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!
27 Reviews
Education Through Entertainment
nturner7 November 2008
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.
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.
Much more daring than a typical Hollywood film on race from this era.
planktonrules19 June 2016
"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.
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.
Gripping Racial Drama
dougdoepke8 August 2010
Okay, we all know how poisonous rumor can be. Just repeating something doesn't make it so. Mix in a common human liking for embellishment, along with a readiness to believe the worst about certain groups of people, and you get tinder for explosive situations. This movie makes the most of such ordinary human tendencies. The first half amounts to a textbook example of how such tensions can break apart an any-town community. More importantly, the filmmakers do it in expert fashion. First, a little black girl goes missing. Then rumor feeds on old racial grudges, fractures erupt into violence, and race war looms beyond what local authorities can handle. Note how the scenes build on one another, spreading to ever more people like a virus. This first half is about as intense and well edited as any film of the period.
The second half shows the community coming back together after the split. Happily, the races unite around a common concern to rescue the little girl from the well. This part's uplifting, especially when the movie shows individual skills combining across racial lines into an effective community action. But it also goes on too long, even after we've gotten the point. There's suspense here, but not enough to carry 45 minutes of drilling machinery. Nonetheless, the two halves do combine into a pretty powerful cautionary tale.
I like the way the filmmakers mix average looking actors (Osterloh, Engle) with the ordinary townfolk. That, along with location backgrounds creates the needed any-town atmosphere. Too bad IMDb is unable to identify these filming locations— they deserve credit. On the whole, it's a really well acted drama, Harry Morgan's hapless Claude Packard being a special standout. Note how deftly he moves from anger to sorrow in the confrontational office scene with his uncle (Kelley). Rober's excellent too, as the standup sheriff. Someone, however, should have told the comedic Ed Max (the milkman) that this was not a comedy.
There is one interesting angle to ponder. Suppose that initial scene of the girl falling into the well were eliminated. Then we wouldn't have the advantage of being able to judge the actions of the various individuals. For the movie's purposes, I think this first scene is required so that we can see how misguided the town's reactions are. Nonetheless, I think it's interesting to consider how our perceptions might alter were we unsure of the girl's fate at the outset.
It's also worth noting that the folks here-- producer Popkin, director Rouse, and writer Greene—are also the folks responsible for that powerful noir classic DOA (1950). Add that gem to this one and we get a very talented team of independent filmmakers. Too bad they came together at the tail end of the B-movie era. Also, their brand of social-conscience filmmaking was about to freeze up in the face of the McCarthy-ite chill of the early 50's. Nonetheless, the lessons of this movie remain as valid and telling as they were 60 years ago, plus making for darn riveting film entertainment.
The second half shows the community coming back together after the split. Happily, the races unite around a common concern to rescue the little girl from the well. This part's uplifting, especially when the movie shows individual skills combining across racial lines into an effective community action. But it also goes on too long, even after we've gotten the point. There's suspense here, but not enough to carry 45 minutes of drilling machinery. Nonetheless, the two halves do combine into a pretty powerful cautionary tale.
I like the way the filmmakers mix average looking actors (Osterloh, Engle) with the ordinary townfolk. That, along with location backgrounds creates the needed any-town atmosphere. Too bad IMDb is unable to identify these filming locations— they deserve credit. On the whole, it's a really well acted drama, Harry Morgan's hapless Claude Packard being a special standout. Note how deftly he moves from anger to sorrow in the confrontational office scene with his uncle (Kelley). Rober's excellent too, as the standup sheriff. Someone, however, should have told the comedic Ed Max (the milkman) that this was not a comedy.
There is one interesting angle to ponder. Suppose that initial scene of the girl falling into the well were eliminated. Then we wouldn't have the advantage of being able to judge the actions of the various individuals. For the movie's purposes, I think this first scene is required so that we can see how misguided the town's reactions are. Nonetheless, I think it's interesting to consider how our perceptions might alter were we unsure of the girl's fate at the outset.
It's also worth noting that the folks here-- producer Popkin, director Rouse, and writer Greene—are also the folks responsible for that powerful noir classic DOA (1950). Add that gem to this one and we get a very talented team of independent filmmakers. Too bad they came together at the tail end of the B-movie era. Also, their brand of social-conscience filmmaking was about to freeze up in the face of the McCarthy-ite chill of the early 50's. Nonetheless, the lessons of this movie remain as valid and telling as they were 60 years ago, plus making for darn riveting film entertainment.
