Barbara Stanwyck delivers a superb performance in this lively tale centered around a young woman named “Lily,” who, with the help of her friend "Cragg" (Alphonse Ethier) and some ideas from Nietzsche, quickly realizes she can leverage both her charm and intelligence to succeed. Following a mishap involving her exploitative father and a still, she moves to the city where she skillfully navigates her way through various men—including a younger John Wayne—rising to a position of power while simultaneously dismantling relationships and marriages in her path. The question is whether she’ll evade consequences or face repercussions for her actions; viewers will need to watch to find out. Throughout, there's a frequently amusing portrayal of a woman who understands how to exploit these superficial, changeable, and often overly lustful men to achieve her goals. However, she isn’t entirely heartless, maintaining a friendship with her old companion "Chico" (Theresa Harris), whose comments and songs provide moments of levity amidst Lily's relentless ascent. While it’s enjoyable to witness her manipulation of the men around her, I found myself growing less fond of her character as she began to display a rather insensitive, perhaps even unkind, nature—particularly in her treatment of "Trenholm" (George Brent)—a truly masterful example of her actions! Without being explicit, this is an excellent film with sexual undertones, and Stanwyck practically radiates sensuality and drive. The visual representation of her climb up the career ladder through the use of exterior building shots is clever, as are the escalating instances of bewilderment and despair among the men vying for her attention, whom she uses and discards. It’s highly entertaining and offers a sharp critique of many shortcomings within a male-dominated society. The film is sexy, intelligent, and definitely worth seeing.

Source on TMDB