Wells Root

{{Infobox person

| name = Wells Root

| birth_date = {{birth date|1900|03|21}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|1993|03|09|1900|03|21}}

| occupation = Screenwriter and lecturer

}}

Wells Crosby Root (March 21, 1900 – March 9, 1993) was an American screenwriter and lecturer. In the mid-1930s he was involved with the Screen Writers Guild and in the 1950s the University of Southern California asked him to teach Film and Television Writing Technique, where he worked during the next twenty years.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-wells-root-1454404.html |title=Obituary: Wells Root |first=Dick |last=Vosburgh |author-link=Dick Vosburgh |date=10 April 1993 |access-date=17 February 2019 |newspaper=Independent}} He co-authored the 1939 comedy play As You Are with Hugh Mills.

Filmography

=Films=

class="wikitable"
Year	Film	Credit	Notes
1928 \|Varsity \|Screenplay By \|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Howard Estabrook" and "George Marion Jr."
rowspan=4\|1930 \|Peacock Alley \|Screenplay By \|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Frances Hyland" and "Carey Wilson"
Chasing Rainbows \|Screenplay By \|Based on the story "Road Show" By "Robert Hopkins" and "Bess Meredyth", Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Al Boasberg", "Kenyon Nicholson", and "Charles Reisner"
The Rogue Song \|Suggested By \|
The Storm \|Written By \|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "John Huston", "Charles Logue", and "Tom Reed"
rowspan=2\|1931 \|Politics \|Screenplay By \|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Robert E. Hopkins"
The Prodigal \|Story By, Screenplay By \|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Bess Meredyth"
rowspan=2\|1932 \|Tiger Shark \|Screenplay By \|
Bird of Paradise \|Screenplay By \|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Wanda Tuchock" and "Leonard Praskins"
rowspan=3\|1933 \|I Cover the Waterfront \|Screenplay By \|Based on the novel "I Cover the Waterfront" by Max Miller
Night Flight \|Screenplay By (Uncredited) \|
Racetrack \|Story By \|Co-Wrote Story with "J. Walter Ruben"
rowspan=4\|1934 \|Black Moon \|Screenplay By \|Based on a short story By "Clements Ripley"
Flirtation \|Written By \|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Leo Birinski"
Stingaree \|Screenplay By \|Based on the novel by "E.W. Hornung", Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Becky Gardiner", "Garrett Fort", "Agnes Christine Johnston", and "Dwight Taylor"
Paris Interlude \|Screenplay By \|Based on the play "Paris Interlude" By S. J. Perelman And Laura Perelman
rowspan=3\|1935 \|Public Hero ﹟1 \|Screenplay By, Story By \|Co-Wrote Story with "J. Walter Ruben"
Shadow Of Doubt \|Screenplay By \|Based on the novel by "Arthur Somers Roche"
Pursuit \|Screenplay By \|Based on a story By "Lawrence G. Blochman"
rowspan=3\|1936 \|The Bold Caballero \|Written By, Directed By \|
The Beloved Vagabond \|Screenplay By \|
Sworn Enemy \|Screenplay By \|
1937 \|The Prisoner of Zenda \|Screenplay By \|Based on the novel of the same name by "Anthony Hope", Co-Wrote Screenplay with "John L. Balderston", "Edward Rose", "Donald Ogden Stewart", "Ben Hecht", and "Sidney Howard"
rowspan=3\|1939 \|Man of Conquest \|Written By \|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Harold Shumate", "Jan Isbell Fortune", and "Edward E. Paramore Jr."
Sergeant Madden \|Screenplay By \|
Thunder Afloat \|Screenplay By \|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Harvey S. Haislip"
1940 \|Flight Command \|Screenplay By \|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Harvey S. Haislip"
rowspan=3\|1941 \|The Bad Man \|Screenplay By \|Based on the play By "Porter Emerson Browne"
The Get-Away \|Screenplay By, Story By \|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "W. R. Burnett" and "J. Walter Ruben"
Turned Out Nice Again \|Screenplay By \|
rowspan=2\|1942 \|Mokey \|Screenplay By, Directed By \|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Jan Fortune"
Tennessee Johnson \|Screenplay By \|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "John L. Balderston"
rowspan=2\|1943 \|The Man from Down Under \|Screenplay By \|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Tom Seller"
Salute to the Marines \|Screenplay By \|
rowspan=2\|1948 \|As You Are \|Screenplay By \|
Movies Are Adventures \|Story By (Uncredited) \|Short
rowspan=3\|1951 \|The Cinematographer \|Story By (Uncredited) \|
Red Fury \|Written By \|
Stronghold \|Written By \|
1952 \|The Prisoner Of Zenda \|Story By \|
1954 \|Magnificent Obsession \|Screenplay By \|Based on the novel "Magnificent Obsession" by "Lloyd C. Douglas", Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Sarah Y. Mason", "Victor Heerman", and "
1957 \|Hell Ship Mutiny \|Screenplay By \|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "DeVallon Scott"
1961 \|Secret of Deep Harbor \|Screenplay by \|Based on the novel by "Max Miller", Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Owen Harris"
1966 \|Texas Across the River \|Screenplay By \|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Harold Greene" and "Ben Starr"

