There were a glut of films in the Depression Thirties about rich heirs and dizzy heiresses. So if Henry Fonda who said he only vaguely remembered this film, he could be forgiven.Fonda gets two co-stars here Pat Patterson the daughter of horse trainer J.M. Kerrigan replete with Irish brogue who trains for Fonda and Mary Brian a golddigging southern belle with rapacious father Spencer Charters.Brian thinks Fonda a well known man about town playboy has more than he does and sets a trap for him. But Fonda has no idea about a dollar's value. He's plowed through his inheritance to the chagrin of his uncle George Barbier. He can't help it because Fonda is as the title says, a Spendthrift. Of course in the end Fonda both ends up with the right girl and finds a job suitable to his lack of ability at really anything other than being a playboy.

Having made his screen debut at 30, and previously acted in the theatre with Omaha Community Players and Cape Cod University Players, Fonda continued to pad out his c.v. with this bland film which had no sparkle or colour to it.