Spencer's Mountian

Spencer's is a 1963 family film written, produced and directed by Delmer Daves from a novel byEarl Hamner, Jr. The novel and the film became the basis of the popular television series The Waltons, which followed in 1972. Unlike the film and novel, The Walton diluted many adult themes, including alcoholism and infidelity. Spencer's has the majestic scenery of the mountain range of Wyoming Grand Teton, photographed by cinematographer Charles Lawton in CinemaScope.

The film focuses on the trials and tribulations of the Spencer, a family living in the Grand Teton mountains in Wyoming during the 1960's. As the patriarch of a large and growing family, Clay Spencer (Henry Fonda) is fiercely independent, but dedicated to his family. While he resists the influence of religion, who struggle to remain faithful to his wife Olivia (Maureen O'Hara) to let his son (James MacArthur) to attend college, and to build a new home for family. The film is set in Wyoming during the decade of 1960 (a 1960 Cadillac is clearly, like other vehicles in the 1950's and early 1960). The book, as The Waltons, was established in Virginia during the Great Depression. Both the book and the film is set in the fictional community of New Dominion, which was based on Earl Hamner's hometown of Schuyler, Virginia. In the movie, Spencer attend the Church of God. In the book, which is Baptist. One of the most prominent scenes in the movie and the book is where Clay Spencer goes to church for the first time. In the book, Clay sings hymns and get everyone's attention with her voice, rich. The choir director is so impressed, he asked Clay to join the choir. Unfortunately, Henry Fonda, was not a great singer, so this scene was omitted from the film.

Director Delmer Daves knew some time before that Jackson Hole would be the place for your version of Hamner's autobiographical novel. The time he spent in Jackson during the filming of Jubal in 1956, was significant and came up with nothing better to represent Spencer's. By contrast, Hamner never visited the set and was very upset at Tetons be represented as the mountains of Virginia. Daves figured more photo for their purposes, basically, they were just background to the story. At the time of this film, Daves had written 55 screenplays, directed and produced 38 pictures 12. Just had a most successful executive in the industry.

He was very proud of the fact that the film had cost him more than $ 2 million each, and usually had raised more than $ 7 or $ 8 million. According to Daves, "I think the high mountains of this place symbolizes both their isolation and the effort required if one wants to escape. I liked the look of the high wall of this valley. Otherwise, we have more or less glued to the book. "He said Jack Warner said once he was the only Hollywood director who had never lost money on a ...