Main Cast: Henry Fonda, Maureen O'Hara, James MacArthur, Donald Crisp, Wally Cox
Release Year: 1963
Country: US
Run Time: 118 minutes
Plot
For a family picture, not to mention a story that later became the old-fashioned-values-affirming series The Waltons, Spencer's Mountain sure has a lot in it about sex. Henry Fonda gives an interesting portrayal in one of his more unusual roles, as Clay Spencer, the hard-drinkin', hard-livin', hard lovin', hard-cussin' patriarch of a fiercely independent Wyoming family living in the Grand Tetons. When he's not resisting the encroachment of organized religion on his daily life (he believes in God, but doesn't want others to tell him how to do that, or how to show respect to the Lord), he's busy trying to finish the house he promised his wife (Maureen O'Hara) to house their constantly growing brood, and trying to help his eldest son, Clayboy (James MacArthur) -- who's going to be the first Spencer to get past high school -- prepare for college and manhood, while temptation in the form of Claris Coleman (Mimsy Farmer) and Minnie-Cora Cook Kathy Bennett comes his way. There's also a good bit of human drama here, and some especially finely nuanced performances by Donald Crisp and Lillian Bronson, as Fonda's aging parents. Between their work, the CinemaScope photography, the gorgeous Wyoming locations, and a good basic story, this is a surprisingly engrossing comedy-drama of a kind that probably could not be made today, even with a top-name cast. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
Review
Although watered down from the novel that is its source (not to mention fortified with an extra teaspoon or two of sugar), Spencer's Mountain is an entertaining "big brood" family film that offers a number of pleasures to make up for its failings. It's a toss-up as to whether the biggest assets are its two stars or its gorgeous, breathtaking Grand Teton scenery. There's an awful lot of both of these assets, and if the scenery may finally get the edge, it's only because it doesn't have to utter some of the overly-folksy dialogue that Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara sometimes are asked to. It's a shame that too much of the screenplay has been "Hollywood-ized," as it reduces the characters from the living and breathing people of the novel to the cardboard characters that often crop up when Hollywood tries to present poor-but-decent country folk that are not hicks. The actors portraying the younger generation have a particularly hard time of it, especially Mimsy Farmer. Fortunately, Fonda and O'Hara are old hands at this game, and their work transcends the screenplay, as does the wonderfully understated work of Donald Crisp. Spencer's Mountain is by no means a bad film, and many viewers will find it touching and warm; but for others, it will seem a trifle too manipulative. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Carl Anderson - Art Director, Marjorie Best - Costume Designer, Delmer Daves - Director, David Wages - Editor, Max Steiner - Composer (Music Score), Gordon Bau - Makeup, James Barker - Makeup, Charles Lawton - Cinematographer, Delmer Daves - Producer, Ralph S. Hurst - Set Designer, Wellington Honn - Special Effects, M.A. Merrick - Sound/Sound Designer, Delmer Daves - Screenwriter, Earl Hamner - Book Author
Spencer's Mountain is a 1963family film written, directed, and produced by Delmer Daves from a novel by Earl Hamner. The novel and film became the basis for the popular television series The Waltons, which followed in 1972. Differing from both the film and novel, The Waltons watered down many of the adult themes, including alcoholism and infidelity. Spencer's Mountain features the majestic scenery of Wyoming's Grand Teton mountain range, as photographed by cinematographer Charles Lawton in CinemaScope.
The film centers on the trials and tribulations of the Spencers, a Depression-era family living in the Grand Teton Mountains of Wyoming. As the patriarch of a large and growing family, Clay Spencer (Henry Fonda) is fiercely independent, yet dedicated to his family. While he resists the influence of religion, he struggles to remain faithful to his wife Olivia (Maureen O'Hara), to allow his son (James MacArthur) to attend college, and to build a new home for his family.
Differences from the book
The movie is set in Wyoming. The book, like "The Waltons", was set in Virginia. Both the book and the movie were set in the fictitious community of New Dominion, which was based on Earl Hamner's hometown of Schuyler, Virginia. In the movie, the Spencers attend the Church of God. In the book, they were Baptist. One of the more prominent scenes in the movie and the book is where Clay Spencer attends church for the very first time. In the book, Clay sings out on the hymns and gets everyone's attention with his loud, rich voice. The choir director is so impressed, she asks Clay to join the choir. Unfortunately, Henry Fonda was not much of a singer, so this scene was omitted from the movie.
