This movie, Susan Hayward's first credited feature, was re-released in 1956, after "I'll Cry Tomorrow", and not only billed her name above the title but in misleading advertising depicted her as a gun moll - "Nice Kid Today - Jail Bird Tomorrow"!!! It must have really thrilled Miss Hayward, I don't think!! As it was, reviewers of the day didn't even notice her. The real bad girl, Hilda, was played by Sheila Bromley, who until the year before had been Sheila Mannors, unfortunately the new name didn't give her career a boost and she remained in obscurity. The star was Jane Bryan, a discovery of Bette Davis, who proved she had a real future in films, until she decided to retire in 1939 for marriage.
The title "Girls on Probation" sounds up to the minute, plucked from today's headlines etc but it wasn't, just another innocent girl who gets into a heap of trouble. Connie (Jane Bryan) borrows a dress from "friend" Hilda, not realising that she has "borrowed" it from the dry cleaning shop where they both work. At a party, the real owner of the dress, socialite, Gloria (Susan Hayward) recognises her dress and reports it to the dry cleaners the next day. As luck would have it, the dress (who may be the real star of the movie) has been torn and to cut a long story short, Connie, who is completely in the dark about her friend's activities, eventually has to leave town to make a fresh start.
One day Connie sees Hilda sitting in a car and decides to have it out with her, but Hilda, along with her ne'er do well boyfriend, Tony, are in the middle of a bank robbery and Connie, who is bundled into the car, is caught up in the crime. When the law catches up with her, rather than tell her real name and have her parents (her father (Sig Rumann) is a bully) learn of her shame, she keeps silent and is eventually put on probation while Hilda goes to prison. Connie goes back home and eventually gets a job with Neil Dillon (Ronald Reagan) the assistant district attorney, who has never stopped believing in her. Hilda now reappears and threatens Connie with exposure but Connie, determined now to be law abiding, informs the police and the movie ends in an exciting gun battle between the police and Tony, who has escaped from prison. Hilda is hit in the crossfire but manages to have a complete change of personality on the way to the hospital as she wishes Connie and Neill all the best.
Even further down the cast list than Susan, was Peggy Shannon, "the girl with the heart shaped face", once an exquisitely beautiful actress who was now almost unemployable due to chronic alcoholism. She played Ruth, who seemed to be head girl in the prison where Connie and Hilda were sent.
Recommended.
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