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KF5JRV > TODAY 30.10.26 17:05l 24 Lines 3781 Bytes #49 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Today in History - Oct 30
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Sent: 261030/0822Z 34164@KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA BPQ6.0.24
âThe War of the WorldsââöOrson WellesâÖ realistic radio dramatization of a Martian invasion of Earthâöis broadcast on the radio on October 30, 1938.
Welles was only 23 years old when his Mercury Theater company decided to update H.G. WellsâÖ 19th-century science fiction novel The War of the Worlds for national radio. Despite his age, Welles had been in radio for several years, most notably as the voice of âThe Shadowâ in the hit mystery program of the same name. âWar of the Worldsâ was not planned as a radio hoax, and Welles had little idea of how legendary it would eventually become.
The show began on Sunday, October 30, at 8 p.m. A voice announced: âThe Columbia Broadcasting System and its affiliated stations present Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater on the air in âWar of the WorldsâÖ by H.G. Wells.â
Sunday evening in 1938 was primetime in the golden age of radio, and millions of Americans had their radios turned on. But most of these Americans were listening to ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his dummy âCharlie McCarthyâ on NBC and only turned to CBS at 8:12 p.m. after the comedy sketch ended and a little-known singer went on. By then, the story of the Martian invasion was well underway.
Welles introduced his radio play with a spoken introduction, followed by an announcer reading a weather report. Then, seemingly abandoning the storyline, the announcer took listeners to âthe Meridian Room in the Hotel Park Plaza in downtown New York, where you will be entertained by the music of Ramon Raquello and his orchestra.â Music played for some time, and then the scare began. An announcer broke in to report that âProfessor Farrell of the Mount Jenning Observatoryâ had detected explosions on the planet Mars. Then the dance music came back on, followed by another interruption in which listeners were informed that a large meteor had crashed into a farmerâÖs field in Grovers Mills, New Jersey.
Soon, an announcer was at the crash site describing a Martian emerging from a large metallic cylinder. âGood heavens,â he declared, âsomethingâÖs wriggling out of the shadow like a gray snake. Now hereâÖs another and another one and another one. They look like tentacles to me ⌠I can see the thingâÖs body now. ItâÖs large, large as a bear. It glistens like wet leather. But that face, it⌠it ⌠ladies and gentlemen, itâÖs indescribable. I can hardly force myself to keep looking at it, itâÖs so awful. The eyes are black and gleam like a serpent. The mouth is kind of V-shaped with saliva dripping from its rimless lips that seem to quiver and pulsate.â
The Martians mounted walking war machines and fired âheat-rayâ weapons at the puny humans gathered around the crash site. They annihilated a force of 7,000 National Guardsman, and after being attacked by artillery and bombers the Martians released a poisonous gas into the air. Soon âMartian cylindersâ landed in Chicago and St. Louis. The radio play was extremely realistic, with Welles employing sophisticated sound effects and his actors doing an excellent job portraying terrified announcers and other characters. An announcer reported that widespread panic had broken out in the vicinity of the landing sites, with thousands desperately trying to flee.
The Federal Communications Commission investigated the unorthodox program but found no law was broken. Networks did agree to be more cautious in their programming in the future. The broadcast helped Orson Welles land a contract with a Hollywood studio, and in 1941 he directed, wrote, produced, and starred in Citizen Kaneâöa movie that many have called the greatest American film ever made.
73 de Scott KF5JRV
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