Spencer's Mountain (released in 1963) - starring Henry Fonda, Maureen O'Hara - the story of a rustic patriarch

This heart warming tale was directed by Delmer Daves, in 1965 based on the book by Earl Hamner Jr. This the tale of the fight of the human spirit to triumph against all odds. The film stars, Henry Fonda, Maureen O'Hara and James Macarthur. The high light of the movie is the panoramic view of the mountain's which are breathtakingly beautiful. This novel and the movie has been the basis for the Television drama The Walton's.
As the tale goes, grandpa Zebulon, the father of Clay Spencer makes his home among the beautiful mountains of Wyoming. Here he has nine children of whom only Spencer continues his legacy. Clay Spencer is a hard working quarry man who occasionally indulges in a drink. He is a decent man and does not believe in the cliché of organized religion and therefore never goes to church. But he takes up back breaking labor to put bread on the family table. His wife is the rock of the family and has raised nine children.



Spencer's dream and promise was to build a beautiful mountain home for his wife. His son Clayboy is an amazingly gifted and talented boy who dreams of going to college. Clay boy is the only Spencer with any scholastic achievements to his credit. Clay knows that college will open new vista's for the boy and he will escape the poverty and labor which the Spencer's are doomed to.
Clayboy is admired by Claris Coleman, the rich daughter of the quarry manager and her frank admissions embarrass Clayboy. But he is enamored with her and returns her kiss. This arouses jealousy in Minnie Cora Cook a valley girl who ultimately marries the richest man around. Clayboy is rejected by the college because of his lack of proficiency in Latin. The family is shocked and an angry Clay confronts the college. The school agrees to admit him if he passes in Latin. The preacher Goodson agrees to tutor Clayboy if Clay Spencer would come to church and turn to religion.
Tragedy strikes the Spencer's when Granpa is killed by a falling tree. But in his will he leaves a legacy of thirty eight dolors and exhorts Clayboy to aim high. This spurs him to study hard and he passes his Latin with flying colors. Clay tries to borrow money from a rich man, but Minnie Cora who is married to the rich man out of spite blocks the loan. Clay decides to forget his dream and relinquishes his land on beautiful Spencer Mountain. He has no choice to burn it down. His wife stands behind him and says that she is contended with what ever they have
So a united family send Clayboy to college. Super feel good movie which will uplift your soul when you are down. Just grab you tissues and soak the triumph of the hardworking, gracious and decent people of the mountains.

FireCreek (released in 1968) - starring James Stewart and Henry Fonda, directed by Vincent McEveety

This movie was released in 1968, and has Henry Fonda and James Stewart essaying the leading roles. The leading pair are cast as chief antagonist's and are pitted in a good Vs bad gun battle. As the story begins, Johnny Cobb is a mild mannered farmer who acts as a sheriff to a gentle community of Fire creek. He is a family man with his wife Henrietta in the family way. He moves around with a tin badge hammered out by his kids which spells “Sheraf” instead of sheriff. He is pretty embarrassed by these shows of affection.
In to this idyllic town ride the thugs, Larkin, Drew, Norman, Earl and Willard. They are raging psychopaths who shoots up the town. The ring leader Larkin is wounded and has to lie low to get well. He is disgusted with the behavior of his gang but does little to stop them. Larkin is ministered by Evelyn a kindly land lady who fearlessly speaks about the atrocities committed by the hoodlums.
John Cobb does his best to keep peace within the town. Soon the gang members disrupt church services, and beat up the towns people. Things get ugly when Meli, an Indian women is raped by the gang member. Albert a stable boy who witness this gruesome sight, inadvertently kills him. Cobb locks up Albert to put him on trial. But as he leaves town to visit his pregnant wife the gang forcibly enter the prison and lynches Albert. Then the gang tries to take over the town completely.



