| Wells Root | |
| Birth Date: | 21 March 1900 |
| Birth Place: | Buffalo, New York |
| Death Place: | Los Angeles |
| 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.[1] He co-authored the 1939 comedy play As You Are with Hugh Mills.
| Year | Film | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | Varsity | Screenplay By | Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Howard Estabrook" and "George Marion Jr." |
| 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" | |
| 1931 | Politics | Screenplay By | Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Robert E. Hopkins" |
| The Prodigal | Story By, Screenplay By | Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Bess Meredyth" | |
| 1932 | Tiger Shark | Screenplay By | |
| Bird of Paradise | Screenplay By | Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Wanda Tuchock" and "Leonard Praskins" | |
| 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" | |
| 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 | |
| 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" | |
| 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" |
| 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" |
| 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 | ||
| 1942 | Mokey | Screenplay By, Directed By | Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Jan Fortune" |
| Tennessee Johnson | Screenplay By | Co-Wrote Screenplay with "John L. Balderston" | |
| 1943 | The Man from Down Under | Screenplay By | Co-Wrote Screenplay with "Tom Seller" |
| Salute to the Marines | Screenplay By | ||
| 1948 | As You Are | Screenplay By | |
| Movies Are Adventures | Story By (Uncredited) | Short | |
| 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" |
| 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 |
| 1955 | Stage 7 | Writer | 1 Episode |
| Tales of the Texas Rangers | Writer | ||
| TV Reader's Digest | Writer | 3 Episodes | |
| 1955-56 | Brave Eagle | Writer | 3 Episodes |
| The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp | Writer | 2 Episodes | |
| Jungle Jim | Writer | 2 Episodes | |
| 1956 | Conflict | Writer | 1 Episode |
| Studio 57 | Writer | 1 Episode | |
| General Electric Theater | Writer | 1 Episode | |
| 1956–57 | The Lone Ranger | Writer | 3 Episodes |
| 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 |
| 1958-60 | Bat Masterson | Writer | 7 Episodes |
| Wanted: Dead or Alive | Writer | 2 Episodes | |
| 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 |
| 1961 | Laramie | Writer | 1 Episode |
| Whiplash | Writer | 1 Episode | |
| 1962 | Lawman | Writer | 1 Episode |
| 1964-65 | Combat! | Writer | 2 Episodes |
| The Rogues | Writer | 2 Episodes | |
| 1966 | Tarzan | Writer | 1 Episode |