Three on a Match (1932)

In the heart of the bustling city, fate reunites three former schoolmates, Mary Keaton, Vivian Kirkwood née Revere, and Ruth Westcott, ten years after they parted ways at PS62's graduation. Each woman's life has unfolded in a way that mirrors their distinct personalities and ambitions from their shared past. Mary, once a firebrand and a rebel who narrowly escaped expulsion, found herself on the harsh grounds of a reformatory. However, she used this experience to pivot her life, exchanging her turbulent past for the glitz and glamour of the stage as a showgirl, now known as Mary Bernard. Vivian, the enchanting belle of their school days, married into luxury and prestige, becoming the wife of the esteemed lawyer Robert Kirkwood and mother to their charming son, Junior. Despite her seemingly idyllic life, Vivian finds herself teetering on the edge of discontent, her heart untouched by a love she's never quite felt for Robert. Ruth, the diligent and intellectual one, has carved out a life of quiet determination as a stenographer, her perseverance a testament to her strong character. As Vivian embarks on a personal quest to find happiness and discover her true self, it sends ripples through her life and those of Mary and Ruth. Unbeknownst to them, an old wives' tale about the dire consequences of three people sharing a single match hovers over their intertwined destinies like an ominous cloud. In an unexpected twist of fate, Vivian's life spirals into a world of indulgence and addiction, while Mary, shedding her past, not only captivates the heart of Vivian's estranged husband but also becomes a doting stepmother to Junior. Amidst this tangled web of relationships, Vivian's deceptively charming lover takes a desperate step that threatens to shatter her world, proving that some matches, once struck, can ignite a devastating inferno.

Three on a Match is a crime movie featuring Virginia Davis.

Three on a Match is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.