Expert: Mel - 12/13/2004

Question
Hello Mel,
From the little I remember about this movie, it was in black and white, probably from the 40's or the 50's. I probably watched it in about 1965. Not sure but I think it was on a program called "Dialing for Dollars" in Pittsburgh with Nick Perry as host.Anyway, the movie was fiction about some guy who was given special powers (without him really knowing he had them at first) from the "Rulers of the stars" or some great beings in the sky, to see how a human would handle life with these powers. The only thing I remember him doing was to flip a hanging lantern in a pub, which was the first time he realized he had such powers. At the end, the "Rulers of the stars" or great beings as noted above decided that he didn't use the powers appropiately and took them off of him. Sorry there isn't much detail, but I was only a little kid, probably only 7 or 8. Hopefully you can figure this one out? Thanks in advance for you help.  

Answer
Hello Tom,

I think you are referring to one of my all-time favourite films, "THE MAN WHO COULD WORK MIRACLES". It was an English film, made in 1936, based on a story by H. G. Wells, and starred Roland Young as a very ordinary man, George McWhirter Fotheringay, who is given a special power by the "Gods".

The Gods sit among the stars, looking down amazed at the pathetic nature of humans. To see what might happen, they give one man the power to work miracles. When Fotheringay finds he has this gift, he first treats it like a novelty, only to be exploited by those seeking to make money from his gift, before he finally finds his power becoming corrupted. The moral of the tale being that humans aren't ready for such power and are too selfish to use it wisely.

Glad to be of help. Cheers.......Mel.