edwagreen When you see Donald Crisp sitting at the head of the table, you immediately think of the strong family ties shown in his memorable "How Green Was My Valley," which also starred Maureen O'Hara. Yes, we have a loving family with strong ties here in this film, but the characters are so stilted.The story almost boils down to a similar 1945's "The Corn is Green," a memorable Bette Davis and John Dall film depicting a brilliant student facing hurdles to pursue a higher education. Ditto here with James MacArthur as such another student with the same problem- poverty. His dedicated teacher, Virginia Gregg, the "nurse" in I'll Cry Tomorrow, who gave Susan Hayward her first drink.Henry Fonda heads a fine cast but the writing is of lackluster quality. Imagine, MacArthur learns sufficient Latin to gain admission to college over a summer period. Please.

darkauntie2012 Looking for a family movie that explores the human heart and family" values? Look no more----Spencer's Mountain has it all! For the generation living in the 1970's, Spencer's Mountain was the blueprint for the famed TV series, The Walton's. Only the names were changed around a bit...Clay Spencer (father) was the character for John Walton and "Clay-Boy was "John Boy" But both films are situated during pre World War II eras, and the time frame was Depression / Post Depression. But it was a hard life---only for people that worked to keep their families fed and sheltered and also to make solid citizens. Clay Spencer was a man who deeply loved his wife and large family. Of course, Clay did like to kick back from the stresses of life by taking a drink or going fishing...but he was a hard worker recognized in the small mountain community.The family suffers many hardships because they are not rich but they have their dreams--that is what keeps them going. Even if their dreams do not come true-even if tragedy befalls them, they stay together. Knowing that also helps them getting thru hardship. Sacrifice is also a virtue shown--The parents giving up building their dream house so that there son can attend college.The acting is good and the photography is stunning! Spencer's Mountain is a film for all families that can be enjoyed by all generations

moonspinner55 Quarry employee Henry Fonda, living on a cows-and-chickens estate in Wyoming with his wife and nine children, works on building the couple's dream home in the hills while also trying to get his book-learnin' eldest son into college. Sudsy adaptation of Earl Hamner Jr.'s thinly-disguised memoir, which led in due course to TV's "The Waltons", is full of now-familiar elements: the whiskey-sippin' grandpa, the gaggle of young 'uns who bathe together in one tub, the fiery-tempered Mrs. (Maureen O'Hara, giving us nothing new) who asks her husband to work overtime so she can buy her son a graduation ring, the funeral which brings all the scattered relatives together. Given a pictorial sheen by writer-director Delmer Daves and his team of cinematographers, this location-rich drama is so well-intentioned that it becomes rather turgid. James MacArthur seems a tad mature to be just coming-of-age and noticing girls, though Daves feasts on his creamy skin and masculinity--the only instance where the director gets some sensuality going (it sure isn't there between the adults). "The Waltons" usually managed to add a dash of vinegar to its mix of homilies and cracker-barrel wisdom; here, when papa Fonda explains sex to son MacArthur by saying, "Just remember, you ain't no bull and she ain't no cow," the incredulous will not be won over. ** from ****

bkoganbing 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.