payment on demand begin when david tell joyce that he want a divorce . in flashback we see how the couple come from humble beginning and work their way into affluence . david start from be a lawyer with no client and work his way up to be vice president of his best client and a steel company . joyce be always preoccupy with security and money and status while she be a selfish and manipulative social climber and we can readily see why david want out . a always and bette davis play the bitch with consummate skill . what follow show the old style divorce process at it bad and chronicle joyce life a a single woman . while this part be very well write and it be date . we learn that an old single woman have no life ( other than have to pay young men to sleep with them ) and youre always well off with a man . while the theme of this film may seem pretty conventional by today standard and they be anything but in 1951. divorce be a subject literally rule off the screen by the very catholic orient hay code . aside from frothy romantic comedy like the awful truth and people just do not get divorce because they be feed up with their spouse . nor do film of that hay era ( from 1934 until 1968 ) ever delve into the actual process of contest divorce ( such a the negotiation about property settlement ) . this film do all that . while the end may seem disappointing ( and be probably a concession to the censor ) and the rest of the film be excellent and way ahead of it time .