Merrily We Go to Hell is a 1932 pre-Code film directed by Dorothy Arzner. It stars Fredric March as Jerry Corbett, a struggling newspaper reporter who has a drinking problem. Joan Prentice (Sylvia Sidney) is the heiress who falls in love with Jerry despite his alcoholism.
Joan and Jerry get married and she encourages him to write a play. Jerry is inspired by their relationship and writes a play which becomes a big hit. However, Jerry's success is short-lived as he falls back into his old habits of drinking and partying.
Joan tries to help Jerry and even goes as far as to stage an intervention for him with his friends. However, Jerry refuses to acknowledge his problem and begins a downward spiral of heavy drinking, infidelity and reckless behavior.
In the end, Jerry realizes the extent of his alcoholism and how it has affected those around him. He makes amends with Joan and the two reconcile their relationship.
Merrily We Go to Hell is a potent drama that examines alcoholism and its effects on personal relationships. It also features strong performances from both Fredric March and Sylvia Sidney, who show great chemistry on screen.