Spring Fever *** (1927, William Haines, Joan Crawford, George K Arthur, George Fawcett)) – Classic Movie Review 7638

Director Edward Sedgwick’s amusing 1927 silent comedy Spring Fever, based on Vincent Lawrence’s 1925 play, stars William Haines and Joan Crawford in their second film together and in their first romantic teaming on screen.

Haines plays a shipping clerk named Jack Kelly, who is invited by The Oakmont Country Club to be a guest of the club for a minimum of two weeks as the golf teacher of aging Mr Waters (George Fawcett). At the club, he meets wealthy young Allie Monte (Joan Crawford) and immediately falls in love with her and pretends he is a pro-golfer to impress her.

Spring Fever was shot at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, and at Jewett Estate, 1145 Arden Road, Pasadena, California, and it is remade as the 1930 musical Love in the Rough with Robert Montgomery and Dorothy Jordan.

The film and Haines were so popular that fans mobbed him at a publicity appearance a professional golf tournament that year. Haines’s successful career was cut short by the 1930s because of his refusal to deny his homosexuality. He quit acting in 1935 and started a successful interior design business with his life partner Jimmie Shields. Haines and Crawford remained close friends. Haines and Shields remained together until Haines’ death on 26 December 1973. Crawford described them as ‘the happiest married couple in Hollywood.’

The cast are William Haines as Jack Kelly, Joan Crawford as Allie Monte, George K Arthur as Eustace Tewksbury, George Fawcett as Mr Waters, Eileen Percy as Martha Lomsdom, Edward Earle as Harry Johnson, Bert Woodruff as Pop (Pa) Kelly, Lee Moran as Oscar the caddy, with Edward Brophy as man holding score card on golf course, Joseph Harrington as desk clerk at Waters & Co and Helen Brent.

Spring Fever was restored by Turner Entertainment in 2008, with a score by Darrell Raby, and shown on Turner Classic Movies, and released on DVD through the Warner Archive Collection in March 2009.

Haines and Crawford followed Spring Fever with West Point (1928).

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7638

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