Maybe the authors of screen play didn’t see Three Women, which Ernst Lubitsch produced for the Warners (…). Either way they have turned out a story in which the central situation is so similar to the one in the previous picture it seems to be more than a mere coincidence, especially as Miss Frederick is in the cast. Smouldering Fires is a decided step forward as far as the average run of Universal productions go. From a boxoffice standpoint it looks as though here is a picture that will do far better than the average Universal-Jewel. It has two names in Pauline Frederick and Laura La Plante and is acted by a cast that seemingly knows what it is about, due to the direction of Clarence Brown, who, by this time, should rate the top grade among the Universal directors.

Fred., Variety, 1 aprile 1925