This is very much part of our history. I posted the radio broadcast so you can listen to it. It is about 55 minutes, so be prepared... On October 30, 1938, The Mercury Theatre, a young drama troupe under the direction of Orson Welles, performed a radio play called War of the Worlds on WABC, New York, and over the Columbia Broadcasting System network, coast-to-coast. It was based on a science fiction story by H.G. Wells (no relation) which entailed Martians landing in New Jersey to take over the world. The broadcast imagery produced through sound effects and acting was so powerful, it caused mass hysteria. Thousands of listeners panicked nationwide, not realizing it was just a radio play, even though disclaimers were announced before and during the production. Many of the listeners panicked when they learned of the Martians ferocious and seemingly unstoppable attack on Earth. Many ran out of their homes screaming while others packed up their cars and fled. The power of radio had fooled the listeners. They had become accustomed to believing everything they heard on the radio, without questioning it. Now they had learned - the hard way... youtube/watch?v=W6YNHq1qc44
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 12:19:24 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015