Unusually bold look at racial tension ultimately lacks courage of its convictions
bmacv30 September 2002
In 1951, Rosa Parks had not yet declined to move to the back of the bus, the schools had yet to be desegregated, and pleas for racial equality were generally spurned as part of a `pinko' agenda. So It must have taken some measure of courage to make this movie, for one of its two themes is racism. Its second theme and the one that ultimately trumps the first involves the rescue of a little black girl (and parallels, minus the cynicism, Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole/The Big Carnival of the same year).
The trouble starts with the girl's disappearance. Rumors start to fly: A stranger was seen buying her a clump of posies. Is a child-killer on the loose? Will he get away with it because he's white? Soon fist-fights, beatings and acts of arson, all committed on racial grounds, tear the down apart. The drifter (Harry Morgan), when found, proves to be related to a town big-wheel who, when his construction company is set afire, becomes the chief rabble-rouser. The townsfolk of color, meanwhile, clamor for Morgan's hide. It falls to the sheriff (Richard Rober) first to locate the girl then to stem the violence before a lynch mob coalesces. Suddenly, by chance, the girl is discovered deep down an abandoned well....
Probably, in 1951, there was no way out of the story than the one taken. But it's pure Hollywood which is to say, a harp concerto played on the heart strings. The whole town, black and white, joins together in a tense, all-night rescue effort helmed by the construction magnate and Morgan, who luckily happens to be a mining engineer. (Here, something curious occurs. The digging of a parallel shaft, with monstrous drill-bits assaulting the earth to Dimitri Tiomkin's pounding score, becomes all but abstract and primitively, uncomfortably sexual.)
The minor but ever interesting Russell Rouse wrote and, in his first go, directed The Well (though he shares that credit with producer Leo Popkin). It features a large (and largely unknown) cast who bring authenticity and occasionally depth to their roles. The story holds attention despite a glaring break in the middle, when the focus shifts from racism to rescue. And again, for its era, it was bold and topical (brutal race riots plagued post-war America). But from a modern perspective, it just ends too soon. The uplifting rescue will be the talk of the town for three days, while the ugliness that flared up will linger on. There's not a hint of that at the conclusion, with Tiomkin outdoing even John Williams in gaudy triumphalism.
The trouble starts with the girl's disappearance. Rumors start to fly: A stranger was seen buying her a clump of posies. Is a child-killer on the loose? Will he get away with it because he's white? Soon fist-fights, beatings and acts of arson, all committed on racial grounds, tear the down apart. The drifter (Harry Morgan), when found, proves to be related to a town big-wheel who, when his construction company is set afire, becomes the chief rabble-rouser. The townsfolk of color, meanwhile, clamor for Morgan's hide. It falls to the sheriff (Richard Rober) first to locate the girl then to stem the violence before a lynch mob coalesces. Suddenly, by chance, the girl is discovered deep down an abandoned well....
Probably, in 1951, there was no way out of the story than the one taken. But it's pure Hollywood which is to say, a harp concerto played on the heart strings. The whole town, black and white, joins together in a tense, all-night rescue effort helmed by the construction magnate and Morgan, who luckily happens to be a mining engineer. (Here, something curious occurs. The digging of a parallel shaft, with monstrous drill-bits assaulting the earth to Dimitri Tiomkin's pounding score, becomes all but abstract and primitively, uncomfortably sexual.)
The minor but ever interesting Russell Rouse wrote and, in his first go, directed The Well (though he shares that credit with producer Leo Popkin). It features a large (and largely unknown) cast who bring authenticity and occasionally depth to their roles. The story holds attention despite a glaring break in the middle, when the focus shifts from racism to rescue. And again, for its era, it was bold and topical (brutal race riots plagued post-war America). But from a modern perspective, it just ends too soon. The uplifting rescue will be the talk of the town for three days, while the ugliness that flared up will linger on. There's not a hint of that at the conclusion, with Tiomkin outdoing even John Williams in gaudy triumphalism.
Taut, gripping drama of racial tensions
ralphsampson7 July 2001
This lean, low-budget "B" movie is a perfect example of what excellent independent film making should be about. Take a thesis that involves elements a bit too controversial for mainstream Hollywood. Draw your characters three-dimensionally. Film it as it is actually seen through the townspeople's eyes. And find as many people as you can who are perfect for the roles as written, regardless of acting experiences.
