Fun and wholesome story about a Wyoming landowner called Clay Spencer (Henry Fonda) , he is a hard-working man who loves his wife (Mauren O'Hara) and large family. Clay abhorring religion , though allows his wife to raise the children as Christians and keeps promising to build another family house . Spencer runs a loving and attractive family and the kids long for a permanent home . Clay is respected by his neighbors and always ready to give them a helping hand . Meanwhile , his son Clayboy wants to go at University , and the schoolteacher impresses upon Clayboy the following phrase, "The world steps aside to let a man pass, if he knows where he is going" . Problems start when the misfit kiddies join themselves as the free spirits and the undisciplined preppies, along with troubled Clayboy (James MacArthur) who falls in love with Claris Coleman (Mimsy Farmer) . There are various family crisis but it is all very heartwarming .
Henry Fonda's entertaining vehicle with young people and agreeable actors . The film deals with a happy family , the father is a notorious handy man and the mother is a brilliant housewife . Charming tale though stuck with average screenplay based on the Earl Hamner Jr novel . Henry Fonda and Mauren O'Hara ought to keep the familiar order involving in their own home while at the same time occupy the works . Nice work by filmmaker Delmer Daves in demonstrating his skill at all areas : as technical , using all kind of resources for illustrating the interesting as well as enjoyable story with an engaging screenplay , adding great actors , professional filmmaking and correct narration , including his characteristic use of landscape .The picture is pretty entertaining and amusing , the film contains bemusing scenes , zany shenanigans , continuous laughters and various chuckles with lots of fun . Humanity and humor are high in the priorities of the director Delmer Daves who shows a considerable talent recapturing funny situations . Fine settings and adequate local colour , in fact , many locals of Jackson Hole, Wyoming were used as extras for scenes in the movie , such as the graduation of Clayboy . The picture belongs to family sub-genre whose maxim representation is ¨Cheaper by dozen ¨ with Myrna Loy and Clifton Webb and a modern version starred by Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt ; ¨Yours , mine and ours¨ also starred by Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball, being recently remade (2005) by Raja Gosnell with Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo . Formidable main cast , very well featured by Henry Fonda and Mauren O'Hara . Secondary cast is frankly good such as Virginia Gregg as Miss Parker , Whit Bissell as Dr. Campbell , Hayden Rorke as Colonel Coleman , Dub Taylor as Percy Cook , Mike Henry ¨Tarzan¨ as Spencer Brother and Victor French of "Little House on the Prairie" as Brother . And film debut of Barbara McNair and final film of Donald Crisp. Besides , there appears as sons ,some young actors who will have an acceptable career as TV or cinema stars such as Verónica Cartwright of ¨Alien¨. Director Delmer Daves' granddaughter, Michele Daves, made her only film appearance to date in this movie, appearing as the youngest Spencer child, baby Donnie . Maureen O'Hara's real-life daughter, Bronwyn FitzSimons, plays the part of the college dean's secretary. Colorful as well as evocative cinematography by Charles Lawton Jr filmed on location in Grand Teton National Park, Moose, Wyoming, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Raymond , California . Rousing and lively musical score by the classical composer Max Steiner .
The motion picture was well directed by Delmer Daves , though results to be excessively maudlin . His films have a special penchant for recapturing a particular atmosphere , many of this movies are about real people but they remain muted in impact . He was a notorious screenwriter , but Daves was especially a expert on Western genre , for the reason he lived a long time of his boyhood with the Navajo and Hopi Indian tribes as he realized the notorious trail-blazing ¨Broken arrow¨ the first movie for many years not treat the Indians as cannon-fodder for the cavalry , which made the picture unpopular in some quarters . He went on directing the suspenseful ¨3:10 to Yuma¨, other pro-Indian as ¨The last wagon¨ and about Modoc Indians as ¨Drum beat¨ , the Shakespearian style of ¨Jubal¨ , ¨Return of the Texan¨ and ¨Cowboy¨ which a fairly spectacle about a long cattle drive . He also realized Noir films such as ¨Dark passage¨ and ¨The red House¨ that is absolutely recommended . From 1959 Delmer Daves becomes embroiled for the remainder of his career with teenage love epics and very popular at the Box-office as ¨A summer place¨, ¨Parrish¨, ¨Susan Slade¨, and ¨Rome adventure¨, and family movies such as ¨The Spencer's mountain¨ . Worthwhile seeing .
