The Well (1951 film)
Encyclopedia
The Well is a 1951
American
film noir
which tackled the issue of racial tensions
and collective behavior
. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards
, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing
.
) to help find their daughter.
Carolyn's disappearance causes anger and confusion in the community, and various rumors quickly spread amongst the white and black populations when a white stranger, Claude Packard (Harry Morgan
), is arrested on suspicion of the child's disappearance.
Packard, a mining engineer, is in town visiting his uncle, Sam Packard, a well-known local businessman, who attempts to use his influence to get his nephew out of police custody. This inflames the racial tension further, and when he is approached by relatives of the missing girl outside the police station, he suffers a heart attack but which spreads amongst the white population as a racial attack. Things quickly get out of hand as various black and white gangs starting attacking one another.
The Sheriff requests that the mayor order state assistance to put down the potentially serious disturbances and readies voluntary deputies to break up the growing white mob at Sam Packard's warehouse.
Before events can spiral out of control, Carolyn is found alive in the well but cannot be easily extracted. It takes the combined effort of all the townsfolk, and the visiting mining engineer, to safely rescue the small girl and return her to her family.
and Yuba City
, California
in 1950, and given the accents, it appears that the intention was not to portray a town in the South, but any small American town. The students in the class room scenes were kids from the Marysville Elementary School.
.
The film raises questions as to the application of justice, the audience witnesses the suffering of a young black girl as blame is laid to a "stranger," a third party to the black struggle, akin to Michel Foucault
's theory of the administered silence. In the film, neither the black community nor the white community receives any real sense of justice.
1951 in film
The year 1951 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian film-makers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
which tackled the issue of racial tensions
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and collective behavior
Collective behavior
The expression collective behaviour was first used by Robert E. Park, and employed definitively by Herbert Blumer, to refer to social processes and events which do not reflect existing social structure , but which emerge in a "spontaneous" way.Collective behavior might also be defined as action...
. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing
Academy Award for Film Editing
The Academy Award for Film Editing is one of the annual awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Nominations for this award are closely correlated with the Academy Award for Best Picture. Since 1981, every film selected as Best Picture has also been nominated for the Film Editing...
.
Plot
The film centers around a five-year-old black girl, Carolyn, who falls in to an abandoned, overgrown well whilst picking flowers on her way to school one morning. Carolyn's parents seek assistance from Sheriff Ben Kellogg (Richard RoberRichard Rober
Richard Rober was an American film actor known for his rugged roles in films. Rober died in an auto accident in 1952 at age 42. He appeared many B-movies and film noir-type films including Call Northside 777 , Sierra , and The Well .-Filmography:-External links:...
) to help find their daughter.
Carolyn's disappearance causes anger and confusion in the community, and various rumors quickly spread amongst the white and black populations when a white stranger, Claude Packard (Harry Morgan
Harry Morgan
Harry Morgan is an American actor. Morgan is well-known for his roles as Colonel Sherman T. Potter on M*A*S*H , Pete Porter on both Pete and Gladys and December Bride , Detective Bill Gannon on Dragnet , and Amos Coogan on Hec Ramsey...
), is arrested on suspicion of the child's disappearance.
Packard, a mining engineer, is in town visiting his uncle, Sam Packard, a well-known local businessman, who attempts to use his influence to get his nephew out of police custody. This inflames the racial tension further, and when he is approached by relatives of the missing girl outside the police station, he suffers a heart attack but which spreads amongst the white population as a racial attack. Things quickly get out of hand as various black and white gangs starting attacking one another.
The Sheriff requests that the mayor order state assistance to put down the potentially serious disturbances and readies voluntary deputies to break up the growing white mob at Sam Packard's warehouse.
Before events can spiral out of control, Carolyn is found alive in the well but cannot be easily extracted. It takes the combined effort of all the townsfolk, and the visiting mining engineer, to safely rescue the small girl and return her to her family.
Production
This movie was filmed on location in MarysvilleMarysville, California
Marysville is the county seat of Yuba County, California, United States. The population was 12,072 at the 2010 census, down from 12,268 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Yuba City Metropolitan Statistical Area, often referred to as the Yuba-Sutter Area after the two counties, Yuba and...
and Yuba City
Yuba City, California
Yuba City is a Northern California city, founded in 1849. It is the county seat of Sutter County, California, United States. The population was 64,925 at the 2010 census....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1950, and given the accents, it appears that the intention was not to portray a town in the South, but any small American town. The students in the class room scenes were kids from the Marysville Elementary School.
Historical significance
The film may is considered to be an example of the media effort in the 1950's to push for the end of SegregationRacial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
.
The film raises questions as to the application of justice, the audience witnesses the suffering of a young black girl as blame is laid to a "stranger," a third party to the black struggle, akin to Michel Foucault
Michel Foucault
Michel Foucault , born Paul-Michel Foucault , was a French philosopher, social theorist and historian of ideas...
's theory of the administered silence. In the film, neither the black community nor the white community receives any real sense of justice.
Cast
- Richard RoberRichard RoberRichard Rober was an American film actor known for his rugged roles in films. Rober died in an auto accident in 1952 at age 42. He appeared many B-movies and film noir-type films including Call Northside 777 , Sierra , and The Well .-Filmography:-External links:...
as Sheriff Ben Kellogg - Gwendolyn Laster as Carolyn Crawford
- Maidie Norman as Martha Crawford
- Harry MorganHarry MorganHarry Morgan is an American actor. Morgan is well-known for his roles as Colonel Sherman T. Potter on M*A*S*H , Pete Porter on both Pete and Gladys and December Bride , Detective Bill Gannon on Dragnet , and Amos Coogan on Hec Ramsey...
as Claude Packard - Christine Larson as Casey
- George Hamilton as Grandpa Peabody
- Ernest Anderson as Ralph Crawford
- Dick Simmons as Deputy Mickey McClure
External links
- http://www.filmmonthly.com/film_noir/the_well.html Rode, Alan, "The Well (1951)" Review at Film Monthly.