Spring Fever

I thoroughly enjoyed this film which had far more drama than comedy although there were some funny scenes.

At its core, Spring Fever is a very believable romance. Watching a young Joan Crawford hone her skills was amazing. She steals scene after scene with her expressive eyes.

If you're interested in the silent era, this is a great movie to see.

Spring Fever (1927)

*** (out of 4)

William Haines plays a poor shipping clerk who just happens to be a master at the golf game. His boss (George Fawcett) eventually gets him into a rich country club so that the golf wizz can teach him a few things but Haines quickly becomes the talk of the club. No one knows his secret, that he's poor, and this might cause trouble when he falls in love with a rich girl (Joan Crawford). Earlier in the year I watched the Haines/Crawford film West Point, which was a decent movie but this one is a lot better. The film has all the trappings of your typical romantic comedy with a mix of melodrama but the film works overall due to the two stars. Haines is certainly an interesting actor with his strange performances but they grow on me the more I see them. Crawford is the real standout here as she delivers a fine performance and is quite funny and charming. Fawcett, who appeared in many Griffith pictures starting with Intolerance, adds nice support as well. I've seen countless silent films in my life but the highlight in this film is something I haven't seen before. There's a scene when the two are on their honeymoon where they close the curtain and this turns the room totally dark. We then see them talking, via the title cards, which are arranged on the opposite sides of the screen in the direction that the characters are speaking. This is a minor effect but it works wonderfully well.

Mr. Waters is a frustrated golf enthusiast. Jack Kelly works for him as a shipping clerk. He gets angry when Mr. Waters fires his father and drives a golf ball through a window. Instead of being mad, Mr. Waters is taken with his golf swing and invites him to a country club. At the club, he is taken with Allie Monte (Joan Crawford) but she sees right through him.

Joan Crawford is quite young here and almost unrecognizable since I've never seen her as a young woman. I'm also struck by the fact that silent film era comedies don't really work without being broad slapstick. The man had to drop trousers to get close to a laugh. It's a matter of timing. Comedy needs the verbal timing and there's nowhere for a silent film to deliver that. As for the romance, it's pretty standard. This has some good misunderstandings and hurdles. This is fine.

Poor Jack Kelly (William Haines) is a lowly stock clerk--but a wonderful golfer. Through circumstances to inane to get into he gets into a posh country club, becomes a top golfer and acts like a rich man. He meets beautiful rich Allie Monte (Joan Crawford) and falls in love. However he can't marry her and will have to eventually return to his poor life. What to do?

To be truthful this picture is a yawner. The situations and characters are boringly predictable and the 2008 "restored" version is in utterly dreadful shape. Lousy music score too. But this is one of the few chances to see Haines and Crawford together. Haines was the top box office draw of the late 1920s. He was tall, VERY handsome and a good actor. Crawford was very young, beautiful and also a good actor. Her and Haines were best friends. Haines career was destroyed due to homophobia--he refused to dump his male lover and was fired. But Crawford and him remained life long friends and you can see here how they really clicked together and worked well. They both play opposite each other easily and their good looks and acting carry them through. The film is seriously one big snooze--but worth catching for Haines and Crawford. I give it a 6.

I wouldn't be lying if I told you that you shouldn't bother with a large amount of Joan Crawford's silent pictures. They're not //bad//, they're just unremarkable. Although it's a bit of a welcome shock to see her so young, especially if you're used to the Joan of the 1950s and 1960s. Even without sound, her eagerness and charm that she had in every role in this era shine though, and she's darn fun to watch! The story is better than usual, for a silent comedy (not dissing silent comedy).

William Haines is a poor guy who yearns to rise above his station. One day, when he is supposed to be working, he discovers that he can play golf, and his boss, who is nuts about golf but not exactly very good, urges him to spend his time at a swanky country club. While there, he is seen by the rich, and he beats the best golfer in the club, leading people to believe that he's very good. (He is very good). He also meets and tries to woo a rich socialite (Joan Crawford), with slapstick results. Seems like every comedy in the silent era had a large amount of slapstick, but I don't mind. Some of the intertitles are also quite funny (every time Haines flirts with Crawford, for example).

Haines and Crawford have good chemistry- they were friends in real life, and even though Haines was homosexual, he and Crawford make a believable couple. The sets are nice, and Crawford has a couple of pretty gowns that she wears. The story may be slight, and it's not exactly the funniest comedy any of these actors ever appeared in. This film was made before Joan Crawford became THE Joan Crawford, and so she hadn't been shuffled into any formula yet.

Haines and Crawford made another silent comedy called West Point, but haven't heard good reviews for that one, so might skip it. Sure, it's not amazing, but it's a fun watch.

If you like the two stars, check this one out right away.

Liked this? Try The Unknown (1927) or Our Dancing Daughters (1928) for better Crawford silents. Must find more William Haines flicks, he is an engaging screen presence and I think I like him. 👍