Spencer's Mountain

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Spencer's Mountain

Released May 16, 1963

1h 59m

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

80%

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5 Reviews

67%

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1,000+ Ratings

Clay Spencer (Henry Fonda) and his wife, Olivia (Maureen O'Hara), live in a small town deep in the mountains. When Clay isn't busy drinking with his buddies or railing against the town minister (Wally Cox), he's building the house he's always promised Olivia. He is overjoyed when he learns his eldest son (James MacArthur) will be the first Spencer to attend college, if he can resist the charms of a pretty local girl (Mimsy Farmer) and rustle up the money for tuition.

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Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Rated: 3/5

Oct 8, 2003

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Judith Crist

New York Herald Tribune

Spencer's Mountain [is] outstanding for its smirking sexuality, its glorification of the vulgar, its patronizing tone toward the humble, its mealymouthed piety.

Aug 15, 2022

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Steve Crum

Video-Reviewmaster.com

Basis for "Waltons" TV series with great scenery, family drama and comedy...and Henry Fonda.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 2, 2008

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jul 27, 2005

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Tony Mastroianni

Cleveland Press

This is a grab bag full of sure fire entertainment situations -- laughs, sentiment, tears, puppy love and the great outdoors.

Nov 20, 2003

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Audience Member

Outstanding movie here don’t understand why they never made a second one on this. Would love to have watched it highly recommend this one tho. James Welch, Henderson., Arkansas, August 20, 2023.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/20/23

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Steve D

Absolutely nothing interesting or worthwhile

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/18/23

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Steve M

This preceded the TV show "The Waltons", the names were different but the setting was the same. The cow's name is Chance in both, which gave me the first inkling. Good family movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/18/23

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Simply S

Loved the story...just wish the house in the making didnt have to be sold/burned down... but did it for his son's future!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/07/23

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Audience Member

An enjoyable story about a family that has grown generations in a small town near the wilderness and the parents seeing that their children have a better future with education. Beautiful scenery shot on location in Wyoming and used the townspeople.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

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Audience Member

I love Henry Fonda but I didn't love this movie. It was slow and it just wasn't that interesting, to be honest. I didn't know that it was the basis for The Waltons, but I enjoyed seeing Kym Karath (who played Gretl in The Sound of Music). She was probably my favorite character. The reason I didn't love it aside from the fact that it was slow, was mainly the absurd scenes (spoiler-the baby's high chair falls over and they assume that the baby breaks its neck, but the baby doesn't cry AT ALL) and some of the scenes were so bad they were laughable (spoiler-Henry Fonda is chopping down a tree and it starts to fall in the wrong direction-the most obvious thing is to get out of the way, but instead he and his father stare at it in horror, resulting in something bad). I don't think I'd watch this one again but it was okay for a first time viewing.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

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Delmer Daves

Director

Henry Fonda

Clay Spencer

Maureen O'Hara

Olivia Spencer

James MacArthur

Clayboy Spencer

Donald Crisp

Grandpa Spencer

Wally Cox

Preacher Goodman

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Synopsis

Clay Spencer (Henry Fonda) and his wife, Olivia (Maureen O'Hara), live in a small town deep in the mountains. When Clay isn't busy drinking with his buddies or railing against the town minister (Wally Cox), he's building the house he's always promised Olivia. He is overjoyed when he learns his eldest son (James MacArthur) will be the first Spencer to attend college, if he can resist the charms of a pretty local girl (Mimsy Farmer) and rustle up the money for tuition.

Director: Delmer Daves
Producer: Delmer Daves
Screenwriter: Delmer Daves
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Bros.
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 16, 1963, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2011
Runtime: 1h 59m

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