This cowardly act enrages the sheriff who try to arrest the perpetrators. Soon a gun battle ensues in which the sheriff takes the lone stand. He shoots Drew, Earl, Norman and Willard. Larkin wounds the sheriff but still he manages to kill Larkin. Soon the whole town is energized and they fight the thugs out.
The movie is supposed to be thriller, but is little too long. This is one of the few films which Fonda plays the antagonist and has worked with his real life buddy James Stewart.

The Cheyenne Social club (released in 1970) - Starring James Stewart, Henry Fonda, and Shirley Jones, and directed by Gene Kelly

The Cheyenne Social club is a western comedy directed by Gene Kelley who is famous for his role in “Singing in the Rain”. It stars real world friends Henry Fonda and James Stewart along with the beautiful Shirley Jones.
Two lonely cowboys in the 1870's John Hanlan and Harley Sullivan have been riding together for almost ten years. They have nothing to call their own and do odd jobs and sleep under the stars. Hanlan's secret wish is to acquire some property. One day he gets the message from a lawyer that his estranged brother has passed away presenting him with a legacy. The legacy is Cheyenne Social club.
Hanlan is mighty pleased as he has become a “man of property”. He resolves to go to Wyoming to claim his property. Harley rides along with him as he always has in the past. When they reach Cheyenne they are welcomed with most love and affection. The towns men treat them with respect and the bar offers them free drinks.



Hanlan goes to inspect his inheritance and to his dismay discovers that it is a bordello. The business is run by Jenny who is the loveliest of all madams. The rest of the girls are, Opal Ann (Sue Ann Langdon), Pauline (Elaine Divry), Carrie Virginia (Jackie Russell), Annie Jo (Jackie Joseph) and Sara Jean (Sharon DeBord).The girls all hand picked by DJ are the best of the women available. The prudish uptight Hanlan is horrified and says that this business against his religion and convictions. Soon he decided to close down the brothel and build a boarding house in its place. But this upsets the towns people who petition him to rethink his decision.
In the mean time Harley charms his way in to the rooms of all the girls and makes his conquests. Hanlan is disgusted by this. But matters go to his head when one of the girls Jenny is beaten by a sinister Corey Bannister who is the local thug. Hanlan shoots him in a duel and soon has the blood thirsty Bannister clan baying for his blood. A gun battle ensues and the friends have to defend themselves and the girls. The shooting of Corey Bannister is one of the funniest scenes in the movie. While Hanlan is trying to shoot him Harley makes a shooting sound with some pecans which distracts Corey. Hanlan shoots him becomes a hero.
A wonderful movie with the best of humor in place. The dialogues are very witty and there is nothing bawdy about them. Sex is not in your face but is shown as a gentle romance. There is romance, action, and above all healthy fun. James Stewart and Henry Fonda are real life friends who bring the crackling chemistry to the fore and make you laugh and smile with their performances. This movie was James Stewart's last western. Watch the movie for their performances and the most witty dialogues you can quote.

Warlock (Released in 1959) - Starring Henry Fonda and Anthony Quinn - another western story

This movie is adapted form a book of the same name by Oakley Hall. It belongs to the genre of a western and is treated as a classic. Warlock is a town in Utah and is plagued by a group of cowboys led by Abe McQwon who routinely rob and humiliate all the towns people. To control this menace the residents bring in the sharp shooter Clay Blaisedell as a Town Marshall. Blaisedell arrives with his friend Morgan who is a petty drunkard. They rename a saloon as French quarter and take over the place. Morgan is a liability because of his drunkenness and the town people ask him to leave. Blaisedell refuses to let Morgan off and informs that he is part of the deal. Soon they come face to face with the McQuown gang and the gang members are humiliated. One of the members Johnny Gannon leaves to become a more law abiding citizen.
Morgan learns that his old girl friend Lily Dollar is coming to town with Bob Nicholson. Earlier Lily had left Morgan for Ben Nicholson, Bob's elder brother. Morgan had entrapped Ben in to challenging Blaisedell who easily shoots him to death. Morgan anyway leaves to see Lily arriving in a stagecoach which is ambushed by the McQuown gang. In the melee Morgan kills Bob and runs away. Lily reaches town and sees Morgan and is convinced about his guilt even though she has no proof.