class="wikitable"

Year

Film

Credit

Notes

1928

|Varsity

|Screenplay By

|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Howard Estabrook" and "George Marion Jr."

rowspan=4|1930

|Peacock Alley

|Screenplay By

|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Frances Hyland" and "Carey Wilson"

Chasing Rainbows

|Screenplay By

|Based on the story "Road Show" By "Robert Hopkins" and "Bess Meredyth", Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Al Boasberg", "Kenyon Nicholson", and "Charles Reisner"

The Rogue Song

|Suggested By

The Storm

|Written By

|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "John Huston", "Charles Logue", and "Tom Reed"

rowspan=2|1931

|Politics

|Screenplay By

|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Robert E. Hopkins"

The Prodigal

|Story By, Screenplay By

|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Bess Meredyth"

rowspan=2|1932

|Tiger Shark

|Screenplay By

Bird of Paradise

|Screenplay By

|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Wanda Tuchock" and "Leonard Praskins"

rowspan=3|1933

|I Cover the Waterfront

|Screenplay By

|Based on the novel "I Cover the Waterfront" by Max Miller

Night Flight

|Screenplay By (Uncredited)

Racetrack

|Story By

|Co-Wrote Story with "J. Walter Ruben"

rowspan=4|1934

|Black Moon

|Screenplay By

|Based on a short story By "Clements Ripley"

Flirtation

|Written By

|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Leo Birinski"

Stingaree

|Screenplay By

|Based on the novel by "E.W. Hornung", Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Becky Gardiner", "Garrett Fort", "Agnes Christine Johnston", and "Dwight Taylor"

Paris Interlude

|Screenplay By

|Based on the play "Paris Interlude" By S. J. Perelman And Laura Perelman

rowspan=3|1935

|Public Hero ﹟1

|Screenplay By, Story By

|Co-Wrote Story with "J. Walter Ruben"

Shadow Of Doubt

|Screenplay By

|Based on the novel by "Arthur Somers Roche"

Pursuit

|Screenplay By

|Based on a story By "Lawrence G. Blochman"

rowspan=3|1936

|The Bold Caballero

|Written By, Directed By

The Beloved Vagabond

|Screenplay By

Sworn Enemy

|Screenplay By

1937

|The Prisoner of Zenda

|Screenplay By

|Based on the novel of the same name by "Anthony Hope", Co-Wrote Screenplay with "John L. Balderston", "Edward Rose", "Donald Ogden Stewart", "Ben Hecht", and "Sidney Howard"

rowspan=3|1939

|Man of Conquest

|Written By

|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Harold Shumate", "Jan Isbell Fortune", and "Edward E. Paramore Jr."