This tale of a five-year-old "Negro" (by the vernacular of the time) girl who disappears and is believed kidnapped. A lot of groupthink, projections, assumptions and ventings of anger follow until the town finally mobilizes to locate and rescue the girl. As fresh and taut today as it was fifty years ago, the Well should be a staple requirement for everyone who wishes to get into independent films.
This tale of a five-year-old "Negro" (by the vernacular of the time) girl who disappears and is believed kidnapped. A lot of groupthink, projections, assumptions and ventings of anger follow until the town finally mobilizes to locate and rescue the girl. As fresh and taut today as it was fifty years ago, the Well should be a staple requirement for everyone who wishes to get into independent films.
The Accused
sol-10 November 2017
Tensions flare in a small US town when a young girl wanders off from school, falls down a well and local authorities speculate that she has been kidnapped in this captivating drama. The film greatly benefits from a terrific turn by Harry Morgan as a kindly young man accused of child abduction, child rape and murder due to the simple fact that he was the last person to talk to her. The film has some fascinating racial tones too as the lost young girl happens to be African-American and her family come to suspect that the only reason Morgan is not being formally charged is because he is Caucasian. The second half of the film is not quite as encapsulating as this excellent early stretch as focus eventually diverts from racial issues to trying to rescue the girl, but there is still a lot of interest in how the event of her falling goes from dividing the town to actually bringing people together. Dimitri Tiomkin's melodramatic music score is a bit of a minus here. In all other regards though, this is an impressive film that manages to tackle some big issues with surprising sensitivity, including the stigma that comes from being accused of anything child-related; certain aspects even feel precursory to 'The Hunt'.
Excellent and potent sleeper from the early 50s.
hitchcockthelegend8 August 2009
This is a normal small American town, for years the mixed race inhabitants have lived in total harmony as one community. But when little black girl Carolyn Crawford falls down a well, she's feared to have been kidnapped, and this after having last being seen with a white man in town. This town becomes something completely different....
The Well, a B budgeted movie with a cast consisting largely of unknowns. Dually directed by two equally unheralded men. Boasting a DVD cover that has nothing to do with the theme of the film, and shunted out of conscious by the release the same year of Billy Wilder's bigger produced, "person in underground peril," Ace In The Hole.
It's a crime in itself that this B movie gem has had the odds stacked against it getting wider and more productive exposure. For thematically, which is three fold, it's a film that desperately deserves more people to take it on and appraise it in the modern age. Released in 1951, before racial tensions were to explode into American history, The Well is a brave offering from co-writer's Russell Rouse {also co-director} and Clarence Greene. Not content to just offer up a one dimensional rescue piece concerning mixed races, they take the ugly racial aggression here and sit it next to the ugliness of human wild fire ignorance. From a dubiously casted assumption, this town implodes, and it's an ugliness that paints the human race in a dim and unflattering light. Even the police, on who this town depends on, are pulled along by the tide of insanity. Five burly officers interrogating one bemused and frightened suspect, they have their man regardless of facts. Something that over the course of history we know has reared its ugly head. It very much reminded me of a Rod Serling Twilight Zone episode called "The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street". Anyone familiar with that particular piece will have some idea of what drives The Well forward.
Possibly part inspired by the sad and tragic case of little Kathy Fiscus, who in 1949 fell down a San Marino well, Rouse's picture shifts to an equally, and engrossing gear for its final third. After having been caught up in the town coming apart, we, as well as the town, suddenly get a jolt back to earth. There is after all a little girl missing here. Now we get the inevitable tonal shift that most viewers would have expected, but it's no less dramatic for it. And it's now when the film well and truly makes its point, a point of reference that should be heeded as long as we all shall live.
