The Broadcast That Terrified A Nation - Inside A Mind

Summary

This video explores the infamous 1938 'War of the Worlds' radio broadcast by Orson Welles, which simulated an alien invasion causing panic. It delves into Welles' background, the creation of the Mercury Theatre on the Air, and the controversial aftermath, questioning the extent of the public's reaction and media exaggeration.

Takeaways

• 🎬 The 'War of the Worlds' radio broadcast by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre on October 30, 1938, is considered one of the most significant events in broadcasting history.
• 🌟 Orson Welles, born on May 6, 1915, was a passionate performer and radio enthusiast who started his career at the Gate Theatre in Dublin at the age of 16.
• 📻 Welles' success with the Mercury Theatre led to CBS offering him his own radio show, 'The Mercury Theatre on the Air,' which aired weekly adaptations of historical literature.
• 🔄 The original script for the first episode was 'Treasure Island,' but Welles changed it to 'Dracula' shortly before the premiere, which was well-received by audiences and critics.
• 👽 For the 'War of the Worlds' episode, Welles aimed to create the illusion of a real alien invasion by using news bulletins and eyewitness accounts to make the story believable.
• 📡 The first read-through of 'War of the Worlds' was deemed dull and lacked urgency, leading to significant script restructuring to add more realism and pace.
• 🎵 The broadcast began with 40 minutes of music interrupted by news bulletins, simulating the common practice of breaking news during radio programming in the 1930s.
• 🚨 The 'War of the Worlds' broadcast reportedly caused widespread panic, with people leaving their homes, forming mobs in the streets, and even taking their own lives, although these claims have been disputed.
• 📰 The media, particularly newspapers, may have exaggerated the panic caused by the broadcast to discredit radio as a news source and regain their audience.
• 📈 Despite the controversy, the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast is remembered for its impact on the public and its role in shaping the perception of radio as a powerful medium.

Q & A

Who was Orson Welles and what was his role in the War of the Worlds broadcast?

Orson Welles was a prominent actor, writer, and director born on May 6, 1915. He was the mastermind behind the Mercury Theatre on the Air and the director of the War of the Worlds radio broadcast.

What was the Mercury Theatre on the Air?

The Mercury Theatre on the Air was a radio series created by Orson Welles, known for adapting historical pieces of literature into hour-long live broadcasts. It first aired in the summer of 1938 on CBS.

What was the original reaction to the War of the Worlds broadcast?

The original reaction was reported to be widespread panic, with people believing that an actual alien invasion was happening. Newspapers claimed that people were forming mobs, calling the police, and even committing suicide.

How did the broadcast of War of the Worlds create such a realistic portrayal of an alien invasion?

Orson Welles used a series of news bulletins, eyewitness accounts, and realistic sound effects to create a sense of urgency and authenticity. The broadcast was designed to mimic the format of real news interruptions.

Was the widespread panic caused by the War of the Worlds broadcast as extensive as reported?

Later studies suggested that the panic was greatly exaggerated. Research indicated that the actual number of listeners was much lower than reported, and the level of panic was not as widespread as initially claimed.

What was the media's role in exaggerating the panic caused by the broadcast?

The newspapers, which saw radio as a competitor, had a vested interest in portraying radio negatively. They exaggerated the panic to discredit radio as a reliable source of news and to drive audiences back to print media.

How did Orson Welles respond to the backlash from the War of the Worlds broadcast?

Publicly, Orson Welles was very apologetic, expressing shock at the reaction. However, privately, those who worked with him noted that he seemed to enjoy the attention and recognized the broadcast's historical significance.

What methods did Orson Welles and his team use to improve the authenticity of the broadcast after the first read-through?

They added more realistic news bulletins, increased the number of eyewitness accounts, and made dialogue more natural. They also drew inspiration from real-life disaster reports, like the Hindenburg disaster, to enhance the performances.

What impact did the War of the Worlds broadcast have on Orson Welles' career?

The broadcast significantly raised Orson Welles' profile, marking him as a talented and innovative figure in entertainment. Despite the controversy, it cemented his reputation and paved the way for future successes.

What evidence exists to suggest that the actual number of listeners to the War of the Worlds broadcast was lower than initially reported?

The C.E. Hooper rating service, which was conducting research on the night of the broadcast, found that less than 2% of 5,000 surveyed homes were listening to the War of the Worlds, with no mentions of an alien invasion.

