The Well

"I have a wife and two kids ... a thing like this can ruin me !"

1951 1h 26m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 17

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In a racially mixed American town, a five-year-old black girl falls unnoticed into a hidden, forgotten well on her way to school. Having nothing better to go on, the police follow up a report that the child was seen with a white stranger, and rumors run wild. Before hapless, innocent Claude Packard is even found, popular hysteria has him tried and convicted. But is he guilty?

“I have a wife and two kids ... a thing like this can ruin me !”

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Cast

Gwendolyn Laster
Carolyn Crawford
Richard Rober
Ben Kellogg
Maidie Norman
Martha Crawford
George "Spike" Hamilton
Grandpa Peabody
Ernest Anderson
Ralph Crawford
Dick Simmons
Mickey McClure
Lane Chandler
Deputy Stan
Pat Mitchell
Peter

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Russell Rouse
Writers: Clarence Greene, Russell Rouse
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

75 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Russell Rouse, shot by Ernest Laszlo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Dimitri Tiomkin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Chester W. Schaeffer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Gwendolyn Laster and Richard Rober and Maidie Norman carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "I have a wife and two kids ... a thing like this can ruin me !".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0044202 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Russell Rouse directs. Ernest Laszlo behind the camera. Dimitri Tiomkin scores. Chester W. Schaeffer cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
275 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Russell Rouse, shot by Ernest Laszlo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Dimitri Tiomkin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Chester W. Schaeffer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Gwendolyn Laster and Richard Rober and Maidie Norman carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "I have a wife and two kids ... a thing like this can ruin me !".
8IMDB entry: tt0044202 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 17 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.