Le temps des cerises

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.

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.

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.

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 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. 👍