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The Well

  • 1951
  • Approved
  • 1h 26m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
939
YOUR RATING
Gwendolyn Laster and Richard Rober in The Well (1951)
DramaThriller

A small, racially-mixed American town succumbs to violence and utter mayhem after a white man suspected of kidnapping a missing black girl is released by the white authority.A small, racially-mixed American town succumbs to violence and utter mayhem after a white man suspected of kidnapping a missing black girl is released by the white authority.A small, racially-mixed American town succumbs to violence and utter mayhem after a white man suspected of kidnapping a missing black girl is released by the white authority.

  • Directors
    • Leo C. Popkin
    • Russell Rouse
  • Writers
    • Russell Rouse
    • Clarence Greene
  • Stars
    • Gwendolyn Laster
    • Richard Rober
    • Maidie Norman
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    939
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Leo C. Popkin
      • Russell Rouse
    • Writers
      • Russell Rouse
      • Clarence Greene
    • Stars
      • Gwendolyn Laster
      • Richard Rober
      • Maidie Norman
    • 27User reviews
    • 21Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 1 win & 4 nominations total

    Photos5

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    Top cast45

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    Gwendolyn Laster
    • Carolyn
    Richard Rober
    Richard Rober
    • Ben Kellog
    Maidie Norman
    Maidie Norman
    • Mrs. Crawford
    George Hamilton
    • Grandfather
    Ernest Anderson
    Ernest Anderson
    • Mr. Crawford
    Dick Simmons
    Dick Simmons
    • Mickey
    Lane Chandler
    Lane Chandler
    • Stan
    Pat Mitchell
    • Peter
    Margaret Wells
    • Schoolteacher
    Wheaton Chambers
    Wheaton Chambers
    • Woody
    Michael Ross
    Michael Ross
    • Frank
    Russell Trent
    • Chet
    Allen Mathews
    • Hal
    John Philips
    • Fred
    Walter Morrison
    • Art
    Christine Larson
    Christine Larson
    • Casey
    Jess Kirkpatrick
    Jess Kirkpatrick
    • Quigley
    Roy Engel
    Roy Engel
    • Gleason
    • Directors
      • Leo C. Popkin
      • Russell Rouse
    • Writers
      • Russell Rouse
      • Clarence Greene
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews27

    7.2939
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    Featured reviews

    8nturner

    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.
    iblis

    Race relations and the mob mentality

    My , My, what can happen when a little girl turns up missing. A 5 year old black girl in 1951. This film shows just how easily things can get out of control when a white man is accused of abducting her. This film is nearly fifty years old and it makes one wonder just how far have we really come in those fifty years? A few years after this film was made, another called To Kill A Mockingbird came out on a similar subject. That one is considered a classic while The Well has been all but forgotten. It really is a shame because the Well is every bit as good.
    EyeAskance

    "WELL" done B movie

    A perennial late-night TV favorite during the 60s and 70s, THE WELL is a tense, sharply directed B programmer which denotes the gradual escalation of a racial conflict within a rural U. S. community, ignited by the suspicious disappearance of a little black girl. In truth, she had fallen into a deep forgotten well, trapped yet alive. During the ensuing police investigation, a misinformative detail leaked to the public leads to a series of progressively violent cross-racial confrontations which intensify until the missing child's true perile is learned. The film's concluding moments focus on her rescue mission, an enormous undertaking which draws the entire town to spectate. These scenes crackle with edge-of-your-seat tension, and are surprisingly well realized for such a modest production. Presumably, the key inspiration for this project was the heartbreaking Kathy Fiscus tragedy which occurred two years earlier, becoming a watershed moment in television broadcasting.

    Though the grubbiness of underfunding is occasionally evident, this is a first-rate example of second-string cinema which bravely touches on sensitive sociopolitical issues nearly always skirted by Hollywood at the time. It's a great opportunity to see some of Hollywood's black performers of the period getting a chance to shine in dramatic parts beyond the one-dimensional maids, footmen, and dubious comic relief characters to which they were then so commonly relegated. THE WELL is often cited as a "film noir", though I'd personally disagree...stylistically, there are a few minor distinctions to that end, but the basal elements would render it an anomalous addition to the noir canon.

    6.5/10.
    8bux

    A taut drama of racial tensions in a small town.

    Racial tensions are already at a fever pitch, when a tiny black girl disappears. A white traveler, passing thru is suspected. This is a grim, gripping tale of bigotry and redemption. Morgan is outstanding as the sympathetic white traveler who ultimately is the town's salvation. Without a doubt, Morgan should have received the Oscar for this one!
    8planktonrules

    Much more daring than a typical Hollywood film on race from this era.

    "The Well" is a seldom seen film about race that is incredibly daring and far ahead of its time. Fortunately, it's now on YouTube and I strongly recommend you give this movie a chance.

    The movie is an independent film released through United Artists. Sometime this could indicate that a picture is cheap and shoddy...but this one is inexpensive but a quality film throughout. And, because most of the actors are unknown, the effort looks more real than a typical and glossy Hollywood picture.

    It begins with a black 5 year-old being reported missing and the police investigate. Soon they uncover some witnesses who say they saw a white man with the child and soon the entire community starts jumping to conclusions. This ends up tearing the town apart and underlying racial issues come boiling to the surface and race riots soon begin. Once they find the white man, however, the problem isn't over as he insists he's innocent and you cannot help but think that he's telling the truth. What's next? See the film.

    Let's get to the bad first. There really isn't much bad about the film. My only criticism is that the film is poorly paced. The first half is great and moves quickly (possibly a bit too quickly) but the second half is so long and drawn out that it seriously impacts the tempo of the film. Compacting the final portion would have improved the film a lot.

    As for the good, there is so much to like. The acting and script are excellent and the director did a great job of getting the most from mostly small-time actors. One of the only recognizable faces is Harry Morgan as the accused...and this was well before he became a star. Also, when it came to race, the film is FAR more honest, daring and blunt than a typical race film of the era. In "The Well", folks use very harsh language that is shocking...and I like how the film didn't avoid showing the ugliness of racism. Movies today aren't this honest about race in many ways. Hard-hitting and well made, this is a really good film that needs to be seen.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The only non-Best Picture Oscar nominee that year to be nominated for Best Editing.
    • Goofs
      The gang who was chasing the young man down the street are closer to the car before the scene change of the car driving off.
    • Quotes

      Ben Kellog: Nobody's walking away from this because I need 50 for every one of you. I'd like to walk out of it too. But if I'm in it, you're in it with me.

    • Connections
      Referenced in Eine Berliner Romanze (1956)

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • September 24, 1951 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Presahli bunar
    • Filming locations
      • Marysville, California, USA(Marysville Elementary School scenes)
    • Production companies
      • Harry Popkin Productions
      • Cardinal Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $450,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 26 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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