What a waste of my time!!!

Too much of everything

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

This is seems to me to be a very true adaptation of a Broadway musical of the late 20s, filmed in quite a static way with the characters lined across the screen playing it exactly as if they were also across the stage bellowing lines into each other's faces so the back row could hear it. Given this performance is for a film it seems nobody thought to re direct it for a cinema audience who could hear every word courtesy of fantastic chunky Vitaphone gramophone sound. There is no doubt the dippy parents and flapper daughters play it well to the audience who even might have been expecting a play on film. SPRING IS HERE is quite funny, very stage bound and completely what we expect 80 years later: stodgy comedy, vaudeville mugging wonderful Rogers and Hart music all flattened into the technical aspects of the time. This film is a curiosity piece really, and would irritate your friends who do not understand that it is the restrictions of the medium of the time that makes a film like this attractive to those who love 1920s sound films. Beautiful clothes and sets add to the fun; but do not inflict this film on anyone not familiar with the time tone and tinniness. Maybe play the scenes of just the songs, as they are terrific. No wonder the talkies took off, but you can also see why depression audiences soon tired of songs being yelled at them.

Actually, the songs for this film; Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder (For Somebody Else), Bad Baby, Cryin' For The Carolines, Have A Little Faith In Me, How Shall I Tell?, What's The Big Idea? were not written by R&H but by Harry Warren. This was Harry's big break into Hollywood songwriting for the silver screen. Due to the success of his music in this film, Harry Warren was brought out to Hollywood for a second film, "42nd Street", which is by and large considered to be the "grand daddy of all musicals". Harry then left Tin Pan Alley, and signed on to write the music for another 32 Warner Brothers films. Many of these were co-written with Al Dubin, and then later on with Johnny Mercer.In the end, this was the first film that Harry wrote music for. He went on to be the most successful songwriter in Hollywood, and that success propelled him to the top of the pop charts as well, writing 81 top ten hits, along with eleven Oscar nominations for best song.

I was pleased that TCM had this on the other morning. Bernice Claire and Lawrence Gray sang beautifully. The old man got off a few great one liners, but the singers and especially the lyrics stole the show. Such beautiful sentiments. This show had the feel and atmosphere of one of my favorite movies, "Sally", so I looked it up in my 4/03 Now Playing and "Sally" was directed by John Fracis Dillon too. If they show this again, and they inevitably probably will, I will tape it to keep. Dillon was a master at these early 30s musicals. I've kept "Sally". TCM is to be thanked for putting this on. It is much appreciated. I never miss any pre-7/34 precode movies they show and they are the main reason that TCM is the greatest station showing.

This early sound preservation (sort of) of one of Rodgers & Hart's minor Broadway successes (104 performances at the Alvin Theatre at the end of the roaring 20's - March 11-June 8, 1929) was released July 20, 1930, just as the country started its slide into the Great Depression, but bears no actual responsibility therefore.In truth, the film isn't exciting structurally, despite retaining several R&H standards from the stage - the title song, "Yours Sincerely" and "With A Song In My heart". Hollywood at the time was shameless in gutting successful stage properties of the very things which had made them successful in the first place and, in pre-Crash 1929, 100+ performances put SPRING IS HERE in the "hit" column, but it remains a pleasant entertainment and solid reminder of good light 1920's entertainment.Possibly the most interesting aspect of the film however, is the one Broadway cast holdover - Inez Courtney as Mary Jane. Ms. Courtnay repeats a couple of her songs from Broadway and began a decade long career in Hollywood that would culminate as the unforgettable "Ilona' in Lubitsch's LITTLE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER which in turn helped inspire the later Broadway musical SHE LOVES ME.While not a great musical or movie, the remains of Rodgers and Hart's score is a fine one - so fine in fact, that three years later the Vitaphone Corp. would give it (and the show) another outing with a two reel "Broadway Brevities" short called YOURS SINCERELY. Still minor, but still very entertaining.Worth seeking out. Not a lost treasure perhaps, but very nice costume jewelery.