The wonderful power

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Movie
German title The wonderful power
Original title Magnificent obsession
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1954
length 104 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Douglas Sirk
script Robert Blees
production Ross Hunter
for Universal Pictures
music Joseph Gershenson ,
Frank Skinner
camera Russell Metty
cut Milton Carruth
occupation

The Wonderful Power is a 1954 American film directed by Douglas Sirk . It is based on a novel Magnificent Obsession by Lloyd C. Douglas .

action

When millionaire Bob Merrick crashes his speedboat , the only resuscitation machine from Dr. Phillips' clinic saved life. Dr. Phillips himself has a severe seizure at the same time and dies because the device does not get to him in time. His young widow Helen and their stepdaughter Joyce are appalled that a deserving medic would have to die for a daring bon vivant to survive.

What nobody knew, but is now becoming known: The hospital is on the verge of ruin, as Dr. Phillips lived extremely unselfishly and helped other people financially without being allowed to give him back the money or tell others about it. Also the painter Edward Randolph had Dr. Phillips so helped. Randolph passes this unselfish maxim on life to Bob. He wants to speak to Helen, whom he secretly admires, but she refuses any contact. When he presses her in a taxi, she escapes into the street and is hit by a car. It will soon be clear that she will be blind forever.

Bob now devotes his life entirely to the service of Dr. Phillips' maxim, saves the hospital with an anonymous donation and has Helen examined by the most important brain specialists in Switzerland . He himself is continuing his medical studies, which he had given up after the untimely death of his father. He approaches the blind Helen as Mr. Robinson and becomes her friend and confidante. Stepdaughter Joyce soon realizes his serious intentions and gives up her opposition to him. When Helen learns there is no cure for her, Bob's surprise appearance cheers her up. He confesses his true identity to her and proposes marriage to her. Although Helen loves him, she and her carer Nancy leave the next day for an unknown destination.

Bob lets people look for her everywhere, but gives up after several months and returns to the USA. Here he finished his medical studies and soon worked as a brain specialist at the New York Medical Institute. One day Edward Randolph appears - Nancy secretly called him from New Mexico because Helen was in a coma with meningitis in a small hospital . Bob travels to Helen and saves her life with a complicated operation. When Helen wakes up from the anesthetic, she can already distinguish between light and shadow and will be able to see again. Bob promises never to leave her again.

production

The wonderful power was shot in California . Filming locations included Big Bear Lake , the San Bernardino National Forest and Venice . The film premiered on August 4, 1954 at Loew's State Theater in New York City .

In the German dubbed version, Axel Monjé Rock Hudson speaks , while Jane Wyman is spoken by Marianne Kehlau .

As early as 1935, the underlying novel was filmed under the title Magnificent Obsession .

criticism

The lexicon of international films called Die wunderbaren Macht a film that "despite its well-known direction and cast, is not convincing because of its naively optimistic overestimation of the natural disposition of people and their possibilities".

For Cinema , The Wonderful Power was an “artfully crafted key film of an era”.

Awards

The miraculous power was awarded a gold medal at the Photoplay Awards in 1954.

Jane Wyman was nominated for an Oscar in the category " Best Actress " for her role as Helen in 1955 , but could not prevail against Grace Kelly in A Country Girl .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ See synchronkartei.de
  2. ↑ Klaus Brüne (Ed.): Lexicon of International Films . Volume 9. Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1990, p. 4361.
  3. ↑ See cinema.de