The Well (1951)

Directors:

Leo C. Popkin
Russell Rouse

Writers:

Russell Rouse and
Clarence Greene

Release Date:

10 September 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir

Plot:

In a racially mixed American town, a 5-year-old black girl falls unnoticed into a hidden, forgotten well on her way to school...

Plot Keywords:

Missing Person | Riot | Race Relations

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Gwendolyn Laster	...	Carolyn Crawford
Richard Rober	...	Sheriff Ben Kellogg
Maidie Norman	...	Martha Crawford
George Hamilton	...	Grandpa Peabody
Ernest Anderson	...	Ralph Crawford
Dick Simmons	...	Deputy Mickey McClure
Lane Chandler	...	Deputy Stan
Pat Mitchell	...	Peter
Margaret Wells	...	School Teacher, Miss Peterson
Wheaton Chambers	...	Mr. Woody, Florist
Michael Ross	...	Deputy Frank
Russell Trent	...	Deputy Chet
Allen Mathews	...	Deputy Hal
John Philips	...	Deputy Fred
Walter Morrison	...	Art
Christine Larsen	...	Casey (as Christine Larson)
Jess Kirkpatrick	...	Quigley
Roy Engel	...	Gleason
Alfred Grant	...	Gaines
Edwin Max	...	Bert, Milkman (as Ed Max)
Guy Beach	...	Baggage Man
Robert Osterloh	...	Alex Wylie
Harry Morgan	...	Claude Packard (as Henry Morgan)
Barry Kelley	...	Sam Packard (as Barry Kelly)
Walter Kelly	...	Chip Williams
Mary Ellen Kay	...	Lois
Beverly Jons	...	Sally
Elzie Emanuel	...	Student
Tom Powers	...	Jim, Mayor
Bill Walker	...	Dr. Billings
Douglas Evans	...	Lobel
Sherry Hall	...	Manners
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rodney Bell	...	Lunch Counter Customer (uncredited)
Robert Bice	...	Manager of Packard Construction Company (uncredited)
George Magrill	...	Construction Worker (uncredited)
Renny McEvoy	...	Driver / Witness (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Lunch Counter Customer (uncredited)
Charles Joseph Patterson	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Anna Prowse	...	Dr. Billings nurse (uncredited)
Frank J. Scannell	...	Lunch Counter Customer (uncredited)
Emil Sitka	...	Lunch Counter Customer (uncredited)

Directed by
Leo C. Popkin		(as Leo Popkin)
Russell Rouse

Writing credits
Russell Rouse		and
Clarence Greene

Produced by
Clarence Greene	....	producer
Harry M. Popkin	....	executive producer
Leo C. Popkin	....	producer (as Leo Popkin)

Original Music by
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by
Ernest Laszlo

Film Editing by
Chester W. Schaeffer		(as Chester Schaeffer)

Art Direction by
Rudolph Sternad

Set Decoration by
Murray Waite

Makeup Department
Gustaf Norin	....	makeup artist (as Gus Norin)

Production Management
Joseph H. Nadel	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Leon Chooluck	....	assistant director
Ralph Slosser	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Mac Dalgleish	....	sound
Fred Maguire	....	sound effects
Ben Winkler	....	sound

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Maria P. Donovan	....	wardrobe: women (as Maria Donovan)
Jack Masters	....	wardrobe: men

Music Department
George C. Emick	....	music editor
Dimitri Tiomkin	....	musical director
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Herbert Taylor	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Cardinal Pictures (II)

Distributors

• United Artists (1952) (USA) (theatrical)
• Englewood Entertainment (video)
• Punto Zero (2007) (Italy) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #15138) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Cardinal Pictures (II)

Education Through Entertainment

As a boy growing up in the 1950's South being surrounded by racial and religious prejudices (My father made Archie Bunker seem like a bleeding-heart liberal.) I remember being impressed and educated by seeing two great little films. The Well was one and Storm Warning was the other. Both were made in 1951. I guess you could say that Storm Warning was an A-movie as it featured Ginger Rogers, Ronald Reagan, and Doris Day as the stars.

The Well was definitely a B-movie, but its subject matter gave it a step-up on most of the B-movies of the time. Keep in mind that this was a period in time in which people went to double features and the local movie house and drive-ins as television was just an infant and not available except to a few. B-movies were generally low-budget films cranked out for more or less mindless entertainment.

The plot is pretty standard. A little Black girl is on her way to school and wanders into a field to pick some flowers where she falls into an abandoned well. The search for the little girl is begun. A man in town to visit his uncle - a rich and powerful businessman - who was seen talking to the girl comes under suspicion. As he is "grilled" by the police, the uncle storms into the station and demands his release to no avail. As the uncle is leaving the station, he is questioned by the little girl's father who has heard of the nephew. There is a scuffle, and the uncle falls and is injured. As news of the incident is spread and embellished with false rumors, all hell breaks loose. Just as the town is on the verge of an all-out racial riot, a boy rushes in to announce that he has discovered the little girl's things next to the well. From that point on, all the town's energies are concentrated upon saving the little girl. The uncle provides heavy equipment from his business, and the nephew - who just happens to be a mining expert - is convinced to save the day.

All of this is carried out in over-the-top B-movie melodramatic fashion supported by just about every '50's cliché character including the strong lawman leader; his sensible love interest; the businessman who runs the town; the pleading, helpless mother; the racially biased beat cop; and young people of both races who run rampant destroying property and beating on each other.

So why the eight stars? The time. The content. The message. Since the beginning of film, movie makers have strived to bring education to their audiences through entertainment. This film surely deserves recognition for demonstrating the evils of racial prejudice and rumor in an effective and entertaining fashion.