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.

For thoughts on Spencer’s Mountain, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Warner Archive provided Spencer’s Mountain with a resplendent 1080p master transfer in 2.35:1 when it was released in 2017 from what we assume is a 2K scan of the Interpositive, but we cannot find confirmation of this. Whatever the case may be, you can tell Warner Archive put the standard amount of care they give each title into this one. The film showcases sumptuous colors within the costumes and the rural environments that explode off the screen.

Outside of some optical dissolves that have baked-in limitations, this transfer delivers great detail and clarity. The natural film grain extracts nuances from the picture captured by Charles Lawton Jr. to perfection. Highlights are sturdy during the runtime and black levels are largely deep. The film is primarily free of imperfections with no outright instances of damage or dirt detected. Compression artifacts, banding, and other such issues do not emerge as an issue in this transfer. Warner Archive is one of the best in the game.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio split mono track that capably accomplishes everything that is asked of it. Exchanges come through crisp and clear with no elements stealing focus. Dialogue and environmental noises work impeccably with the score so everything has the appropriate prominence. With every soaring note of the score from Max Steiner, you are free of unexpected anomalies. There is no unforgivable age-related wear and tear to the track such as hissing, dropouts, or popping. The more action-oriented moments are handled well and give the track a bit of texture. Warner Archive will receive no notes of criticism from us. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included for the feature film.

Special Features

Grand Teton Premiere Documentary: A nearly eight-minute black-and-white glimpse of the premiere.

Henry Fonda Interviews: A ten-minute collection of interviews with Henry Fonda along with an appearance from co-star James MacArthur in which the performer discusses his experience working on the film.

Theatrical Trailer (3:27)

Final Thoughts

Spencer’s Mountain is a somewhat episodic family drama that can lean towards the sentimental side of the equation yet still delivers compelling developments. Henry Fonda is as great as ever alongside a winning ensemble. There are certain narrative developments that are dubious at best, but we largely fall under the simple charms of this family saga. We are unsure how this compares to The Waltons, but it is a safe bet any fan of that series will appreciate this. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray that sports a first-rate A/V presentation but nearly nothing in the way of special features. Recommended

Spencer’s Mountain can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.