Outlines

00:00

🎬 The Infamous War of the Worlds Broadcast

The first paragraph introduces the legendary 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre, which simulated an alien invasion from Mars. This event is known for causing widespread panic across the United States. The segment also delves into Welles' early life, his passion for performing arts, and his journey to radio. It highlights the success of the Mercury Theatre and the decision to adapt HG Wells' 'War of the Worlds' for a live radio show, emphasizing the challenge of making the fictional invasion feel real through news bulletins.

05:00

📻 Crafting the Illusion of an Alien Invasion

The second paragraph discusses the strategy behind the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast, focusing on the use of news bulletins to interrupt regular programming and create a sense of urgency. It details the initial failure of the script and the subsequent revisions to make it more realistic, including the addition of more news flashes and eyewitness accounts. The paragraph also describes the technical aspects of the broadcast, such as the pacing and the use of music, which contributed to the illusion of a live alien invasion.

10:02

🌍 The Panic and Aftermath of the Broadcast

This paragraph describes the immediate aftermath of the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast, highlighting the public's reaction and the ensuing panic. It mentions the chaos that ensued, with people fleeing their homes and reports of suicides. The paragraph also touches on the media's role in amplifying the panic and the subsequent backlash against Orson Welles. It questions the authenticity of the widespread panic, suggesting that the media may have exaggerated the event for their own benefit.

15:04

🔍 Debunking the Myth of Mass Panic

The fourth paragraph challenges the popular narrative of mass panic caused by the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast. It presents evidence from radio research and ratings services that suggest the number of listeners and the extent of the panic were greatly exaggerated. The paragraph also discusses the potential motives behind the media's exaggeration, such as competition with radio for news dissemination. It acknowledges that while some people were genuinely fooled, the scale of the reaction was likely much smaller than reported.

20:06

🌐 The Legacy and Modern Relevance of the Broadcast

The final paragraph reflects on the enduring impact of the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast and its place in history. It mentions the ongoing interest in the event, with recent adaptations like a BBC television series. The paragraph also includes a promotional message about ExpressVPN, highlighting its benefits for accessing content from different countries and protecting personal data.

Keywords

💡Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

CBS is a major American television and radio network. In the context of the video, CBS is the broadcasting station that aired Orson Welles' adaptation of 'War of the Worlds' on October 30, 1938. The video discusses how CBS played a crucial role in the widespread panic that ensued after the broadcast, as listeners believed the fictional alien invasion was real.

💡Orson Welles

Orson Welles was a renowned American actor, director, writer, and producer. He is the central figure in the video, known for creating the infamous 'War of the Worlds' radio broadcast. The video explores his early career, his influence on radio, and his decision to adapt H.G. Wells' novel into a realistic-sounding radio drama that caused panic among listeners.

💡Mercury Theatre on the Air

Mercury Theatre on the Air was a radio drama series hosted by Orson Welles. The video highlights how this series was known for its live performances and adaptations of literary works. The 'War of the Worlds' episode, in particular, was a significant event in the history of broadcasting due to its realistic portrayal of an alien invasion.

💡H.G. Wells

H.G. Wells was a British author, best known for his science fiction novels. His novel 'The War of the Worlds' was adapted by Orson Welles for the radio. The video discusses how Welles' adaptation of Wells' novel played a pivotal role in the panic that occurred during the broadcast, as listeners believed the fictional events were happening in real-time.

💡Radio Broadcast

A radio broadcast refers to the transmission of audio content through radio waves. In the video, the term is used to describe the medium through which Orson Welles' 'War of the Worlds' was disseminated. The video emphasizes the power of radio in the 1930s and how it was used to create a sense of immediacy and realism that contributed to the panic.

💡News Bulletins

News bulletins are short, informative segments typically used to deliver breaking news. In the video, Orson Welles used the format of news bulletins to interrupt the radio program, creating a sense of urgency and realism in the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast. This technique was crucial in making listeners believe that the fictional events were actual news.

💡Panic

Panic refers to a sudden overwhelming fear that causes people to act irrationally. The video discusses the widespread panic that occurred after the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast, as listeners believed they were witnessing an actual alien invasion. The term is used to describe the reaction of the public and the subsequent chaos that ensued.

💡Great Depression

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that took place during the 1930s. The video mentions the Great Depression as a historical context, highlighting the societal tensions and economic hardships that were prevalent at the time. This background is relevant as it set the stage for the public's susceptibility to the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast.

