Spencer's Mountain

The big, warm-spirited forerunner to The Waltons.

Grandpa Spencer fathered nine boys in the shadow of the Grand Teton mountain bearing their name. His son Clay (Henry Fonda) married Olivia (Maureen O'Hara) and had nine more kids, "all thoroughbreds." Now the eldest son is out of high school, eager for more in life. But college money is hard to come by.


Spencer's Mountain has deep roots too. It's based on the Earl Hamner Jr. novel that later inspired TV's The Waltons. The pleasures of Delmer Daves' film are as plentiful as trout in its swirling streams. Fonda and O'Hara shine in a cast that includes Wally Cox, Donald Crisp and James MacArthur. Max Steiner supplies an evocative score. breathtaking fields and forests add visual splendor. All enhance this beloved story of human values - and reaching for your dreams.