Rent The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936)
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- Synopsis:
- Three celestial beings ponder what Man would do if he could work miracles. To settle the debate they decide to give some 'ordinary little fellow' this power to see what he will do with it. Fotheringay (Roland Young), a draper's assistant, is assigned miraculous powers, though he's not sure what to do with them. After his initial excitement at the amazing tricks he can perform, he soon tires of the selfish responses from those around him and, taking on the mantle of responsibility, he summons the world's leaders and asks for peace. Their request for more time is provided, rather literally, when Fotheringay commands the earth to stand still and the Gods have to step in to redress the balance...
- Actors:
- Roland Young, Ralph Richardson, Edward Chapman, Ernest Thesiger, Joan Gardner, Sophie Stewart, Robert Cochran, Maud Tree, Lawrence Hanray, George Zucco, Wallace Lupino, Joan Hickson, Wally Patch, Mark Daly, George Sanders, Ivan Brandt, Torin Thatcher, Gertrude Musgrove, Jane Baxter, Antonia Brough
- Directors:
- Lothar Mendes, Alexander Korda
- Producers:
- Alexander Korda
- Writers:
- H.G. Wells, Lajos Biró
- Studio:
- Network
- Genres:
- Classics, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
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Reviews (1) of The Man Who Could Work Miracles
British Sci-fi. - The Man Who Could Work Miracles review by Steve
HG Wells co-wrote this adaptation of his short story about a placid everyman who suddenly finds whatever he wishes for comes true. It feels like a dramatised essay, as the hero's potential to create a utopia comes into conflict with vested interest which benefits from the masses suffering lives of poverty and war.
Wells is especially tough on capitalism which he describes as the exploitation of want. But he also takes on religion, politics and the military. Eventually he predicts George Orwell aphorism that absolute power corrupts absolutely and the world ends up with something close to totalitarianism.
Roland Young plays a dull fellow with a want of imagination, stuck in a dead end job. He meets a series of antagonists who challenge his new found powers. Ralph Richardson stands out as an irascible army officer who finds his weapons optimistically changed to ploughshares. The tone of the film is comical, but more whimsical than hilarious.
For the miracle effects, producer Alexander Korda brought in specialists from Hollywood, and these are the real standout of the film. The scene at the climax when a palace assembles around the cast is quite spectacular. It's the visual ambition which makes this fantasy much more than an interesting idea for The Twilight Zone.