💡Media Exaggeration

Media exaggeration refers to the practice of overstating or sensationalizing events in media coverage. The video suggests that the media may have exaggerated the extent of the panic caused by the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast. This term is used to critique the role of newspapers and other media outlets in amplifying the perceived impact of the broadcast.

💡Radio Research Project

The Radio Research Project was an initiative aimed at studying the impact of radio broadcasts on audiences. In the video, it is mentioned in relation to the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast, suggesting that the project's findings challenged the widely accepted narrative of widespread panic. This term is used to highlight the discrepancy between the reported panic and the actual listener reactions.

💡ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is a virtual private network (VPN) service provider. The video includes a sponsorship mention of ExpressVPN, highlighting its ability to help users access geo-restricted content like BBC iPlayer. This term is used in the context of a promotional message, offering a service that can bypass regional content restrictions.

Highlights

The War of the Worlds radio broadcast by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre on October 31, 1938, claimed an alien invasion from Mars, causing widespread panic.

Orson Welles was born on May 6, 1915, and developed a passion for performing arts and radio, eventually securing an acting job at the Gate Theatre in Dublin.

Welles started in radio in 1934, working behind the scenes and later forming his own theater production, the Mercury Theatre.

CBS offered Welles his own radio show, the Mercury Theatre on the Air, which began in 1938 with weekly adaptations of historical literature.

The first episode of Mercury Theatre on the Air was initially to be Treasure Island but was changed to Bram Stoker's Dracula shortly before the premiere.

The Mercury Theatre on the Air was a success, leading to an extension of the show beyond the summer season.

Orson Welles decided to adapt HG Wells' War of the Worlds for the 17th episode, aiming to make it feel like a real alien invasion.

The original read-through of War of the Worlds was dull and lacked urgency, leading to a restructuring of the script with more news bulletins and eyewitness accounts.

Actor Frank Reddick used a recording of the Hindenburg disaster to help with his performance as a reporter in the broadcast.

The broadcast began with a slow pace and large gaps between news bulletins to create a realistic atmosphere.

The program started at 8:00 p.m. on CBS, with some listeners tuning in late and mistaking the broadcast for a performance.

Reports of strange objects landing in New Jersey were part of the broadcast, intended to mimic real news bulletins.

The broadcast's realism led to panic, with people leaving their homes, running for the hills, and some even calling police stations for help.

CBS supervisor Davidson Taylor received a call to interrupt the broadcast with an announcement that it was fictional, but the message came too late.

The following day, newspapers reported widespread panic and even suicides, although these claims were later questioned.

Historians later found that the number of listeners and the extent of the panic might have been exaggerated by the media.

The radio research project Invasion of Mars suggested that only around 1 million people believed the broadcast was real out of six million listeners.

The SEER rating service found that less than 2% of 5,000 homes they called were listening to the broadcast, casting doubt on the reported panic.

Despite the controversy, Orson Welles received thousands of letters from listeners, some praising his work and others expressing anger at being fooled.

The media may have exaggerated the reaction to the broadcast to turn the public against radio and back towards newspapers.

Transcripts

the Columbia Broadcasting System and its

affiliated station whose and Orson

Welles and the Mercury Theatre on the

air in the war of the world by HG West

on October 31st 1938 a radio broadcast

was transmitted across the United States

of America claiming that alien

life-forms from the planet Mars had

invaded Earth causing a widespread panic

across the country with angry mobs

forming in the streets and reports of

people taking their own lives after

jumping off of buildings or at least

that's the story we've been told today

we explore one of the biggest events in

the history of broadcasting Orson Welles

as War of the Worlds

[Music]

we begin our journey with the man behind

the curtain

george orson welles born on may 6 1915

growing up he garnered a passion for

performing arts and radio and wound up

with an acting job at the Gate Theatre

in Dublin during 1931 after reportedly

walking into the building claiming to be

a Broadway star no one believed him of

course but his passion and confidence at

just the age of 16

couldn't be overlooked so they gave him

a job right there and then as the months

went on he began dabbling in strip

writing and directing eventually landing

a job on American radio during 1934

working behind the scenes for several

shows sometimes without credits the

money he earned from the radio went

towards his own theater production

called her the Mercury Theatre the

productions put together was some of the

best anyone had ever seen with four hit

shows in his first year the mercury

might well close its door on a season

unparalleled in Broadway history but Mr

Welles has long been working on a

project for a greater audience the

Broadway's of the entire United States

the success of the Mercury Theater gun

at the interest of the radio station CBS

who offered Welles his own show which

would later be called the Mercury

Theatre on the air the series would be a

weekly show broadcasting over the summer

of 1938 each one being an hour-long

adaptation of historical pieces of

literature the episodes all had to be

performed live due to radio strict

policy of pre recordings the general

public had been trained to believe

everything on the radio was happening as

they heard it and stations like CBS

didn't want to betray viewers trust so

their preference was to have the show

live every week on a Monday at 9:00 p.m.

