30 Oct 1938: The War of the Worlds broadcast

On this day in 1938, Orson Welles performed a radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. Many people believed Martians had actually invaded New Jersey, and some went into a panic.

Welles had intended for the show to “appear to be a real event taking place at that time, rather than a mere radio play.” Much of the story was conveyed by ‘breaking news bulletins’ that interrupted another show.

Orson Welles, 1937; photo by Carl Van Vechten

Despite the occasional announcements that the work was fictional, millions went into a tizzy; Welles apologized the next day.

Here are some more details:

• The broadcast aired on the hour-long Mercury Theatre on the Air on CBS Radio
• Welles had changed the site of the landing from England to Grover’s Mill, New Jersey
• Before selecting The War of the Worlds, producers also considered The Purple Cloud (M.P. Shiel) and The Lost World (Arthur Conan Doyle)
• CBS’s legal department thought it was too realistic, and forced the writing staff to make over two-dozen changes to names and places
• The reporter’s performance was based on the Hindenberg call by Herbert Morrison
• The backing orchestra was conducted by Bernard Herrmann