Blaisedell has fallen in love with a local girl Jessie Marlow and wants to settle down. Johnny Gannon becomes a Sheriff deputy in the neighboring bright town. Th McQuown gang tries to undermine Blaisedell's status as the town Marshall. In a confrontation with the robbing gang, Blaisedell kills Gannon's brother. Gannon in the mean time is successful in breaking up the robbing gang and is more amiable to the citizens of Warlock. They feel that Blaisedell has out lived his usefulness.
Soon the residents are tired of him and wants him to leave. Morgan also wants to go from the town of Warlock. When Blaisedell refuses Morgan is furious and shoots up the town. Blaisedell learns about the murders of the Nicholson brothers and turns his back on Morgan. A furious morgan tries to prove that Blaisedell is not good without him and shoots at him. The other in self defense shoots at Morgan, killing him immediately. But Blaisedell, is grief stricken and gives Morgan a Viking Funeral by burning down the saloon.
The town has had enough of the spectacle and feels confident in Gannon's power in maintaining law and order. Gannon, along with the town's people asks Blaisedell to leave. His girl friend abandons him and refuses to leave town. Blaisedell challenges Gannon to a duel, even out draws him. But in the end he opts to leave town, and throws his gold handled pistols on the ground. Lily Dollar feels that she has avenged the killings of the Nicholson's and takes up with Gannon.

The Tin Star (released in 1957) starring Henry Fonda and Anthony Perkins - another Western classic

The Tin star directed by Anthony Mann is adapted from a short story of the same name. The movie is considered as a classic in the genre of western films and was nominated for an Oscar for the best screenplay. Veteran Bounty hunter Morgan Hickman comes to a town to hunt an outlaw. The town Sheriff has been killed and is replaced by young Ben Owens. Ben Owens is inexperienced and does not have any people skills. His confidence levels are very low. He is struggling to maintain the law and order and especially is bullied by the brutish Neville.
Morgan Hickman ultimately captures the outlaw and brings him in dead. He is cold shouldered by the town people who treat him with contempt. But as Hickman puts it ”I don't mind the chill, I'm after money”. He has steeled himself for this reception and does not let him bother him. Initially Ben Owens also treat him the same way, but soon comes to know about his courage.
Ben wants to be the permanent sheriff of the town and needs to impress the people of the town with his skills. He feels that Morgan can help him in this department. He asks him to train him in fire arms.



Morgan initially skeptical, agrees to the bargain and soon he is imparting lessons to the young Owens. He takes a liking to Owens and imparts people management skills also. As Morgan says “A gun is only a tool, you can master it if you got the knack. It is harder to master people”.
During one such interaction Ben is astonished to know that Morgan was a sheriff a long time ago and wore the tin star. He was disillusioned by the the towns people who treat him shamefully when his wife and son was killed. He prefers to be a free bounty hunter with no conscience.
The film also deals with the problem of racism especially against the Indians. A widow is treated as an outcast for marrying an Indian and Morgan develops feelings for her and her son. Ultimately while training Ben, Morgan rediscovers himself and his love for the badge.

The Wrong man (released in 1956) staring Henry Fonda, struggling to prove themselves innocent

This movie was adapted from a book by Maxwell Anderson, “The True story of Christopher, Emmanuel Balestrero” and is based on a true life incident.
It deals with a couple who fight for justice when the husband is convicted as a result of a mistaken identity. Manny Balestrero, a musician in a night club and his wife Rose live a hand and mouth existence. He tries to borrow money against Rose's insurance for some dental work which needs to be done. While he is at he insurance office, the clerk notices that he resembles the armed robber who had robbed the office. He calls in the police and soon the witnesses are marched in who swear to have seen him robing the office. Manny tries to prove his innocence, but fails. Even in his handwriting sample, in his nervousness, he misspells the same words that the robber himself had mis-spelt. Soon Manny is taken in to custody and the trial begins.
The couple hire Frank O'Connor as the defense attorney who builds up the case in their favor. He argues that Manny and Rose were on a vacation during the first robbery. But the 3 witnesses who had seen them during the vacation had died and this alibi also fails to impress. During the second robbery Manny had a swollen jaw which would have been easily noticeable by the insurance agency employee.