Having a cast of relative no names, tho Barry Kelley as Sam Packard and Harry Morgan as Claude Packard will be names to some {ie:me!} really gives the film a grounded in reality feel. It's not hard to accept these people as small town residents, and thus the film is far better for it. The story is further aided by the score from Dimitri Tiomkin, at times funereal, at others a booming bombastic character itself. Sadly the print of the film is desperately in need of a remaster, which as it's unlikely to get one, means that the cinematography work of Ernest Laszlo struggles to come thru. But don't let the print put you off, if you get the chance to see this film then don't pass up the chance, for you may find yourself better off for the experience. 9/10
The Well, a B budgeted movie with a cast consisting largely of unknowns. Dually directed by two equally unheralded men. Boasting a DVD cover that has nothing to do with the theme of the film, and shunted out of conscious by the release the same year of Billy Wilder's bigger produced, "person in underground peril," Ace In The Hole.
It's a crime in itself that this B movie gem has had the odds stacked against it getting wider and more productive exposure. For thematically, which is three fold, it's a film that desperately deserves more people to take it on and appraise it in the modern age. Released in 1951, before racial tensions were to explode into American history, The Well is a brave offering from co-writer's Russell Rouse {also co-director} and Clarence Greene. Not content to just offer up a one dimensional rescue piece concerning mixed races, they take the ugly racial aggression here and sit it next to the ugliness of human wild fire ignorance. From a dubiously casted assumption, this town implodes, and it's an ugliness that paints the human race in a dim and unflattering light. Even the police, on who this town depends on, are pulled along by the tide of insanity. Five burly officers interrogating one bemused and frightened suspect, they have their man regardless of facts. Something that over the course of history we know has reared its ugly head. It very much reminded me of a Rod Serling Twilight Zone episode called "The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street". Anyone familiar with that particular piece will have some idea of what drives The Well forward.
Possibly part inspired by the sad and tragic case of little Kathy Fiscus, who in 1949 fell down a San Marino well, Rouse's picture shifts to an equally, and engrossing gear for its final third. After having been caught up in the town coming apart, we, as well as the town, suddenly get a jolt back to earth. There is after all a little girl missing here. Now we get the inevitable tonal shift that most viewers would have expected, but it's no less dramatic for it. And it's now when the film well and truly makes its point, a point of reference that should be heeded as long as we all shall live.
Having a cast of relative no names, tho Barry Kelley as Sam Packard and Harry Morgan as Claude Packard will be names to some {ie:me!} really gives the film a grounded in reality feel. It's not hard to accept these people as small town residents, and thus the film is far better for it. The story is further aided by the score from Dimitri Tiomkin, at times funereal, at others a booming bombastic character itself. Sadly the print of the film is desperately in need of a remaster, which as it's unlikely to get one, means that the cinematography work of Ernest Laszlo struggles to come thru. But don't let the print put you off, if you get the chance to see this film then don't pass up the chance, for you may find yourself better off for the experience. 9/10
"Good American Period Piece"
kevinkishin1 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I remember this film from my childhood & it stayed with me, when cooler heads prevail common sense & ingenuity prevails, the child was dependent on a racially intense group of people, the film fleshed the drama out well this is a classic, definitely worth owning or streaming.
Very interesting film
ares199623 February 2008
I saw this film a few times as a kid back in the 60s or 70s. I remember it as pretty good for its time. I also remember Harry Morgan from "Dragnet" as being the only cast member I recognized then or now. I was mostly caught up in watching how supposedly reasonable people in the grip of panic, impatience, and uncertainty make assumptions, point fingers, cast blame, and jump to conclusions. Misunderstandings pile up on top of each like a 10-car highway accident and push the town closer and closer to a dreaded race riot while the actual victim's plight seems all but forgotten.
For its time, I'm sure this movie was a bold move. It's a shame it hasn't been broadcast again recently. It's definitely worth a look.
For its time, I'm sure this movie was a bold move. It's a shame it hasn't been broadcast again recently. It's definitely worth a look.
An unforgettable film.
drywitt995 September 2005
I can remember seeing this film twice. Once, when it was first released on TV in the late 50s or early 60s; and a second time, in the early 70s. And yet, my memories of it are crystal clear. And it's impact on me as strong as ever. I must admit to being quite surprised to find out that it had actually been nominated for two Academy Awards. Given the racial and political climate of that era, that recognition is remarkable. A wonderful "little" film, that uses strong, clearly drawn characters to tell a powerful story. And not a single computer-generated special effect in sight. Perhaps, the finest "B" picture ever made.
"WELL" done B movie
EyeAskance22 May 2003
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 minor distinctions to that effect, but the basal elements would render it an anomalous addition to the noir canon.
