SimonJack "Spencer's Mountain" is an enjoyable family drama with touches of humor throughout. The outdoor scenery is spectacular. The film was shot in Grand Teton National Park, around Jackson Hole, WY, and in California. The movie is based on a 1961 novel of the same title, by Earl Hamner Jr. Some of the characters and experiences in the film are from his background, growing up near the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia during the Great Depression. Hamner would write another novel in 1970 that further expands on his boyhood growing up as the oldest child in a large family. That book, "The Homecoming: A Novel About Spencer's Mountain," led to the 1971 movie by the same title that in turn spawned the nine-year TV series, "The Waltons."I don't know why this film was set in Wyoming instead of Virginia, but the expansive shots of the scenery could be one reason. By the middle 20th century, it would have been hard to find shots like that in Virginia that didn't show much more modern development. "The Homecoming" was also shot in Wyoming in 1971, although the story was clearly set in Virginia. Many people who watched the later film and then the Waltons on TV (1972- 81) didn't know that this movie was part of Hamner's story of Walton's Mountain as well. The cast of "Spencer's Mountain' is very good. Henry Fonda excelled as Clay Spencer. Another reviewer commented about the types of role he played, and I agree that Fonda was best with this type of role. He also was good with dramatic roles, but he didn't have the stuff for comedy. He was mildly OK in a couple that he made, but not too good in the others. That's probably why he made so few comedies. His forte in Westerns was as the bad guy.Maureen O'Hara is wonderful as Olivia Spencer and James MacArthur plays Clayboy. That's the role that Richard Thomas had in the later film and the series as John-Boy. The rest of the cast are all quite good. This is a somewhat different story than what Hamner writes for the Waltons. The special home that Clay starts to build for Olivia, and then the fire that destroys it. It's an interesting and entertaining movie that most should enjoy.

Qanqor I just finished watching this curiosity. A great movie it's not. But on the whole it was fairly entertaining and enjoyable.Normally I tend to write about what I found lacking in a film. This time I want to praise some of its strong points.Henry Fonda's Clay Sr. was just a wonderful character. I adored his unabashed love of cussing and smoking and drinking and dancing and fooling around with his wife, and his steadfast refusal to give an inch to the uptight church crowd. Usually, religion is treated with kid gloves in the movies, so it's a rare treat to see a film where a hero actually stands up to it. I mean, as an atheist, how can I not love a character who, on hearing that his son has applied for a ministry scholarship, exclaims "I'd as soon see my boy in jail as have a pulpit!"Also, I adored Mimsy Farmer as Claris. I'm surprised to find a number of people here describing her as "annoying". I thought she was magnificent. OK, let's not mince words: I thought she was HOT. It's not that she's the most gorgeous creature to ever come down the pike, she's not. I mean, she's attractive enough, but nothing amazing. But the character, and the way she plays it, oh my! The way she is so openly and unsubtly hot for Clayboy, the way you half expect her to start ripping his clothes off-- I mean, I'm sorry if that didn't do it for you, but for me, this is the material of which fantasies are made! I'm not usually very impressed by the titillation factor in a movie, but this one was definitely an exception!Yeah, there are flaws in the film, and I'd be remiss if I didn't point them out (and you'd think I'd been replaced by an alien pod-person). The Tetons set looks impressive, but really was a mistake; in particular, I don't think people in northwest Wyoming speak like down-home Virginians. The funeral scene for grandpa was painfully overlong-- it was about ten times as long as the amount of screen time Grandpa had had while he was alive! And let's face it, it was pretty stupid the way he couldn't get out of the way of a slow-falling tree (let alone be so stupid as to walk right into it's path in the first place. He's supposed to be an old mountain hand!)But on the whole, it was a pretty good movie, with a couple of good characters. When you add the interest factor of seeing The Waltons' origins, I think I can comfortably give it a solid 7 stars.

MartinHafer My above comment is alluding to the overall blandness of the film. It isn't a BAD film, but it seems a bit too gosh-darn happy and perfect and unremarkable--sort of like the Stepford Wives meet The Waltons (the latter was the obvious movie version of Spencer's Mountain). And because of that it's so inoffensive and ordinary that I have no desire to see it again. The sad thing is the acting was pretty good (it's hard to go wrong with Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara) but the story just wasn't compelling. Overall, it's a time passer and that's about all. About the only thing that is interesting is watching a younger Jame McArthur ("Danno" from Hawaii 5-0--also the son of Helen Hayes) playing the role later played by Richard Thomas.

jmagda-1 I don't know what the other guy was talking about, but I found this movie to be great. Henry Fonda as the head of the family was jovial, but stern. Maureen O'Hara was her usual tough, but beautiful leading lady. The story was engaging, the scenery is breath-taking, and makes one yearn for those old films that made going to the movies an event, something really special. I'm also glad it's finally out on DVD, as my pan and scan VHS copy isn't the greatest. Plot-wise, it followed the life of the Spencer family and their many adventures, if you will. The plots weren't all over the place, it was just documenting the various happenings in the Spencer family. Anyone with a heart will love this movie!