Although it didn't do badly, They Were Sisters was a commercial disappointment at the time, primarily because the newly-elevated-to-stardom James Mason was then at the peak of his popularity, and audiences expected a film to be built around him rather than the three rather sedate ladies (Phyllis Calvert, Dulcie Gray, Anne Crawford) of the title. True, Mason turns out to be what the synopsis calls "a sadistic beast" so his fans were partially catered to, but it being a contemporary story rather than a period melodrama, his sadistic and lecherous excesses were held in check, and his comeuppance mild. These considerations are of less import today, and the film can be viewed on its own politely emotional level rather than as a disappointing Mason vehicle. William K. Everson