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The Well (1951)

Director: Leo Popkin, Russell Rouse

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Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Rouse's first film as director (co-written with Clarence Greene, with whom he had scripted DOA the previous year). The first half is a vividly etched portrait of small-town unease as a black child is reported missing, the suspicions deepening a racial divide that threatens to escalate into racial violence on both sides as circumstances suggest that a white transient (Morgan) had something to do with her disappearance. The discovery that the little girl, scarcely more than a baby, has in fact fallen down an abandoned well, opens a safety valve; and the rest of the film is devoted to the rescue operation. It still grips, but in a more overtly crowd-pleasing way, what with even the most bigoted coming round to the side of the angels, and the hazards of the rescue milked for all they are worth. An impressive piece, all the same, brilliantly shot by Ernest Laszlo.

Author: TM 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

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User reviews of this film

  • annie said...
    Posted on Mar 04 2009 11:29 just wondering in which order the names of the stars of the film appeared in the credits!! was the film noble enough in 1951 to include black names alongside the white names...
    does anyone know?
    Report as inappropriate

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Cast & crew

Director: Leo Popkin, Russell Rouse

Producer: Clarence Greene, Leo Popkin

Cast: Richard Rober, Henry Morgan, Barry Kelley, Christine Larson, Maidie Norman, Ernest Anderson full cast

Duration: 85 mins


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