The War of the Worlds....

An ideal pick for Friday the 13th, and a must listen for Halloween. Experts, researchers, and academics have debated the effects of mass media for decades. Does the mass media have all powerful effects or can the public think for themselves without influence? There are two distinct camps, those who argue for massive effects and those who argue for minimal effects. There are also those among us who argue that there may be times when the circumstances are just right to illustrate the potential for powerful effects. My argument for such potential effects were clearly visible on October 30th, 1938 when Orson Welles and The Mercury Theatre turned H.G. Wells' classic "War of the Worlds" into the most famous radio broadcast in history. While the drama was advertised well in advance, people who missed the ads or the show's introductions as an on-air drama, were instantly terrified as the production unfolded. The use of realistic news reports and emergency interruptions were so convincing that thousands of people fled their homes in mass panic from New Jersey to New York to escape the unfolding alien invasion. Maybe people know better today, and this could never happen right? One can ever really be sure...... So, presented here is the complete 1938 broadcast for you to judge for yourself. Imagine that you missed the introductions announcing this as a drama. Imagine you are home alone on a dark night, you decide to turn on the radio for some company, and suddenly.... a breaking news story cuts in with details of an invasion... I suggest playing this in the dark for maximum affect. I've posted the cover illustration to the Edward Gorey edition of the H.G. Wells classic, as this is my favorite reading copy. Recently reissued, Gorey's trademark illustrations capture Wells' imagery like no one else can.

The War of the Worlds (Mercury Theatre on the Air: October 30, 1938)