Simply A Masterpiece

Crappy film

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Dullsville. True, the sound track presents a typically lush, sprightly music score by Max Steiner — though it often sounds like the orchestra is jacking up on old Max and not giving the score their best shot. Anything but. A group of tired, untalented hack musicians saw away to little effect. About the only time they really come to life is when they strum out "Gaudeamus Igitur" for the Fonda-in-college scene.Fortunately, Nothing can spoil Charles Lawton and Hans Koenekamp's lovely location photography (except, of course, lousy TV prints — but then no jokers in their right minds would watch a Panavision picture on the telly anyway, would they?) but all this wealth of beauty is wasted on an uninvolving, tedious-to-the-core script.Cast in a central role, the studiously dull James MacArthur makes his characterization even more ho-hum. Not that Fonda is all that ingratiating either, but at least he plays with a commendable professionalism that lends his role at least some degree — however slight — of charisma.The rest of the players fail to come up to even Fonda's mark. True Wally Cox is miscast and it's probably not Donald Crisp's fault that he is unable to surmount the dramatic problems involved when the cretinous old codger is silly enough to walk straight into the path of a falling tree. What should have been a moving scene is presented instead as an incredible piece of stupidity on the old dope's part.Despite all these drawbacks, plus the routine, uninspired and largely disinterested direction of Delmer Daves, occasionally the sort of movie "Spencer's Mountain" was obviously meant to be, shines through. Like right at the beginning, with all the nature footage described by Fonda off-camera; and right at the end, when the cowpoke at the back of the bus turns to MacArthur and asks, "How far are you going', son?" and the lad replies, "Right far!" But in between these two high-points lies a mountain of muddled characterizations, unsure playing, and incredible incident straight out of any dime-store novel.

Wyoming father Henry Fonda (as Clay Spencer) and attractive wife Maureen O'Hara (as Olivia) live on "Spencer's Mountain" with their nine children, plus a grandpa and grandma. To give his large family more room, Mr. Fonda is constructing a bigger "dream house" on his vast mountainous estate. Another dream the family has involves education. Looking mature for his supposedly teenage years, eldest son James MacArthur (as "Clayboy") becomes the first in his family to graduate from high school.Everyone hopes Mr. MacArthur will go on to college, but he has to learn his Latin for admission. New community preacher Wally Cox (as Goodman) helps MacArthur, but there are other obstacles to overcome. The Spencer family is so large, lack of monetary funds is a concern. Last but not least, the almighty God is against MacArthur's higher education, until he can strike a deal with the Lord; if this seems strange, consider the verse "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." A good-looking man, often appearing shirtless, MacArthur invites much female attention - but he is apparently unsure of his sexuality during the early running time. Doing everything she can to let MacArthur know she is ready for action is sexually aroused Mimsy Farmer (as Claris Coleman). MacArthur does a lot of running in this movie, but everything finally catches up with him.This is all based on the autobiographical novel "Spencer's Mountain" by Earl Hamner Jr., which even more famously became "The Waltons" when adapted for television in the 1970s. "Clay Spencer" was changed to "John Walton". It was the last appearance for veteran Donald Crisp, who has little to do but does it well. The location photography by Charles Lawton is beautiful.***** Spencer's Mountain (5/16/63) Delmer Daves ~ James MacArthur. Henry Fonda, Maureen O'Hara, Wally Cox

Henry Fonda throughout his career showed a great flair for playing rustic characters and endowing them with dignity. In fact that was his introduction to film when he did the movie version of the play that made him a star, The Farmer Takes A Wife. Of course as Fonda started playing more of a variety of roles he was less and less in rustic settings.His last role of this type was as Clay Spencer in Spencer's Mountain a feel good family type picture with a rather interesting take on the facts of life. Country folks like the Spencers who deal a lot in livestock are familiar with the breeding process so it's not a huge big deal with them. At least it's not in this film as Mimsy Farmer is ready to finish James MacArthur's eduction in that regard. One of the best scenes in the film is Henry Fonda bringing over his bull to mate with one of Dub Taylor's cows with everybody looking on. I guess they're starved for entertainment in that part of the country.In fact MacArthur's further education is what drives the film. He's the oldest of Fonda's and Maureen O'Hara's nine children and the first to graduate high school. His teacher Virginia Gregg wants to see him get ahead and go to the university. But the financial and other obstacles are considerable. Even the new minister Wally Cox tutors MacArthur in a needed Latin course.If the Spencers bear no small resemblance to the Walton family that's because Earl Hammer who created the Waltons also wrote the novel this film was based on. Spencer's Mountain is beautifully photographed in the Grand Teton mountains of Wyoming, just as pretty and more majestic than the Walton's Appalachians. Delmer Daves who directed Spencer's Mountain also directed Jubal a few years earlier, a western also set in the Grand Tetons. The cinematography is just as good, but the resemblance stops there because Jubal is quite the adult western.Spencer's Mountain marked the farewell performance of Donald Crisp who was 81 years old when he filmed this and had a career going back to the earliest silent films. He was a grand character actor who played an awesome variety of parts. Here he's in his family patriarch persona as Fonda's father married to Lillian Bronson in the film. Crisp won his Oscar as the family patriarch in John Ford's How Green Was My Valley.Spencer's Mountain did good box office and it's a nice family film. But Henry Fonda's new agent passed on a Broadway play called Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf and signed his client for this. Fonda never forgave the agent, I can't really blame him.

This movie was very enjoyable. It was fun, heartwarming & great story for the whole family. If you like "The Walton's" you will like "Spencer's Mountain" Henry Fonda does a wonderful job trying to care for his "babies" This movies proves that not all dreams have to come true to be happy. Sometimes you can be happy right where you are if you are, if you only give life a chance. Maureen O'Hara couldn't of done better as her role as Clay Spencer's wife. Also Wally Cox was super as the new preacher in town. This movie will have you laughing and crying. It is one of the best. I have watched this movie many times and know I will watch it several more times.