Search - Mercury Theatre On The Air, Orson Welles :: War Of The Worlds (1938 Mercury Theatre Of The Air Radio Broadcast)

This radio broadcast caused mass hysteria all over America

James McDonald | Southern California | 12/22/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Uncut and complete. This one-hour audio CD of the Mercury Theatre On The Air live adaptation of The War Of The Worlds is crystal-clear. Just as you would have heard it if you lived around the corner with a good radio. The sound effects, made live as Orson Welles and the cast read live from the script, are absolutly titilating and eerie. Would you believe one of the sound effects is actually an empty mayonaise jar being opened slowly in the toilet? True! Why is this radio broadcast so famous? Well, remember there was no television then. It had not been invented for the public yet. American families listened to radio. People who dialed in to this program late or just plain were not paying close attention thought it was real. Times were sensitive then, so many thought it was the beginning of war or Martians were actually landing on earth or a UFO was destroying a city. On October 30, 1938, this live program caused mass hysteria all over America. People got scared. But for those smart people that recognized the voice of Orson Welles knew this was just another Mercury Theatre radio play on station CBS. If you ever get the chance to see the tv-movie THE NIGHT THAT PANICKED AMERICA, I highly recommend it. This film dramatizes the radio broadcast and what people were doing in thier homes at the time of this broadcast. It also shows what happened behind-the-scenes of the live broadcast at the CBS radio station.

Then, of course, there is the motion picture THE WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953), which is a film version of the CBS Mercury Theatre On The Air script, by Howard Koch, Paul Stewart and John Houseman, originally written by H.G. Wells. Orson Welles was in the classic film Citizen Kane (1941) three years later.

In 2005, three new film versions were released.

A straight-to-DVD version, "H.G. WAR OF THE WORLDS" is by director Timothy Pines. Starring Anthony Piana and Jack Clay. It is considered to be the first authentic movie adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic novel in 1898. The DVD was released June 14, 2005.

Another straight-to-DVD version, "H.G. Wells' War Of The Worlds" was released, starring C. Thomas Howell and Rhett Giles. This DVD was released June 28, 2004 and broadcast on the SCI-FI channel, January 14, 2006. It is a much better movie and interesting in storyline than the next version that Steven Spielberg directed , War of The Worlds, released in theatres June 29, 2005, that starred Tom Cruise."

Unsurpassed

Robert J. Kimbrough II | 04/05/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I really don`t know where to begin, I`ve always had a fascination for 50`s sci-fi. When I first bought this cd I didn`t really listen to it just threw it in the player for halloween effect. Some time later I dimmed the lights and imagined myself sitting by the radio some 40 years ago. The first thing to strike me was the realism of the interviews and the sound effects. Considering that Mr. Welles was limited to only his imagination and some assorted household items, i.e. the opening martian cylinder was simply a mason jar being unscrewed inside a toliet bowl, it`s no wonder folks went mad and stormed the streets in search of the mythical invaders from Mars. Although I`ve never claimed to be very well educated it is safe to say that the purchasing of this cd would make every collection complete."

Great Stuff-Especially for Halloween!

Andre M. | Mt. Pleasant, SC United States | 10/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is GREAT STUFF! Old time radio at it's best! Orson Wells opening monologue is appropriately creepy. The core part of the broadcast, the martians' landing at Grover's Mill, is wonderfully handled and has a nice "you are there" feel to it. The final segment, of Orson Wells (I think) journey of wandering through a post-apocalyptic New York is an amazing predecessor for what would become a sci-fi staple in the Atomic age. For best effects, play this in a dark room with some friends-preferrably on halloween night. I attended a similar "theme party" based around this and it was quite a success."