6.5/10
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 minor distinctions to that effect, but the basal elements would render it an anomalous addition to the noir canon.
6.5/10
Seek and hopefully find this movie
pmbtv3 June 2006
"The Well" is a terrific little movie, and a bold one for 1951. It takes one of the very earliest looks at racism and how it can ... and did in real life in the next decade ... tear apart a community and ultimately a nation. Obviously made on a shoestring budget by mostly unknowns. Some of those involved in the making of this film, I believe, later were blacklisted in Hollywood during the Red-baiting McCarthy era that soon followed. The suspense is relentless and some scenes are heartbreaking. An obscure, near-masterpiece. It deserves to be seen on any level and judged, for the most part, by the standards of its day. Using that yardstick, perhaps it actually deserves a 10. Unfortunately, I doubt many people have seen or heard of this film. HEY, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A COPY OF THIS MOVIE!
Excellent!
Space_Mafune27 August 2002
A little black girl falls down a well. Police search for her to no avail. Soon it is discovered she was seen with an older white man that same day. All of this leads up to the man being arrested and racial tensions rising and eventually spinning out of control. Entirely believable for the time and era.
This terrific films studies the make-up of a small town and displays both the town at its ugliest(when the town so easily and realistically descends into a mob) and at its finest(when they discover the little girl's real whereabouts and set out to try and rescue her). The actors/actresses in this film are well-chosen as they look and act like real townfolk.
This terrific films studies the make-up of a small town and displays both the town at its ugliest(when the town so easily and realistically descends into a mob) and at its finest(when they discover the little girl's real whereabouts and set out to try and rescue her). The actors/actresses in this film are well-chosen as they look and act like real townfolk.
"What little girl? Oh."
boblipton2 November 2019
In a small, racially mixed town, a little girl is playing hooky out in a field. She falls into a deep, abandoned well. When the parents discover her missing, they call the police, who begin searching for her. When a stranger is reported as having bought her flowers, he's pulled in for questioning. It's Harry Morgan, who claims he's in town for a few hours and thought he'd say hello to his uncle, Barry Kelley, who owns most of the town. Word goes out that he's going to be let free because he's White and the little girl is Black. The town starts to spiral into a race riot.
It's the last movie produced by Leo Popkin, best remembered as the producer of D.O.A.; he co-directs, along with the movie's writer, Russell Rouse. With a cast consisting of actors who are not well known, there's an air of reality to the entire movie, and a long, tense, series of scenes, of mobs forming, of uncertainty, that provide an air of real tension that makes this a taut, suspenseful movie.
Its largely forgotten, but there's a lot here that makes me think that Billy Wilder saw it and turned it into an exercise in cynicism for ACE IN THE HOLE. The two would make a disturbing double bill.
It's the last movie produced by Leo Popkin, best remembered as the producer of D.O.A.; he co-directs, along with the movie's writer, Russell Rouse. With a cast consisting of actors who are not well known, there's an air of reality to the entire movie, and a long, tense, series of scenes, of mobs forming, of uncertainty, that provide an air of real tension that makes this a taut, suspenseful movie.
Its largely forgotten, but there's a lot here that makes me think that Billy Wilder saw it and turned it into an exercise in cynicism for ACE IN THE HOLE. The two would make a disturbing double bill.
Fascinating, Cogent Socially Conscious, Low-Budget "B" Film
museumofdave9 March 2013
This superior little "B" social consciousness polemic is an amazing accomplishment for a low-budget film; while in many ways dated, the problems between races in America have yet to reach a comfortable level, and this film's ability to demonstrate how a simple rumor can grow into fiery mob fever is not too different from the frenzy that evolves on the internet over similar issues.
Much of the inspiration for the film was probably drawn from an actual historical event earlier in the decade, when a little girl named Kathy Fiscus fell into a well and for several days the nation huddled around their radios to see if she would be rescued or not; Billy Wilder based his bitter noir Ace In The Hole (AKA The Big Carnival) on such a tragedy, and Woody Allen referenced it in his nostalgia-fest Radio Days.
The Well is really two films in one, the first being the development of a problem, and the second, the suspenseful attempt to rescue a child as a community learns to work together; the cutting is amazing, and the faces in the crowds totally unlike the usual Hollywood stereotypes. As a historical document, this is a fascinating 86 minutes.
