It took place on the night before Halloween, long known as “Mischief Night.” Just after 8 p.m. on Oct. 30, 1938, millions of Americans listening to CBS Radio heard the voice of a panicked announcer reporting that strange explosions were taking place on Mars, followed minutes later by a report that Martians had landed in the tiny town of Grovers Mill, New Jersey.
So began the unusual dramatization of H.G. Wells’ classic The War of the Worlds, performed by 23-year-old wunderkind Orson Welles and his Mercury Theater on the Air. Most listeners understood that the program was a radio drama, but countless others — perhaps a million or more — were plunged into panic, convinced that America was under a deadly Martian attack.
On the 75th anniversary of this infamous broadcast, American Experience’s War of the Worlds explores how Welles’ ingenious use of the new medium of radio struck fear into an already anxious nation. “In an era when the public can still be fooled or misled by what is read online, in print, or seen on TV, War of the Worlds is a timely reminder of the power of mass media,” says American Experience executive producer Mark Samels.
The film examines the elements that came together to create one of the biggest purported mass hysteria events in US history: our longtime fascination with life on Mars; the emergence of radio as a powerful, pervasive medium; the shocking Hindenburg explosion of 1937, the first disaster to be reported live; and the brilliant Welles.
Public reaction, forever immortalized in thousands of letters written to CBS, the Federal Communications Commission and Welles himself, is dramatized in on-camera interviews, bringing to life the people who listened that night to the broadcast and thought it was rip-roaring entertainment — or the end of the world.
Tune in to PBS on Sunday, November 3rd, at 8 p.m. EST to relive the thrill of this legendary, and undeniably mischievous, moment.
Watch a preview below (You may notice the promo states October 29th as the Premier date. I could only find a broadcast date of Nov. 3 in our local area)
Disclaimer: On January 4, 2016, the owner of WestEastonPA.com began serving on the West Easton Council following an election. Postings and all content found on this website are the opinions of Matthew A. Dees and may not necessarily represent the opinion of the governing body for The Borough of West Easton.