Rose is unable to bear the strain of this ordeal and soon buckles under pressure. She is confined to the sanitarium and is treated for depression. During the trial a bored Juror passes a remark which makes the judge to declare a mistrial. Manny is forced to await another trial in prison. As luck could have it the real robber is arrested and Manny is set free. He reaches Rose with the happy news but finds her apathetic. Soon Rose is cured and the family moves to Florida.
This movie was based on a true life story and is the last movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock for Warner bros. After this he made pictures only for Paramount. This movie is said to have been the only true story in Hitchcock's entire body of work. He is said to have hated the police and this sentiment is amply reflected in this movie. Hitchcock even did a cameo as the story teller in the movie and this is the only time he has appeared in any one of his pictures. He even cast the real Balesstrero witnesses in small parts for the movie. The real life Frank O'Connor is a New York Senator who rises to a appellate Judge.
The wrong man failed to impress at the box office, but is considered a classic. This movie has significant influence on many directors, and was influenced in making of the 2006 movie Lucky Number Slevin.

War and Peace (released in 1956) starring Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda and Mel Ferrer

War and peace is an epic novel by Leo Tolstoy and tells a love story with in the back ground of the Russo- Napoleonic war. It was directed by King Vidor and produced as an American/Italian collaboration by Carlo Ponti and Dino Laurentelis.
The story starts with Prince Andrei Bolkonsky who is disillusioned by his marriage to Lise and goes away to fight the Napoleonic war's. Lise, in the mean time lives with his father and sister, princess Marya. Andrei is injured and is supposedly dead but Marya and her father keeps this news away from Lise fearing for her unborn child. However Andrei is under the care of Napoleon himself, recovers and returns home a changed man, ready to love Lise again. But she dies leaving him to care for their son.
Andrei and Nicholas Rostov become friends and they in-turn are introduced to Pierre Bezhukov who has a devil may care attitude. He is attracted to Natasha Rostova who is Nicholas's sister but marries the beautiful Helene. He comes in to his inheritance from his father and leaves to enjoy life not the least bit interested in war.



A distraught Andrei is disillusioned by war and serves under his father in St Petersburg. Here he meets countess Natasha Rostova and falls in love with her. He proposes marriage and Natasha accepts, except for the fact that it is vetoed by Andrei's father. He proposes to the couple to wait for a year and then go for the wedding. Andrei accepts and leaves for a tour of Europe.
Natasha is lonely and is seduced by a married Anatole Kuragin and plans to elope with him. She writes to princess Marya breaking off the engagement and the letter reaches Andrei. But Natasha's cousin Sonya tells her that Anatole is much married and Natasha breaks up with him. She tried to commit suicide and is rescued. Meanwhile her best friend Pierre Bezhukov comes in to his inheritance and is married to a scheming princess Helene. He realizes his mistake and divorces her and reaches St Petersburg.
Andrei is seriously wounded by a grenade in the war and in his trying moments realizes that he is in love with Natasha and is ready to forgive her. An abandoned and wounded Andrei is found by Natasha who cares for him with the help of his sister, but dies of his serious injuries. Natasha meets with Pierre whose wife has died and develops feelings for him. They ultimately marry and have four children.
This film is a golden globe winner for the best film and was nominated for the Oscars for best director, cinematography, color and costume design. The film is often compared to the 1965 version by Sergei Bondarchuk and pales in such comparison. It vastly differs from the book and many of the supporting characters are relegated to the side. This movie was not a big hit and is essentially a love triangle between Andrei, Natasha and Pierre.