TV Guide gave the film three out of five stars, noting, "Although the film has a great deal of artistic merit—Goldwyn's influence, Vidor's directorial skill, and Toland's sharp photography—it fell victim to indifference on the part of moviegoers ... [and] just didn't make much of an impression on the Depression-era audiences." Jeremy Heilman on the MovieMartyr website called the film "a satisfying, if unexceptional, melodrama buoyed by its performances".
