised when Jean repeatedly butts in on the other girls’ conquests.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Gold Diggers
• Joan Blondell Films
• Play Adaptation
• Rivalry
• Romantic Comedy

Review:
This early cinematic adaptation of Zoe Akins’ Broadway play — later remade (and substantially rewritten) as How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) — is a disappointment. The primary problem lies in the way the character of Jean is written: while Ina Claire gives a marvelously over-the-top performance:

… it defies belief that Schatze and Polaire would continue their friendship with her given her history of rampant double-crossing.

Indeed, it’s deeply unpleasant to watch Jean ruthlessly edging in on one relationship after the other while her friends stand by helplessly — by the end of the film, she’s becomes somewhat of a villainess, a development out of keeping for a story presumably about female solidarity. Ultimately, it’s just not very enjoyable to watch these three unlikely friends pursuing their (uninteresting and instantly forgettable) male catches.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Ina Claire as Jean
  

Must See?
No; the remake is infinitely better.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review (scroll down to second review)