In director Edmund Goulding's engrossing melodrama, rivals Maggie Patterson (Bette Davis), a refined Southern socialite, and Sandra Kovack (Mary Astor), a vitriolic concert pianist, vie for the affections of reckless flyboy Pete Van Allen (George Brent). When tragedy intervenes, circumstances propel the women into each other's company. Astor chalked up a richly deserved Academy Award for her sensational supporting performance.