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Off the top of my head, "Caddyshack" is the funniest movie where so much of the movie is about golf. "Caddyshack" it ain't, but it's a pretty good movie, although William Haines' movies of the time were pretty much formulaic. Haines' character, Jack Kelly, is a naturally talented golfer. His boss, Mr. Waters (George Fawcett - I wonder if Fawcett's last name was the reason for his character's name) is a golf nut - the movie opens with him making a hole-in-one. In reality, he's not a good golfer - at least it appears that way when he can't come close to the hole on the putting green in his study.

When Jack finally gets to work (after playing golf), his father (Bert Woodruff) tells Jack that Mr. Waters is looking for him and is very angry. Jack find Waters - as Waters stomps through the building, Jack is following him (Jack's making faces, imitating Waters, etc.). Pop Kelly accidentally knocks over a vase and Waters fires him on the spot. Jack hits something (it looked almost like a baseball) with a cane and knocks out a window. Waters is impressed with Jack's golfing ability (at least his ability to hit something with a cane and get it through a window) and asks Jack to help him with his swing. For helping Mr. Waters, Jack is given a 2-week membership at the exclusive Oakmont Country Club.

It's a Oakmont where Jack first sees Allie Monte (Joan Crawford). Jack reads Allie's signature when he checks in right after her and tries to act like they've met before. Possibly at Mary Brown's party? Jack says yes - Allie says she doesn't know a Mary Brown.

Out on the golf course, Jack tries to get as close as he can to Allie, which irritates some of the men at the club. By the time the 2 weeks are up, Jack beats the course record, and, true to the formula of Haines' movies, he becomes even more arrogant than before. His father came to get him - Jack seems mad that Pop ever showed up. Jack decides that he's going to quit his job, stay at Oakmont, and marry for money.

As per the Haines' formula, he gets knocked down a bit, and still comes out on top. There are a few twists and turns before ending on a happy note. Unfortunately, this film is somewhat damaged and that damage can be a bit distracting at points. It appears that this film might have been saved in the nick of time. This version has a 2008 copyright by Turner Entertainment Co. and a new score by Darrell Raby.

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. 👍

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.

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.

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.

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.

A hot shot golfer (William Haines) gets invited to play at a country club by his boss, and is drawn to a young lady he meets there (Joan Crawford) in this romantic comedy from 1927. The golf bits in the film are pretty predictable, but it's interesting to see their outfits, and to hear him refer to his favorite club as a spoon (which upon googling I find was a common term in this era). More interesting is the relationship between these two, because Haines wants to continue a life of leisure and golfing by marrying a rich lady, making him a male gold-digger, which I haven't seen much of in old films. The way it plays out with Crawford is interesting and a little unexpected as well, but I won't spoil it.

There are some cute intertitles, and they add to the charm of the film. In one subtle double entendre, after he accidentally hits her backside with the backswing of a practice motion, he says "I'm sorry - honest - that's the first time I ever hit anybody on the links." In another scene, after she's upset and run off to her room, he tries to peek through the keyhole, and then says in baby talk "Won't oo let oo ittle boy friend make upsie wiv oo?" In still another, as he ponders his fate, he laments "I thought I was the whole maple forest, but I'm only the sap." I also liked when the lights are turned out so that the screen goes dark for a minute or so, and the two talk back and forth via intertitles on the left and right halves of the screen, which was also novel for the period.

Crawford and Haines have nice chemistry together as well. I wouldn't necessarily say they're steamy here, but in one nice scene, he embraces her from behind to help her with her golf stroke, and in another, she holds him close and runs her fingers around his lips. How fantastic it was to find out that they were lifelong friends, and that she supported his homosexuality, saying of his relationship with his lifelong partner that it was "the happiest marriage in Hollywood," when of course, they weren't legally permitted to be married. This film isn't a classic or anything, but it's cute and has heart.

This was my first crawford film. it was also the first time i watched a silent picture. mayb it was the golf, mayb the title. in any case, i loved it.

William Haines (as Jack Kelly) is a shipping clerk, and an avid golfer; he is much more interested in the hobby than the livelihood. Mr. Haines' golfing prowess earns him a two week membership in the ritzy "Oakmont Country Club", where he meets fetching young Joan Crawford (as Allie Monte). Of course, Ms. Crawford assumes the dashing Haines is a well-heeled member of the "golf set". Will she still love him if she finds out he is poor?

Haines' wardrobe is remarkably ill fitting in the opening scenes; and, as a result, he rather badly tears the right sleeve of his jacket. It's quite noticeable after he enters the workplace, following the initial golfing scene. Also, watch for Haines to tap another man's derrière, very quickly, as he passes the man, after entering the shipping company.

Haines and Crawford are a great screen team; especially, their rapport is evident when he shows her how to improve her golf game - which develops into a courtship. But, overall, "Spring Fever" is fairly routine. There are a few witty title cards, and scenes. George K. Arthur (as Eustace Tewksbury) stands out among the fine supporting cast. Considering the situation and cast, the film is a letdown. It might have been improved by more directly involving Haines and Mr. Arthur in some more comic interplay (on the golf course).

**** Spring Fever (10/18/27) Edward Sedgwick ~ William Haines, Joan Crawford, George K. Arthur

SPRING FEVER is a silent comedy that plods along with too many dull scenes on a golf course, occasionally enlightened by some good comic glances from WILLIAM HAINES and some nice reaction shots from the wealthy golf set, including a very young JOAN CRAWFORD (without the thick eyebrows and overpainted mouth).

But the story is formula stuff, much like other Haines comedies that I've seen, whereby he struggles to prove himself (all for the sake of winning the girl) and goes through a series of Harold Lloyd-like situations before the clinch in the final reel.

