SPENCER'S MOUNTAIN
US, 1963, 118 minutes, Colour.
Henry Fonda, Maureen O’ Hara, James Mac Arthur, Donald Crisp, Wally Cox, Mimsy Farmer, Virginia Gregg.
Directed by Delmer Daves.
Spencer’s Mountain is one of the many films made by Delmer Daves during the 1960s, very emotional, pieces of Americana, whether in the present (A Summer Place, Susan Slade) or in the rural past as in Spencer’s Mountain.
The film focuses on a family with archetypal parents: Henry Fonda and Maureen O’ Hara. James Mac Arthur who had appeared in a number of Disney films including The Swiss Family Robinson is their son. Oscar-winning Donald Crisp (How Green Was My Valley) is the grandfather.
The film is very warm in its presentation of the family, of conflict, of survival, of growing up, of family relationships. This is a fine example of Hollywood wholesome film-making with sentiment.
1. Audience responses to this film? The fact that it was particularly American?
2. The importance of colour, panavision, musical score, locations, the atmosphere of the mountain and the valley, the importance of the opening and the description of Spencer’s mountain?
3. The significance of the mountain, the fact that it was the heritage of the family, the pioneering and the valley, its isolated and enclosed nature, its relationship to the rest of the state?
4. The mountain as a symbol for the dreams of the family, the presentation of their actual poverty, the importance of their hopes, their dream home being built, the way that it was finally burnt down, for a different
dream, for reality?
5. The importance of the sequences of the way of life for the whole family? The influence of the generations, the presence of the grandparents in the house and what they stood for, the mother and father and their pioneering, building, making a home? The nature of the house, the work that all the family had to do, the large family and the role of the children, the details of the way of life?
6. A code according to which the family behaved, particularly American and loyal, traditional, the role of religion, the role of properness and propriety?
7. The cultural gap in the family, the education of the grandparents, the parents and their never having left the valley? Clayboy and his ambitions to leave and the way these were expressed? The admiration for education, especially by his mother, education and freedom and the limitations of poverty and opportunity?
8. How well did the film draw the characters of Clay and his wife? Their values their beliefs, their love for one another their loyalty to their parents, their devotion to their children and their hopes for them? Their way of training? Scenes at work, meals?
9. The film's focus on Clayboy? The eldest son? His status in the family, his work and the ordinary things he had to do for the other children? The importance of his graduation, the great speech that his teacher gave? The hopes, the scholarship, the work in the library? His relationship with Clarice? The hopes that he would go far, change? The importance of Clarice sharing this love, growth, study?
10. The role of Miss Parker and her teaching him? The importance of her speech, arranging the scholarship? If she had failed, would she have ruined his life by education?
11. The Reverend and the humour of his entry into the town, meeting Clay, fishing and drinking, the satire on the boycott on the church, Clay's blackmailing the people to go? The growing friendship? The irony of the Reverend blackmailing Clay about the Latin?
12. The contribution of the minor characters, for example, the doctor, the neighbours?
13. The film’s presentation of the values of family life? Education? Loyalty to America? the singing of the anthem on graduation day?
14. The presentation of the world of the university? Clay's visit to the Dean and his explanation of himself? His tenacity, ambitions for the boy? The attitude of the University in accepting Clayboy?
15. How much sentiment was their in the film? How wholesome the values presented? The appeal of the film? As a presentation of the real world?
