Spencer's Mountain (1963)

Clay Spencer is a hard-working man who loves his wife and large family. He is respected by his neighbors and always ready to give them a helping hand. Although not a churchgoer, he even ... See full summary »

Director:

Delmer Daves

Writers:

Earl Hamner Jr. (novel), Delmer Daves

Stars:

Henry Fonda, Maureen O'Hara, James MacArthur

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Henry Fonda	...	Clay Spencer
Maureen O'Hara	...	Olivia Spencer
James MacArthur	...	Clayboy Spencer
Donald Crisp	...	Grandpa Zubulon Spencer
Wally Cox	...	Preacher Clyde Goodman
Mimsy Farmer	...	Claris Coleman
Virginia Gregg	...	Miss Parker
Lillian Bronson	...	Grandma Spencer
Whit Bissell	...	Dr. Campbell
Hayden Rorke	...	Colonel Coleman
Kathy Bennett	...	Minnie-Cora Cook
Dub Taylor	...	Percy Cook
Hope Summers	...	Mother Ida
Ken Mayer	...	Mr. John

Storyline

Clay Spencer is a hard-working man who loves his wife and large family. He is respected by his neighbors and always ready to give them a helping hand. Although not a churchgoer, he even helps a newly arrived local minister regain his flock after he and Clay get into a bit of trouble. If he has one dream in life it's to build his wife Olivia a beautiful house on a piece of land he inherited on Spencer's mountain. When his eldest son, Clayboy, graduates at the top of his high school class and has the opportunity to go to college, Clay has only one option left to him.

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Plot Keywords:

grand teton national park | redheaded woman | mountain named after character | sister sister relationship | mother son relationship | 

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Taglines:

Clayboy's schoolteacher impresses upon Clayboy the following phrase, "The world steps aside to let a man pass, if he knows where he is going"

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Genres:

Drama | Family

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Latin

Release Date:

16 May 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Os Nove Irmãos

Filming Locations:

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording) 4-Track Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Average Shot Length = ~6.8 seconds. Median Shot Length = ~6.6 seconds.

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Goofs

In the scene where Clay is milking the cow, "Chance," she is first seen without a halter, then with one in the next shot, then again moments later without it.

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Quotes

Man in back of bus: [Last lines: Clayboy has boarded the bus, leaving home for college] Goin' far, son?
Clayboy Spencer: Right far.

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Connections

Followed by A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain (1982)

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Soundtracks

Now the Day is Over
(uncredited)
Words by Sabine Baring-Gould, 1865
Music by Joseph Barnby, 1868

User Reviews

My favorite movie

When I joined the IMDB community, I was asked about my favorite movie. I was at a loss for about five minutes, trying to think of movies that I could truly consider my favorite. This movie finally won over the others I considered when I realized that a favorite is something personal and beyond reproach - you may hate this movie, but I saw at the perfect time of my life and now it means much more to me than it probably could otherwise.

Henry Fonda turns in an excellent performance, which is testimony to his work ethic - he vocally denounced the script as "corny" enough to throw back Hollywood film-making 20 years. The children are troopers of the same era as other classic family movies, ala Disney's "Swiss Family Robinson." I imagine the casting companies used were the same.

This movie accomplishes what it sets out to do - make you care about the Spencer family, their desire for respect and honor, and the sacrifices they make to do what they think is right. There are many moments in this movie where you could be moved to tears.

An emotional movie with, dare I say it, a lot of heart. It is my favorite movie.