Columbia Network takes pride in

presenting Orson Welles in the first

production of a unique new summer series

by the Mercury Theatre on the air the

first ever episode was going to be an

adaptation of Treasure Island before

Orson Welles scrapped the entire script

shortly before the premiere and decided

to adapt Bram Stoker's Dracula instead

this dramatic change proved to be a

success as critics and audiences alike

adored for show giving CBS a pretty good

indication this

was in good hands the director of the

mercury theater the star and producer of

these programs

Fortson well good evening we're starting

out tonight were the best story of its

kind ever written his Bram Stoker's

Dracula I'll see you in Transylvania

[Applause]

[Music]

while it may seem insane to scrap or

hold off on script shortly before it's

supposed to be performed it wasn't out

of the ordinary for Wells in fact he

produced some of his best work when he

was on a time crunch originally planned

to only take place over the summer

CBS gave an extension to the show which

would see the series continue into the

month of Halloween where the show would

eventually leave its mark in human

history this Monday nights includes the

summer broadcast which have introduced

the Mercury Theatre as the first

complete theatrical producing company

and radio but the tremendous response

with their efforts have drawn from all

parts of the country has ensured their

continuance with us through the coming

months the Columbia Broadcasting System

is therefor proud to announce a new

series of weekly productions by Orson

Welles and the Mercury Theatre on the

air beginning next Sunday evening

September the 11th from 8 to 9 o'clock

Eastern Daylight Saving Time the 17th

episode of the Mercury Theatre on the

air was going to take place on October

30th 1938 Orson decided he wanted to

tackle the renowned piece of fiction War

of the Worlds a story covering an alien

invasion from the planet Mars

written by HG Wells his idea was to make

this particular episode feel like we

were experiencing a real alien invasion

across the United States of America but

how exactly could they pull something

like that off well Orson came up with an

answer

news bulletins we interrupt this program

for a special news bulletin

an evening of radio programming being

interrupted by news bulletins was a very

common thing during the 1930s due to so

many problems going on throughout the

world the Great Depression had just

taken its course tensions were rising

between the u.s. and Japan the Nazi

Party and right-wing radicalism was

taking over Europe serious events were

happening all the time and radio had the

upper hand against newspapers by

delivering breaking news to the American

public the second that happened

sometimes interrupting the program that

was playing at the time

that's what Orson wanted for war of the

worlds' having numerous pieces of music

playing across the first 40 minutes

while being interrupted by reports of

strange objects landing in several parts

of the states unfortunately the first

read-through of the War of the Worlds

was a complete disaster it was dull

boring and uninspiring so they recorded

a read-through and sent it to Orson for

some feedback he basically said the same

thing the news bulletins just weren't

realistic enough there was no sense of

urgency they needed more news flashes

more eyewitness accounts if this was

going to work they needed to be as close

to reality as they possibly could make

it without disrupting the story of

course

so after restructuring the script they

added more news bulletins more

eyewitness accounts using everything

they could at their disposal to make

these things much more believable even

the actors began helping out suggesting

certain rewrites to particular dialogue

that didn't come across as natural actor

Frank Reddick who is going to play a

reporter on the scene needed some help

with his performance so Orson gave him a

recorded file of the Hindenburg disaster

of 1937 reported by Herbert Morrison

wait get it started get it started this

fight and it's crazy this is terrible

this is the one of the worst

catastrophes in the world like I said

talk ladies and gentlemen honest is this

legs a massive [ __ ] wreck Oh Frank

visited a record library and had this

playing on repeat taking notes to help

his performance they also went from

having the alien invasion spanning

across several days to having it all

happen live meaning the Martian invasion

would take place in just the space of an

hour this is obviously unrealistic for

an invasion to happen but Welles managed

to combat that problem by having the

program start offered an incredibly slow

pace having the orchestra segments at

the start playing longer than most

producers recommended him to in Orson's

mind starting out with a slow pace and

having big gaps between the news

bulletins would help give the show that

real

the atmosphere they were looking for

then as the story progresses the

Martians spread across the states the

pace became faster and faster making

people forget about the unrealistic

nature of Martians taking control of

huge cities in the space of an hour

the Columbia Broadcasting System and its

affiliated station who then Orson Welles

and the Mercury Theater on the air in

the war of the world by HG West on

October 30th 1938 Orson Welles as

adaptation of the War of the Worlds was

about to broadcast on CBS at 8:00 p.m.