Much of the inspiration for the film was probably drawn from an actual historical event earlier in the decade, when a little girl named Kathy Fiscus fell into a well and for several days the nation huddled around their radios to see if she would be rescued or not; Billy Wilder based his bitter noir Ace In The Hole (AKA The Big Carnival) on such a tragedy, and Woody Allen referenced it in his nostalgia-fest Radio Days.
The Well is really two films in one, the first being the development of a problem, and the second, the suspenseful attempt to rescue a child as a community learns to work together; the cutting is amazing, and the faces in the crowds totally unlike the usual Hollywood stereotypes. As a historical document, this is a fascinating 86 minutes.
Good Movie
Hatchetman10 January 2001
I remember first seeing this movie in the 50's on TV as a kid and I enjoyed it then as a social commentary and just a reasonably good story. Yeah, some of it is outdated now but the movie held up as I recall when I've seen it in subsequent years. I haven't seen it in at least 15 years though. I thought the way everything escalated from just the innocent bump by an excited father to the race riot was presented well. As the situation develops, you get involved with the two sides. The telling moment comes when black and white mobs are about to slug it out with boards and guns and whatever, a child runs up to the leader of the white mob and says, "They found the kid", and he says, "What kid?" And then you realize you too are caught up in the action of mob violence. The mobs existed, not to right some perceived wrong, but were the people's justifications for their lives at that moment.
Race relations and the mob mentality
iblis4 August 1999
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.
From harmony to racial hatred and then a coming together.
jimjamjonny3928 October 2016
Warning: Spoilers
False accusations, mobs forming, third hand tales. In a small town in the USA a young girl is missing and she happens to be a black girl. When a man who happens to be white visiting the town seen talking to her is suspected of foul play, racial hatred rears its ugly head and people turn on their neighbours. When a boy with his dog find items belonging to the girl and a deep hole, he runs to the home of her parents and when the news spreads everyone comes together to help and rescue the girl. It really is good to see that whatever our skin colour, that whenever there is a child involved, we do everything we can to see that the child is safe. Maybe it's because she could be our own. It's the look on the faces of the crowd that shows compassion & the praying for a happy ending. Unfortunately, the time is set when a disrespectful use of the word negro and derivative of it was used.
In spite of a near race riot being included, this would be a great Christmas movie...
AlsExGal7 September 2021
... in the sense that it is about the best of humanity coming out in the worst of circumstances.
In what appears to be a small midwestern post-war town that is very racially mixed and harmonious, a five year old black girl disappears. Her mother reports her absence to the sheriff when she doesn't come home from school that day. The sheriff investigates and searches and finds three witnesses who saw the girl with a man the morning of her disappearance. Some more searching and they find the man - Claude Packard, nephew of wealthy town construction business owner, Sam Packard. Sam tells Claude to lie and say he was with him that morning, but Claude refuses to lie, saying he is innocent.
Word has gotten around that the suspect is white and well connected. So on the way out of the jail, Sam Packard is accosted by the girl's uncle and father, both pleading with him to not get his nephew off the hook. They do put their hands on him to get his attention. Sam falls and hurts his head - not badly. But the rumors soon fly about how he was attacked by two black men. The tales grow taller by the hour, there are reprisals on both sides that just feed the rumors, and pretty soon the town is on the verge of a full blown race riot. A white female cafe owner is having to hold off a white crowd of rioters with a meat cleaver because they want to lynch her black male cook for seemingly no reason. The sheriff is getting conflicting information as to whether he should handle this with deputized townsfolk or call in the state militia.
So where is the little girl who seems to have been forgotten in all of the violence? Will this town self destruct? Watch and find out.
The actors are almost completely anonymous to the point that you wonder why they are given character names different from their actual ones. The standout is the only one you will recognize - Harry Morgan as the accused kidnapper. In his youth he usually played slimy little weasels, cowards, and second banana hoods. Here he is practically early Bogart, and I am not kidding. He shows lots of range. The score does a good job of setting the mood, and the suspense really never lets up. You can tell this was probably filmed on location in some small town due to what seems like alimited budget. Plus there are groups of actors with the same last name playing members of families - possibly just residents in the town where this was filmed.
Definitely give it a chance. Not on DVD, it is available on youtube. Probably one of the earliest American films to delve so deeply into the subject of race in such an unfiltered way.
