Spencer's Mountain (1963)

Clay Spencer (Henry Fonda) and his wife Olivia (Maureen O’Hara) live with their nine children and the senior Spencers in the Snake River Valley within the Grand Tetons of Wyoming. They are an uneducated, poor, but hard working people who are about to celebrate their eldest son’s graduation from high school. Clayboy (James MacArthur) will not only be the first of the Spencer’s to graduate but with his teacher Miss Parker’s (Virginia Gregg) encouragement, the first Spencer to go to college. Graduating with honors, Clayboy is very interested in continuing his education, however, paying for that education sets off a series of obstacles that tests the family’s strength and patience. Clay, a man who believes in God but not religion unknowingly signs an application for a clerical scholarship in order for his son to attend university. When Clayboy is denied the scholarship, Clay travels to the school to get to the root of the problem where he discovers the type of application he signed and Clayboy’s non-existent education in Latin that bars him from it. Striking a deal with the Dean for admission without a scholarship, Clay promises that Clayboy will pass the Latin exam by the end of the summer. Learning Latin is small potatoes for Clayboy who along with his family must figure out some way to pay for the first year of school. When Grandpa Spencer’s (Donald Crisp) dies in a tragic accident, Clayboy all but gives up his dream. With the encouragement of his father, he continues to work at the newly developed free library that his teacher Miss Parker has established for him. Despite that job, a little over five hundred dollars must be raised. After swallowing their pride and asking for a loan from a wealthier neighbor who denies them, Clay decides to give up a dream of his own for Clayboy.
Having long promised Olivia that he would build their dream home on Spencer’s Mountain with it’s grand views, Clay burns down the house they have been building all summer and sells the land to his boss Colonel Coleman (Hayden Rorke) at the quarry. Ironically, Coleman is the father to Claris (Mimsy Farmer) who is deeply in love with Clayboy and his family. Too impatient to wait four years for Clayboy to marry her, Claris has herself transferred to Clayboy’s university so they can be together. With the sale of the land, Clay will be able to pay for Clayboy to go to college with the hope that he will be able to assist his younger sibling and so on down the line.

A simple film with a simple theme combined with great performances by Fonda, O'Hara, MacArthur and Crisp (his swan song), there is a lot to love about Spencer's Mountain. It's both entertaining and endearing. It was also the pre-cursor to a favorite show of mine I used to watch as a kid in the eighties- The Waltons. Based on Earl Hamner, Jr.'s life growing up in Schulyer, Virginia during the Depression, the movie and the show differ greatly. For instance, director Delmer Daves did not to use the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop in the film (I am a Virginia girl and though Wyoming's nice, our mountains are nothing to sneeze at!) and some of the grittier themes of the book and film (alcoholism and infidelity) are seriously watered down in the show. The names also differ and in my family, when someone says Goodnight, John-Boy, we're all thinking about this scene:

Ach! Now I want to watch The Waltons.

Trivia:

Be on the look out for Maureen O'Hara's daughter Bronwyn FitzSimons as the Dean's secretary!

Spencer's Mountain was not a great time for Fonda whose new agent, unbeknownst to him, turned down an opportunity for Fonda to perform as George in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? on Broadway. Apparently, the black comedy by Edward Albee was written specifically with Fonda in mind.  Fonda also regretted not being able to perform in the film version which slated him and...wait for it...Bette Davis! Can you IMAGINE?? Bette Davis as Martha? How legendary would that have been? I mean, I LOVE Taylor and Burton in that film- they're fantastic! But Fonda and Davis?? Ach! For all you classic film buffs: Eve and Frank pitted against one another is what springs to mind.



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Joanne Woodward! Check out Rachel, Rachel and Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams! You won't be disappointed!

Sitting Pretty (1948)

Harry and Tacey King (Robert Young and Maureen O’Hara) have a pleasant life on Hummingbird Hill despite their nosy neighbors The Appletons (Richard Haydn and Grayce Hampton). When the King’s maid quits because she can no longer stand their three unruly sons Larry, Tony and Roddy, Tasey puts out an advertisement for a resident nanny. Lynn Belvedere (Clifton Webb), who has an impressive list of qualifications, promptly responds and is hired sight unseen.
Assuming Lynn is a woman, the Kings are shocked and a bit reluctant to welcome the gentleman who claims to be a genius who has mastered many professions. However, they are impressed when within a day Mr. Belvedere has won over and tamed the children and the King’s unruly dog. He also found time to fix the icebox.