TCM's print shows quite a bit of film damage, so apparently they saved this one for restoration just in time. Some of the title cards are quite amusing but the background score imposed on the film is pretty tiresome before it's over.

The best that can be said for this vehicle is that it shows Haines had the makings of a very good romantic leading man (in the Cary Grant vein when it comes to comedy), and his chemistry with Joan Crawford is evident from their first scene. In real life, they were great friends--and she helped him when the studios had to drop him because he refused to silence his homosexual lifestyle--whereby Crawford remained friends and gave him permission to design her new home which led to a new career for Haines in Hollywood.

As for the film itself, it was hardly worth saving--very thin on plot and not a comfortable viewing experience due to the often poor quality of the print.

Joan Crawford and William Haines star as flaming youths circling

each other on a country club golf course. I wouldn't recommend

this film as highly as Haines' "Show People", but if you like 20s

films, this one certainly has its moments. Haines and Crawford

have nice chemistry together. I'm not much of a golfer, so I can't

comment on that aspect of the film, but fashion buffs will certainly

find things of interest here. Especially charming is the scene

where a newly married couple confronts the sudden reality of a

wedding night! All their previous bravado melts away (and the

viewer is reminded of how much some things have changed, for

better or worse).

If you are a fan of silent films, then you well know William Haines. He was a one of a kind actor and comedian, who set the mold for a lot of sassy, smart-aleck guys who try to land a steady girlfriend. Not easy. This is one of the films that made Haines a household name back in the day.

10 Stars.

He plays everyday guy Jack Kelly, a shipping clerk who pretends to be a golf pro, and all for pretty, young Joan Crawford (in an early role), playing Allie Monte, a lady of means. I agree with the last reviewer, and its a good point, this comedy was kind of like the CADDYSHACK of its day. At least a lot of the goofy stuff is set on a golf course.

Director Edward Sedgwick just let the camera roll on William Haines, a natural, as you will see. Sedgwick began his career in westerns, directing such stars as Tom Mix, later branching into comedy and working with Buster Keaton. On an interesting note, Sedgwick was actually a baseball fan and according to Hollywood legend discovered Lucille Ball. A great trivia question.

Look for veteran George Fawcett as Mr. Waters, Jack Kelly's boss. If Fawcett looks familiar, that's because he worked with DW Griffith in many of his legendary silent films. Funny character actor George K. Arthur plays Eustace and look for Edward Brophy in a very early role as golf game watcher.

Behind the scenes William Haines and Joan Crawford were best of friends, and when he later began a second career as an interior decorator, he owed much of his success to Crawford for telling many other stars about his stylish work.

This is a fun silent film, remastered by Warner Brothers (although there remains some print damage), released on dvd. And thank you to TCM for running it on their weekend silent film series.

The thing that's most readily notable as we begin watching is that, meaning no disrespect to playwright Vincent Lawrence, the root story here, while suitable, is kind of generic and unremarkable. Golf is the setting, but the romantic comedy-drama could be adapted into most any scenario as proud, skilled protagonist Jack makes waves at an exclusive organization and falls for a woman, with drama to ensue in furthering that relationship. It's one of the chief staple formulas for comedy-dramas of early cinema, and silent cinema specifically. This is no inherent mark against 'Spring fever,' but we as viewers in retrospect will be looking for something else to catch our eye. Of course, as the picture is built to entertain, maybe we'll look to the gags, the situational humor, some animated performances, or some wit in Ralph Spence's intertitles. There's definitely some value in that. On the other hand, the vitality of the gags is variable (and the frequency smaller over time), the situational humor is arguably rendered a little flat under Edward Sedgwick's direction, the acting makes an especial impression only periodically, and while some of Spence's intertitles are indeed quite clever, others aren't nearly so clever as they think themselves to be.

Don't get me wrong, this flick is enjoyable. It earns some soft laughs, it's gently amusing in general, and the production at large is solid, with admirable contributions from all those behind the scenes. Nearly one hundred years later this may be most noteworthy as a credit early in the career of esteemed Joan Crawford, but lead William Haines is swell, too, and the rest of the cast. Even if the storytelling feels muted, there are some nice touches in Sedgwick's direction and Ira H. Morgan's cinematography; between Lawrence's play and the adapted screenplay, there are commendable themes and ideas broached in the narrative. However, for all the various odds and ends upon which we might bestow favor, nothing herein makes much of a mark. With some exceptions, it doesn't feel as if there was a lot of nuance or tact in the writing, and sometimes not much detail, either; the plot is rather direct, progressing with a bland, unpolished gait of "A happens. Now B happens. Then C happens. Next, D happens." The movie is alright, and certainly worth preserving and recalling as as vestige of cinematic history, but it seems a step too far to say that 'Spring fever' is something to be "celebrated."

And here I assumed sights unseen that I would be harping on my dislike of the centered sport of golf. It's not that the feature is abjectly bad in any way; only, it broadly lacks the strength to land as one would hope. I don't regret watching, and some moments are distinctly better than others, whether on account of the writing, direction, acting, or something else in the craftsmanship; the top highlight is surely a late scene that slyly toys with "lighting" and intertitles, and I may go so far as to say as the last stretch of the length thereafter is stronger than the remainder. It's also true, though, that unless one has a special impetus to watch, the film passes by without really exciting, and there's no major reason to check it out. Fair warning, it's possible the viewing experience will make even the avid cinephile sleepy. Ultimately it's decent enough if you chance upon it, but don't go out of your way, and save 'Spring fever' as something to put on some lazy evening.