In what appears to be a small midwestern post-war town that is very racially mixed and harmonious, a five year old black girl disappears. Her mother reports her absence to the sheriff when she doesn't come home from school that day. The sheriff investigates and searches and finds three witnesses who saw the girl with a man the morning of her disappearance. Some more searching and they find the man - Claude Packard, nephew of wealthy town construction business owner, Sam Packard. Sam tells Claude to lie and say he was with him that morning, but Claude refuses to lie, saying he is innocent.
Word has gotten around that the suspect is white and well connected. So on the way out of the jail, Sam Packard is accosted by the girl's uncle and father, both pleading with him to not get his nephew off the hook. They do put their hands on him to get his attention. Sam falls and hurts his head - not badly. But the rumors soon fly about how he was attacked by two black men. The tales grow taller by the hour, there are reprisals on both sides that just feed the rumors, and pretty soon the town is on the verge of a full blown race riot. A white female cafe owner is having to hold off a white crowd of rioters with a meat cleaver because they want to lynch her black male cook for seemingly no reason. The sheriff is getting conflicting information as to whether he should handle this with deputized townsfolk or call in the state militia.
So where is the little girl who seems to have been forgotten in all of the violence? Will this town self destruct? Watch and find out.
The actors are almost completely anonymous to the point that you wonder why they are given character names different from their actual ones. The standout is the only one you will recognize - Harry Morgan as the accused kidnapper. In his youth he usually played slimy little weasels, cowards, and second banana hoods. Here he is practically early Bogart, and I am not kidding. He shows lots of range. The score does a good job of setting the mood, and the suspense really never lets up. You can tell this was probably filmed on location in some small town due to what seems like alimited budget. Plus there are groups of actors with the same last name playing members of families - possibly just residents in the town where this was filmed.
Definitely give it a chance. Not on DVD, it is available on youtube. Probably one of the earliest American films to delve so deeply into the subject of race in such an unfiltered way.
Heroic realism around an all too human incident of a lost child
clanciai14 March 2018
This film is almost like a documentary in its clearcut realism all the way, starting off at once by presenting the incident of a child accidentally falling down into a bottomless pot hole. Rumour gets around that a white man had been seen talking with her, and around the fact that the man was white and the girl coloured in a small town of 50/50 of each, a universal lynching mentality is building up, everyone wanting to beat up and destroy everyone of the other party, marvellously visualized on screen. It's worth watching the film again just to study all those faces.
At the same time this should be a wonderful treat for engineers, as there is no small enterprise required to deal with the ultimate situation. At the same time the film is a glorious triumph proving that nothing is impossible, and that mere good will can overcome everything.
Most wonderful is the way the situation turns from one extreme to the opposite. First everyone wants to kill each other in a universal mass hysteria of anger and hatred, and when the truth finally is discovered they all join in and want to help each other in rescuing the small 5-year old girl. It's a wonderful panorama of human nature, revealing both its worst and its best sides, while at the same time it is revealed how little is required to both turn ordinary perople into a mass destructive mob and to convert them all into angels just by destiny striking at the core of human nature, all rendered totally convincing in as near to documentary realism as you can get.
At the same time this should be a wonderful treat for engineers, as there is no small enterprise required to deal with the ultimate situation. At the same time the film is a glorious triumph proving that nothing is impossible, and that mere good will can overcome everything.
Most wonderful is the way the situation turns from one extreme to the opposite. First everyone wants to kill each other in a universal mass hysteria of anger and hatred, and when the truth finally is discovered they all join in and want to help each other in rescuing the small 5-year old girl. It's a wonderful panorama of human nature, revealing both its worst and its best sides, while at the same time it is revealed how little is required to both turn ordinary perople into a mass destructive mob and to convert them all into angels just by destiny striking at the core of human nature, all rendered totally convincing in as near to documentary realism as you can get.