Once Belvedere establishes himself on Hummingbird Hill, Appleton and his mother set their curious sights on him. Things take a turn for the worse when Harry must go on a business trip but does not want to leave Tasey alone in the house with Belvedere. Though she thinks it silly, Tasey arranges to sleep at their neighbor Bill and Edna Philby’s (Louise Allbritton and John Russell) house. This arrangement works well until one night Tony wakes up with stomachache and wants his mother. While she is there Appleton drops by feigning concern when he saw all the lights on in the house. Really, he’s hoping to catch some gossip and Tasey and Belvedere don’t disappoint- both are in their robes and Belvedere is guzzling water from the gin bottle that’s being used since the King’s water bottle is broken.

By the time Harry returns home, his boss Hammond (Ed Begley) has heard the news being spread around town and warns Harry to fix the situation or lose his job as one of his lawyers. Though Harry accepts Tacey's explanation, he thinks Belvedere should leave to avoid further complications. But the boys protest and Belvedere stays. Things flare up again however, when after attending a lecture Tacey and Edna stop at the hotel restaurant for a meal. Mr. Belvedere is there with one of Hammond’s secretaries, Peggy (Randy Stuart), who has brought him some papers. Mr. Belvedere invites Tacey to rumba and is spotted by Appleton and his mother. The gossip results in Hammond giving Harry another lecture and Harry and Tacey getting into a fight. Tacey leaves with Roddy to stay at her parents. Both are too stubborn to apologize and it isn’t until the publication of Belvedere’s book Hummingbird Hill, which results in both Harry and Bill getting fired from the firm, that Tacey rushes home. Hummingbird Hill contains thinly disguised portraits of the townspeople in a bad light including Appleton and Hammond. Everyone is in an uproar.

When Hammond, Appleton and a few other neighbors threaten to sue, Belvedere is delighted knowing this will help the sales of his book. He requests that Harry and Bill represent him and when Hammond demands to know the source of his information, Belvedere identifies Appleton who promptly retreats. Later, Harry and Tacey are surprised to find that Belvedere will stay on and perform his duties. Belvedere predicts he could get another two volumes to complete his trilogy if he stays on. Tacey warns him that she is expecting another child, however Mr. Belvedere is unfazed. He states he has also been an expert obstetrician as he takes out his knitting needles and continues to work on the baby sweater he’s making. .


What do you get when you plop a strictly refined, sardonic, narcissistic man into middle-class suburbia? Pure genius. That’s why Webb’s Belvedere not only won him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor but also spawned two more movies based on the same character. Basically playing himself onscreen, Webb with subtle actions and razor sharp dialogue is wickedly funny. Watching him go head to head with Appleton is a treat. I would definitely like to see the sequels!

Some of you may recall I did a small piece on Sitting Pretty before... :)

Éirinn go Brách!

Thank you Bloodybones345!

I love Maureen O'Hara!

Éirinn go Brách!

Vintage Ads

Virginia Bruce for Royal Gelatin Desserts

Greer Garson for Lucky Strike

Edward G. Robinson for PBR

Bing Crosby for Philco

Maureen O'Hara for Camels

Joan Crawford for Blackglama furs

Betty Furness for Westinghouse

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Three Came Home (1950) A woman fights to survive as a prisoner of the Japanese during World War II.Cast: Claudette Colbert, Patric Knowles, Florence Desmond, Sessue Hayakawa Dir: Jean Negulesco

Stars! They're just like us!

They box!
They keep up on the Arts!

They play with dolls!

They compare brands!

They knit!

They drink soda!

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William Wyler!

Favorite actresses

I've been meaning to get around to this, here are my favorite actresses and the movies I have seen them in.

Joan Crawford
The Unknown (1927)**
Our Dancing Daughters (1928)***
Our Blushing Brides (1930)***
Grand Hotel (1932)**
Dancing Lady (1933) ***
Forsaking All Others (1934) ***
The Last of Mrs. Cheney (1937) ***
The Women (1939)****
A Woman's Face (1941)****
Reunion in France (1942)***
Mildred Pierce (1945)****
Humoresque (1946) **
Possessed (1947) ****
Autumn Leaves (1956)***
Strait-Jacket (1964)***
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)****

I consider Joan Crawford the most versatile actress of her era. She could play crazy, mean, a victim, a seducer and she could play them well. The best work I have seen her in is Mildred Pierce, The Women, and my favorite, Possessed.

