Jandy Hardesty’s review published on Letterboxd:
This film is often credited with making a major star out of Joan Crawford, who puts her Charleston champion skills to good use as a quintessential Jazz Baby. She’s party girl Diana, who falls in love with Ben, a new guy in town who happens to be a millionaire – a fact which has every other girl chasing him, too, especially her sort-of friend Ann (Anita Page), who masquerades as a goody-two-shoes to convince Ben that she’s more appropriate marriage material than Diana. The film is intriguing on a conniving-women level, as Ann is the consummate golddigger, and is encouraged to be so by her mother, who tells her not to hang out with Diana – why? Because Diana’s partying ways will corrupt Ann’s gentle spirit? No…because Diana’s partying ways make her less desirable to rich young men to marry. Kind of a quaint idea now, and the film is considerably dated in terms of gender and social mores (not to mention that these girls, despite seeking rich husbands, apparently have enough money to have outrageous parties every night). There are still some fun scenes, for sure – Crawford getting dressed without ever breaking her Charleston stride, Page threatening to steal the show as she enjoys playing the bad girl, the quieter turn of third friend Dorothy Sebastian – but it’s mostly of interest as a curiosity.