The Golfers Review: A Messy, Funny Relic of Early Comedy

Is it worth a watch?

Honestly, only if you have a soft spot for the 1920s or you're stuck in a waiting room with nothing but a YouTube connection. If you're a golf purist, this movie will probably make your blood boil because nobody here actually knows how to hold a club.

But for people who just like watching old-school slapstick where people fall over for no reason, it’s a decent enough time-waster. It’s definitely not for anyone looking for a 'cinematic masterpiece' or whatever.

I sat down with this one on a rainy Tuesday, and it’s exactly what you’d expect from a Sennett-adjacent production. The plot is thinner than the grass on a cheap public green.

Charlie wants Thelma. Thelma likes golfers. Charlie becomes a 'golfer'.

That’s it. That’s the whole movie. Seriously.

Thelma Hill plays the 'golf groupie,' which is a term I didn't even realize existed in 1929. She spends most of the movie looking concerned while wearing a hat that looks like a giant mushroom.

Harry Gribbon is the main draw here, I guess. He has this incredibly expressive face that seems to be made of wet clay.

Every time he misses a shot, he does this bug-eyed stare that goes on just a few seconds too long. It’s funny the first three times, but by the tenth time, you’re kind of just waiting for the next scene.

There’s this scene in the locker room that feels like it was filmed in a broom closet. The acoustics are terrible, and you can barely hear what they’re saying over the hiss of the old film stock.

It reminds me of the technical struggles in Mister Antonio where the sound just doesn't quite match the vibe. Here, every footstep sounds like someone dropping a bag of flour on the floor.

The golf course itself looks like they just found a random field and stuck some poles in the ground. The grass is way too long, and I’m pretty sure I saw a weed that was six inches tall right next to the 'green'.

Bert Swor plays the famous golfer, but he swings the club like he’s trying to kill a snake. It’s not graceful. It’s actually kind of terrifying to watch.

I kept thinking about The Strong Man while Charlie was struggling with his equipment. That movie had a lot more heart, whereas this just feels like a collection of gags that didn't make it into a better film.

One gag involves a sand bunker that is clearly just a pile of kitty litter dumped on the grass. You can see the edges of the tarp underneath if you look closely enough at the 12-minute mark.

The bet with the father is such a tired trope, even for 1929. "Win the match or stay away from my daughter!" is such a weird way to handle parenting.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Golfers (1929) through its definitive frames.

Andy Clyde shows up, and he’s usually the best part of these shorts. He has this way of looking annoyed that feels very relatable, even a hundred years later.

There is a weirdly long shot of a golf bag falling over. It’s not even a joke, it just... falls over, and the camera stays on it for like five seconds.

It’s those little moments where you realize the editor was probably just trying to hit a certain runtime. Or maybe they thought falling bags were the height of comedy back then.

If you’ve seen Down the Line, you know this kind of pacing. It’s frantic and then suddenly very, very slow.

Thelma Hill is mostly just there to be the prize. It’s a bit of a bummer because she has a great comedic energy that they just don't use at all here.

I did like the part where Charlie tries to use a wood on the putting green. That’s the kind of pure chaos I can get behind.

The crowd scenes are hilarious because half the extras look like they were pulled off the street and told to look 'excited'. One guy in the back is literally just staring at the sky while everyone else is cheering.

It’s not quite as bizarre as A Virgin Paradise, but it has that same 'we are making this up as we go' feeling. You can almost feel the director shouting instructions from off-camera.

The ending is pretty abrupt. Charlie wins, I guess? Or he doesn't? It doesn't really matter because the movie just sort of stops.

I wouldn't call this a 'lost classic' or anything fancy like that. It’s a scrappy little short that is mostly interesting as a time capsule.

Watching the way people dressed for sports in the 20s is the real highlight. Everyone is wearing ties and sweaters that look like they’d be incredibly itchy in the sun.

If you’re into the history of comedy, check it out. If you just want a good laugh, maybe go watch The Strong Man again instead.

Also, watch out for the scene with the water hazard. The water looks suspiciously like black ink, and I’m pretty sure Charlie’s pants were ruined forever after that take.

Anyway, it’s short. It’s silly. It’s got some okay physical bits.

Just don't expect to learn anything about golf from it. 🏌️‍♂️