.mid Files Not Recognized, .MID files not recognized Options

[dmgraph]

This is driving me nuts. I'm a longtime Mac audio person, but have never done much with MIDI. Now out of curiosity, I've downloaded "free" MIDI files from many online sources to check out the MIDI functions of my Cubase. Without exception, all files give me a display such as "QuickTime cannot open the file: "filename.mid" --it is not a file that QuickTime understands (-2048)". Some apps say "kBadHeaderSignature".

These files play fine from their sites (such as http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/9349/recursion.html) through Safari/Quicktime, but when downloaded (yes, via "save as source"), no go. I have a friend who took these files into some ancient conversion app (he insists on staying with OS9), and they come out fine! They play everywhere and import into Cubase. I can't find any app in OSX which seems able to do what he has done. But why should any such thing be necessary??

The strangest thing is that I hear no one else with this complaint, anywhere. What could be wrong? I see no info anywhere online--it simply seems that these things should play, period. I'm running OSX 10.4.2. Could it be doing something evil?