Bette Davis:
The Cabin in the Cotton (1932)***
Fashions of 1934 (1934)**
Of Human Bondage (1934)****
The Girl from 10th Avenue (1935)***
Front Page Woman (1935) **
The Petrified Forest (1936)**
Satan Met a Lady (1936)***
That Certain Woman (1937)***
Jezebel (1938)****
Dark Victory (1939)***
The Old Maid (1939)****
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)***
All This, and Heaven Too (1940)***
The Letter (1940)****
The Great Lie (1941)***
The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)***
In This Our Life (1942)****
Now, Voyager (1942)****
Old Acquaintance (1943)****
Mr. Skeffington (1944)****
Deception (1946) ***
All About Eve (1950)****
Pocketful of Miracles (1961)**
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)****
Dead Ringer (1964)****
Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)****
The Nanny (1965)****
Death on the Nile (1978)**
Bette Davis: A Basically Benevolent Volcano (1983) ****

Bette Davis knew she didn't have the beauty most of her contemporaries did so, what she lacked in that department she made up in wit, courage, and a ready willingness to play a bitch. And the best bitch at that. I don't even think I like Bette Davis as an actress as much as I like her being herself. When she was interviewed, you were getting her, not another part being played. She was always quick to respond, witty, humorous, and honest despite what others would think. This attitude allowed her to play unconventional roles and hone her craft in playing more powerful women.

Norma Shearer
Lady of the Night (1925)****
Their Own Desire (1929) ***
The Divorcee (1930)***
Strangers May Kiss (1931) ***
Riptide (1934)****
Idiot's Delight (1939) **
Her Cardboard Lover (1642) ****

I've really just discovered Norma Shearer so, I have not seen much but already like her bunches. Besides just being a beautiful woman, Norma Shearer brings a lot of energy to the screen- I think it helped a lot that most of her work was done in the pre-code era. She's not an exceptionally great actress but she is a lot of fun to watch.



Maureen O'Hara
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) ****
Rio Grande (1950) ***
The Quiet Man (1952) ****
The Parent Trap (1961) ***
McLintock! (1963) ****
Big Jake (1971) ***
Cab to Canada (1998) ***

Another exceptional beauty, Maureen O'Hara stars in one of my favorite films, The Quiet Man. I loved all her best when her co-star was John Wayne. They had serious onscreen magic. Beyond her beauty, I love her lilting voice and her fiery attitude.

Myrna Loy
When Ladies Meet (1933)***
Penthouse (1933)***
The Thin Man (1934)****
Manhattan Melodrama (1934) ***
Wife vs. Secretary (1936)***
The Great Ziegfeld (1936)***
Libeled Lady (1936)***
After the Thin Man (1936)****
The Rains Came (1939) ****
Another Thin Man (1939)****
Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)****
The Thin Man Goes Home (1944)****
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947)***
Song of the Thin Man (1947)****
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)****

Like Norma Shearer, Myrna Loy brings a lot of energy to the screen. She was always witty, quick and had an uncanny way of showing anger- by not really showing it. Has anyone else notices that? I lover her in all the Thin Man movies, she and William Powell are another prime example of onscreen magic.

Irene Dunne
The Awful Truth (1937)****
My Favorite Wife (1940)****
Life with Father (1947)****
I Remember Mama (1948)***


I wish Irene Dunne had done more movies with Cary Grant, I think they made a great onscreen couple. Although I have not seen many of her films, I like Irene Dunne in that she brings a bit of originality to the screen. I like the way she talks to herself, her nervouse laughter, the way she can just laugh off any insult or get even when it's necessary.




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It's all about Robert Montgomery! Yum!

Mother's of the bride...

Joan and Christine:
Shirley and Lori:

Ethel and Ethel Jr.:

Betty and B.D.:

Maureen and Bronwyn:

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It's Katharine Hepburn Day!! Go and watch!

Period Pieces...

On Screen Magic...

Together in five films, (Rio Grande,The Quiet Man, Wings of Eagles, McLintock, Big Jake) very few couples displayed the on screen magic that Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne did. I enjoyed the films they did together because besides both being possessed of fiery tempers, intelligence, charm, and comedic talent, you really thought they were in it for one another. They also proved time and again that you had to work hard at love and in doing so, were greatly rewarded. Most of the screen shots below are from The Quiet Man, my favorite of their films together and possibly one of my all time favorite films.

Tonight on TCM!

I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang (1932) A World War I veteran faces inhuman conditions when he's sentenced to hard labor. Cast: Paul Muni, Glenda Farrell, Helen Vinson, Noel Francis Dir: Mervyn Le Roy
9:45pm
Fury (1936) An innocent man escapes a lynch mob then returns for revenge.Cast: Sylvia Sidney, Spencer Tracy, Walter Abel, Bruce Cabot Dir: Fritz Lang