Le temps des cerises

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 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.

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 (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.

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.