Sergeant Madden

|Screenplay By

Thunder Afloat

|Screenplay By

|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Harvey S. Haislip"

1940

|Flight Command

|Screenplay By

|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Harvey S. Haislip"

rowspan=3|1941

|The Bad Man

|Screenplay By

|Based on the play By "Porter Emerson Browne"

The Get-Away

|Screenplay By, Story By

|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "W. R. Burnett" and "J. Walter Ruben"

Turned Out Nice Again

|Screenplay By

rowspan=2|1942

|Mokey

|Screenplay By, Directed By

|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Jan Fortune"

Tennessee Johnson

|Screenplay By

|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "John L. Balderston"

rowspan=2|1943

|The Man from Down Under

|Screenplay By

|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Tom Seller"

Salute to the Marines

|Screenplay By

rowspan=2|1948

|As You Are

|Screenplay By

Movies Are Adventures

|Story By (Uncredited)

|Short

rowspan=3|1951

|The Cinematographer

|Story By (Uncredited)

Red Fury

|Written By

Stronghold

|Written By

1952

|The Prisoner Of Zenda

|Story By

1954

|Magnificent Obsession

|Screenplay By

|Based on the novel "Magnificent Obsession" by "Lloyd C. Douglas", Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Sarah Y. Mason", "Victor Heerman", and "

1957

|Hell Ship Mutiny

|Screenplay By

|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "DeVallon Scott"

1961

|Secret of Deep Harbor

|Screenplay by

|Based on the novel by "Max Miller", Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Owen Harris"

1966

|Texas Across the River

|Screenplay By

|Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Harold Greene" and "Ben Starr"

= Television =

class="wikitable"
Year	TV Series	Credit	Notes
1951–55 \|Fireside Theatre \|Writer \|7 Episodes
1952 \|Adventures Of Superman \|Writer \|1 Episode
1954–55 \|Captain Midnight \|Writer \|6 Episodes
rowspan=3\|1955 \|Stage 7 \|Writer \|1 Episode
Tales of the Texas Rangers \|Writer \|
TV Reader's Digest \|Writer \|3 Episodes
rowspan=3\|1955-56 \|Brave Eagle \|Writer \|3 Episodes
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp \|Writer \|2 Episodes
Jungle Jim \|Writer \|2 Episodes
rowspan=3\|1956 \|Conflict \|Writer \|1 Episode
Studio 57 \|Writer \|1 Episode
General Electric Theater \|Writer \|1 Episode
1956–57 \|The Lone Ranger \|Writer \|3 Episodes
rowspan=3\|1957 \|Casey Jones \|Writer \|1 Episode
Ford Theatre \|Writer \|1 Episode
Sugarfoot \|Writer \|1 Episode
1957–59 \|Colt .45 \|Writer \|2 Episodes
1957–62 \|Cheyenne \|Writer \|5 Episodes
rowspan=2\|1958-60 \|Bat Masterson \|Writer \|7 Episodes
Wanted: Dead or Alive \|Writer \|2 Episodes
rowspan=2\|1959 \|The Restless Gun \|Writer \|1 Episode
The Deputy \|Writer \|1 Episode
1959–60 \|Tombstone Territory \|Writer \|3 Episodes
1959–61 \|Maverick \|Writer \|4 Episodes
1960 \|Bronco \|Writer \|1 Episode
rowspan=2\|1961 \|Laramie \|Writer \|1 Episode
Whiplash \|Writer \|1 Episode
1962 \|Lawman \|Writer \|1 Episode
rowspan=2\|1964-65 \|Combat! \|Writer \|2 Episodes
The Rogues \|Writer \|2 Episodes
1966 \|Tarzan \|Writer \|1 Episode

class="wikitable"

Year

TV Series

Credit

Notes

1951–55

|Fireside Theatre

|Writer

|7 Episodes

1952

|Adventures Of Superman

|Writer