"The Smart Set" (1928)
Alice Day and William Haines
Directed by Jack Conway
Produced by Louis B. Mayer, Irving Thalberg
Starring William Haines, Alice Day
Cinematography Oliver Marsh
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date March 24, 1928
Running time 80 minutes
Country United States
Language Silent, English intertitles
We have included this film in our program to illustrate the work and contributions of our star Alice Day.
The film is still under copyright, which prevents us from streaming it on our site. We will be able to show you this nice movie in 2023.
"The Smart Set" is a romantic comedy-drama of the kind that involves a sports game. In this case it is an English game by the name of polo, where horse riders chase a little ball with sticks across the field and score goals in a gate without a goalkeeper.
William Haines plays the role of Tommy, a superficial and conceited young fellow, who is gifted at polo, and gets a place in the team just before an important international competition. William Haines bumps into Alice Day (Polly) at a traffic stop and starts following her around. By a trick of circumstance Alice Day is the daughter of a veteran polo player, whose place William Haines has been chosen to take. Of course, when Alice Day learns this, she is further put off by this guy with strange mannerisms.
William Haines's disregard for fellow team members and reckless riding are the cause for his expulsion from the team. His father decides that William Haines has disgraced the family name, with which generations before have been national team polo players. His horse is put up for an auction, but Alice Day steps in and makes sure that her father makes the winning bid and the horse doesn't go to a stranger. She is moved to see William Haines bid a tearful farewell to his beloved horse.
Later William Haines mans up - he first rescues his horse after a fire breaks out in the stable, and then speaking with Alice Day takes responsibility for his actions. She sees that he is a new kind of guy, and they reconcile. During the final game the captain gets injured, and although William Haines is his bitter rival for Alice Day's affections, the captain convinces the trainer to invite William back into the team for the few final minutes. Being the best player, and now concentrating on team work, William Haines turns a losing game around and brings victory to the US team.
By the way, during this final America beat the British at their own game, at least in this film.
It appears that occasionally William Haines goes a little over the top with his comic antics in this film. On the contrary, Alice Day delivers a very nice measured performance in both the comedic and the dramatic episodes.
The film enjoys a very strong rating in IMDB.
Click to enlarge:
The Smart Set
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Alice Day is bothered by William Haines at the traffic light in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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A salesman fits Alice Day's glove while William Haines tries to attract her attention in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day has sparked the interest of William Haines in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day is helped by William Haines as he fills for the salesman in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day does not notice that William Haines caresses her glove in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day not happy that William Haines caresses her glove in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day gets a handkerchief from William Haines in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day takes the handkerchief from William Haines; she knows it costs $25 in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day takes the handkerchief from William Haines; he doesn't know yet he must pay $25 in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day checks William Haines while he is in trouble with a cop in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day checks her makeup after a car race in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day fixes her hair after a car race in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day is stopped by William Haines at the stadium in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day is annoyed at William Haines in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day is greeted by Jack Holt at the stadium in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day is not happy that her father Hobart Bosworth is replaced by a younger payer in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day is stopped by William Haines at the dinner party in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day with William Haines and Jack Holt; one day they will have a fight over her in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day is courted by William Haines, who in turn is courted by another woman in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day can't believe the antics of William Haines in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day can't figure out what to make of William Haines in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day is sometimes mildly attracted to William Haines in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day sometimes is really annoyed at William Haines in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day gets more antics from William Haines in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day thinks that's enough from William Haines in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day calms her annoyance at William Haines in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day likes William Haines's attention in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day steps on William Haines's toes as he dances without shoes in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day and William Haines are out on the terrace for some fresh air in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day is surprised by William Haines as he asks for a kiss in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day won't give William Haines a kiss in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day can't believe that William Haines did kiss her in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day screams after William Haines's kiss and Lack Holt comes to investigate in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day maybe gets William Haines's apologies in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day seems upset at William Haines in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day is shocked to see William Haines in the company of half a dozen women in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day and Hobart Bosworth worry about the injury of team's captain, brought by William Haines's reckless riding in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day is anxious during the auction for William Haines's horse after he was booted form the team in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day is moved to see William Haines's tears as he bids farewell to his horse in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day is with Jack Holt while William Haines is blacklisted in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day is surprised by Jack Holt's declaration of love in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day tells Jack Holt they can be only friends in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day meets William Haines before the final game in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day and William Haines worry about the team captain's injury in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day stands with William Haines and they reconcile in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day and William Haines reconcile some more in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day and William Haines are excited that he is called back in the team in "The Smart Set" (1928).
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Alice Day and William Haines are happy after he helped the team win in "The Smart Set" (1928).
Alice Day and William Haines