IMDb RATING
7.0/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
An ordinary man suddenly finds that anything he says comes true. Or at least, almost anything.An ordinary man suddenly finds that anything he says comes true. Or at least, almost anything.An ordinary man suddenly finds that anything he says comes true. Or at least, almost anything.
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
- Directors
- Lothar Mendes
- Alexander Korda(uncredited)
- Writers
- H.G. Wells(scenario by)
- Lajos Biró(screenplay)
- Stars
Top credits
- Directors
- Lothar Mendes
- Alexander Korda(uncredited)
- Writers
- H.G. Wells(scenario by)
- Lajos Biró(screenplay)
- Stars
- Awards
- 1 nomination
Wallace Lupino
- Constable Winchas Constable Winch
- (as Wally Lupino)
- Directors
- Lothar Mendes
- Alexander Korda(uncredited)
- Writers
- H.G. Wells(scenario by) (dialogue by) (short story)
- Lajos Biró(screenplay) (uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaTorin Thatcher, George Sanders, and Ivan Brandt are Celestial Bodies who appear at the beginning and end of this movie.
- GoofsThe sequence in which the constable is transported to San Francisco was obviously filmed in Los Angeles.
- Quotes
George McWhirter Fotheringay: You just stand there looking lovely, until I notice you!
- Crazy creditsOpening credits are shown over a background of outer space.
- ConnectionsFeatured in WatchMojo: Top 20 Movies Where the World Actually Ends (2021)
Top review
H.G. Wells' Fantasy of Anarchy
What would a world without want be like? The answer has been the subject of countless stories, not a few movies, & every sensitive soul's nighttime sighing for ages. H. G. Wells poses the question by having godlike beings give a department store clerk, George McWhirter Fotheringay, that ability, & watching it evolve, as he bounces from adviser to adviser, from the sexy girl he desires to a retired British Army man.
The film is a treat, especially for those of us accustomed to (& maybe a little bored by) the Star Trek treatment of absolute power conferred on lowly mortals. I don't know much about the history of science fiction in the movies, but Wells goes about everything (he wrote the script, based on his novel) with the fabulous in mind, while adding purely sci-fi touches, which I won't give away.
Fotheringay is no bleeding-heart aching to turn the world into a painless utopia, nor is he a selfish, power-hungry perve, but a nondescript man who takes his time to figure out just what has happened to him before bringing everything to a head. In the meantime, we're given what amounts to a funny English comedy of manners, as well as a peek into a time (& place) where science fiction took a different direction. (For example: if you found out you had miraculous powers, would you tell anyone? I don't think I would. & if you told anyone, wouldn't you imagine the authorities pouncing on you at the first opportunity? Not so in 1930's Essex!)
The ending seems Gene Roddenberry-esque, & perhaps the Star Trek creator admired & shared Wells' humanism; but the film shines with neat-o special effects (some cool stuff, for the time) & a wonderful performance by Roland Young. A must-see for those who like their sci-fi earthbound & thought-provoking.
(My subject line, by the way, refers to anarchy as a form of government in which there are no governments, just self-government; I don't mean it in the common usage of disorder or chaos. The movie touches on the idea that, without their lives being controlled by those in power, who have a vested interest in people needing money & goods, people might find other ways to spend their time - like, for example, in creation.)
The film is a treat, especially for those of us accustomed to (& maybe a little bored by) the Star Trek treatment of absolute power conferred on lowly mortals. I don't know much about the history of science fiction in the movies, but Wells goes about everything (he wrote the script, based on his novel) with the fabulous in mind, while adding purely sci-fi touches, which I won't give away.
Fotheringay is no bleeding-heart aching to turn the world into a painless utopia, nor is he a selfish, power-hungry perve, but a nondescript man who takes his time to figure out just what has happened to him before bringing everything to a head. In the meantime, we're given what amounts to a funny English comedy of manners, as well as a peek into a time (& place) where science fiction took a different direction. (For example: if you found out you had miraculous powers, would you tell anyone? I don't think I would. & if you told anyone, wouldn't you imagine the authorities pouncing on you at the first opportunity? Not so in 1930's Essex!)
The ending seems Gene Roddenberry-esque, & perhaps the Star Trek creator admired & shared Wells' humanism; but the film shines with neat-o special effects (some cool stuff, for the time) & a wonderful performance by Roland Young. A must-see for those who like their sci-fi earthbound & thought-provoking.
(My subject line, by the way, refers to anarchy as a form of government in which there are no governments, just self-government; I don't mean it in the common usage of disorder or chaos. The movie touches on the idea that, without their lives being controlled by those in power, who have a vested interest in people needing money & goods, people might find other ways to spend their time - like, for example, in creation.)
helpful•172
- selfhelpradio
- Aug 28, 1999
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- H.G. Wells' The Man Who Could Work Miracles
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 22 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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By what name was The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936) officially released in Canada in English?
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