The Man Who Could Work Miracles

"The Man Who Could Work Miracles" (1937) opens with an angel deciding to test the human heart by granting nearly limitless power to one chosen at random. The one turns out to be George Fotheringay, an Everyman on his way into the local pub. It just so happens that on this particular evening, George and his cronies start talking about miracles, and the skeptical George accidentally performs one according to the definition he proffered moments before as "something contrary-wise to the usual course of nature, done by an act of will."

Based on a short story by H.G. Wells, the film offers a light-hearted exploration of the ethical and social implications using the power to work miracles entail. Actor Roland Young’s Fotheringay has the same sweet-natured haplessness that delighted fans of his character Cosmo Topper in "Topper" (1937), "Topper Takes a Trip" (1939), and "Topper Returns" (1940). His lengthy film credits include "And Then There Were None" (1945), which has also been featured on UEN SciFi Friday.