Excellent Classic Movie ! Well Done
unkadunk080121 April 2013
This is a great "Little Movie" about a story about a Little girl who falls down a long forgotten well.And how both sides allow their own racial prejudices to tear the town apart.Until both sides realize that only by working together can they save the little girl.The movie was made in 1951 and starred Richard Rober as The Sheriff,Christine Larson,Barry Kelley and Harry Morgan (of MASH Fame)as the prime suspect since he was the last one seen with her.And also in the great cast were actors who's faces are known but not their names and in particular Maidie Norman as the girls mother did an excellent job as did Robert Osterloch ,Tom Powers,Lane Chandler,Michael Ross ,Ernest Anderson and Gwendolyn Laster as the little girl were all excellent.I highly recommend this classic story for everyone to see. I first reviewed this on Amazon.Com on January 29 2012 just after I purchased it ,but I felt I had to review it again on IMDb
Solidarity
dbdumonteil2 September 2020
An absorbing movie which roughly fetaures two parts :
-a young black girl falls into a well and the whole town suspects a white man , who claims his innocence ; the populace is not far from plunging the whole town into a huge race riot ,the victim being almost a pretext .
-a young black girl falls into a well and the whole town suspects a white man , who claims his innocence ; the populace is not far from plunging the whole town into a huge race riot ,the victim being almost a pretext .
- the second part is close to documentary ,people stand together , blacks and whites form some kind of chain to save a human being ;the falsely accused man , probably a civil engineer ,forgets his rancour and lends a helping hand .THis is
Greatness on a budget
synsen-403342 June 2020
Maybe a "B" movie, but it's an "A+" story. The story racial complexities may be the same as ever, but hope and goodness are enduring qualities of life. Great performances and a good script. It grabs you early, and the ride is one you will remember.
The power of the lie can destroy.
mark.waltz3 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
A town known previously for its peaceful race relations turns upside down when a passer through, Harry Morgan, is held for questioning in The Disappearance of a young black child. The audience knows from the beginning what happened to her, but when it is revealed that she was last seen with him, having brought her flowers, the wagging tongues from both sides get worse and worse until finally riots erupt, and the law has to make a quick decision on how to handle this social unrest. It's shocking, especially the constant use of a racial slur, and especially upsetting because of the lack of Justice and the assumption that someone is guilty. What even becomes worse is when people out of the blue begin changing the story, particularly a young white woman who accuses a black man of making a pass, something that results in more people making up lies just to get attention. Meanwhile, the poor young girl remains unseen at the bottom of a well oh, the audience wondering throughout even if she survived.
It's easy to say these days that situations like this seem unrealistic, but obviously the writer had their sources of unfairness to come up with the idea for the story. Ernest Anderson, as Morgan's nasty uncle, wants him to why from the beginning simply so his reputation in the town is insulted, and he is one of the worst ones involved in creating problems. Morgan (then known as Henry), is one of the few recognizable actors in the film, the other one for me Maidie Norman ("Whatever Happened to Baby Jane") as the girl's mother.
What is truly powerful about this film is that for the most part, none of these people are either good or bad, and the ones who turned that way do so out of the blue, for no good reason other than the fact that they know that they could become victimized by the other side if they don't do something. It's the old emotion of paranoia taking over one sensibilities, and it becomes shocking and dangerous and frightening, to know that things like this can turn a situation that can be easily resolved into something that results and tragedy. Deservedly nominated for its screenplay, it came out in a year of many other powerful films, but it certainly ranks among the top 10. This is a film that regardless of racial background, will leave the viewer shaking because it strikes so many nerves on so many levels, but what it comes down to, it is about a human level that brings everybody together at the end and hopefully with a lot of apologies.
It's easy to say these days that situations like this seem unrealistic, but obviously the writer had their sources of unfairness to come up with the idea for the story. Ernest Anderson, as Morgan's nasty uncle, wants him to why from the beginning simply so his reputation in the town is insulted, and he is one of the worst ones involved in creating problems. Morgan (then known as Henry), is one of the few recognizable actors in the film, the other one for me Maidie Norman ("Whatever Happened to Baby Jane") as the girl's mother.
What is truly powerful about this film is that for the most part, none of these people are either good or bad, and the ones who turned that way do so out of the blue, for no good reason other than the fact that they know that they could become victimized by the other side if they don't do something. It's the old emotion of paranoia taking over one sensibilities, and it becomes shocking and dangerous and frightening, to know that things like this can turn a situation that can be easily resolved into something that results and tragedy. Deservedly nominated for its screenplay, it came out in a year of many other powerful films, but it certainly ranks among the top 10. This is a film that regardless of racial background, will leave the viewer shaking because it strikes so many nerves on so many levels, but what it comes down to, it is about a human level that brings everybody together at the end and hopefully with a lot of apologies.
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