The memory I have of the first time I saw the well is amazingly clear. It was a rainy Saturday in October 1971. I came home from my paper route and nobody was else was in the house. I made sandwich of ham and cheese on toast and sat down in front of the TV. I was watching a kid's show on channel 11 and when it ended the movie started. It had very dramatic music as the credits played over a view of a field. A little black girl was walking along picking flowers and suddenly she dropped out of sight. The camera panned up and revealed a black, forbidding hole in the ground.
I remember sitting on the edge of my seat as the story played out. First the town consumed with suspicion and hatred when it is assumed a white man took the girl, then relentless suspense as the girl is found and the town comes together to dig her out. I riveted to the TV. I remember how annoying the commercial breaks were. The movies themes were very adult, but I was able to follow along. It is one of the first adult movies I watched all by myself and that I specifically chose to watch.
Forty years later I realize the film is a perfect example of American film noir. It features low key black and white cinematography, use of unusual and expressive camera angles and deals with an important social issue. The girl trapped in the well is just a plot used to explore themes of racial prejudice and mob violence.
The story is told in three acts. First the disappearance of the girl, the initial search, and then the suspicion that she was abducted by a white man, a stranger in town.
The second act is about his arrest and the violent outburst that occur when the black community thinks there has been a miscarriage of justice, and the white community thinks the blacks attack a prominent citizen who was trying to use his influence to free the suspect. The violence is fueled by malicious gossip and rumors until a full fledged race riot is about to explode.
The final act is when the where abouts of the girl are discovered and the town slowly comes together to see if she can be rescued alive.
Released in 1951 by United Artists The Well is a straight forward "B" picture. There are no memorable actors, the most familiar face is harry Morgan (aka Henry Morgan0 who went on to star in Dragnet and would play Colonel potter in MASH. It was filmed on location in central California, but the location is never stated and could be any small town in America. the picture was produced by Leo Popkin who was an expert at turning out well made, low budget hits. He was also responsible for such hits as And Then There Were None, D.O.A. and My Dear Secretary.
The Well is in public domain but rarely pops up on TV. I am not sure why but it might be because of the racial slurs that occur frequently in the center part of the movie. Many years after the civil rights movement, it was surprising to hear the "N" word used so liberally by the white characters, but the word was in common usage in the 1950's.
It's too bad the movie is not shown more because it deserves to be seen. It has valuable lessons about getting along with each other and is a superior, suspense filled drama. The Well was nominated for two Oscars, one for Best Screenplay and another for Best Editing. The great editing is especially notable in the films third act as they attempt to rescue the girl.
If you have never seen The Well you should seek it out. I am sure it will impress you the way it did me, forty years ago.
At The Movie House rating ***1/2 stars
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