some people tuning in at the very

beginning excited to listen to a brand

new piece of media written and performed

live by Orson Welles star of these

broadcasts Orson well we know now that

in the early years of the 20th century

this world was being watched closely by

intelligences greater than man

the show opens with an introduction to

the Mercury Theater along with a

monologue performed by Orson Welles

himself the show begins viewers

listening orchestra playing everything

is fine until some viewers tuned in a

few minutes late I switched on the radio

they hear that orchestra playing oh must

be some kind of performance tonight we

can just leave this playing in the

background while we do some chores

[Music]

ladies and gentlemen we interrupt our

program of dance music to bring you a

special bulletin from the

Intercontinental radio news suddenly the

music stops we're now hearing a news

bulletin reporting on a mysterious

object that's landed in the States it is

reported that at 8:50 p.m. a huge

flaming object believed to be a

meteorite fell on a farm in the

neighborhood of Grover's mill New Jersey

22 miles in presence reporters are on

the scene interviewing experts on what

they believe the mysterious object is we

take you now to Grover's mill New Jersey

ladies and gentlemen this is Carl

Phillips again how does the wilmuth farm

Grover's mill New Jersey I guess that it

yes I guess that's the same directly in

front of me but I can see if the object

itself doesn't look very much like a

meteor

please stop the meteors I've seen it

looks more like it you cylinder as a

diameter now they're listening a little

more closely

if these objects are not meteors then

what are they

I see do you still think it's a meteor

of the feather metal casing is

definitely extraterrestrial and not

found on the third parts are starting to

pound a little faster now

something's happening ladies and

gentlemen this terrific office beginning

to rotate like a screw in this anything

maybe something's happening

I'm shake this rising out of the pit

they make out a small beam of light

against the mirror everywhere coming you

point out about 20 yards Barrett

ladies and gentlemen due to

circumstances beyond our control we are

unable to continue the broadcast from

Grover's mill losing signal with the

reporter after the bizarre object opened

up is certainly not what they were

expecting ladies and gentlemen I have a

grave announcement to make

incredible as it may seem both the

observations of science and the evidence

of our eyes lead to the inescapable

assumption that those strange beings who

landed in the jersey farmlands

tonight are the vanguard of an invading

army from the planet Mars

the world is being invaded people start

leaving their homes it's

there's nothing we can do people are

running for the hills

setting their pets free to fend for

themselves some even invaded churches

announcing the world is under attack and

you might as well go home to die others

decided to call into their local police

stations asking if there's anything they

can do to fight in the alien invasion at

8:32 p.m. CB s supervisor Davidson

Taylor received a telephone call in the

control room ordering him to interrupt

the War of the Worlds broadcast with an

announcement that the show was indeed

fictional but by the time the message

had gotten across the damage was already

done

the following day the War of the Worlds

broadcast was on the front page of every

newspaper across the States claiming

widespread panic took place during and

after the broadcast the newspapers

reported that thousands of people had

called them up along with police

stations asking for more information or

offering their services to help in the

war there were mobs in the streets of

New York angry and confused as to what

they had witnessed on the radio reports

of people taking their own lives

appeared in the news claiming people

were jumping off buildings after hearing

the apocalypse had arrived the entrance

of the CBS headquarters was packed to

the brim with journalists waiting for

Orson Welles to make his appearance and

respond to the backlash of his radio I

simply don't know I can't imagine I mean

I you must realize that I when I left

the broadcast last night I went into a

dress rehearsal for play that's opening

in two days and I've had almost no sleep

and iue

I know less about this than you do I

haven't read the papers except at the

time you were giving this role where you

where the terror was going on throughout

the nation on the first night we did

Dracula and it seemed to me during

Dracula I had high hopes that people

would react as they do in a movie of

that kind and I don't know that they did

particularly

and so I given up one doesn't believe in

the radio audience much you don't know

that there whether they're listening or

not you have no idea how many people are

listening or what they're thinking I had

every hope that that the people would be

excited as they would be at a melodrama

according to people who worked with

Orson while he was very apologetic

publicly privately they could tell he

was enjoying this attention

he knew this piece of work was going to

go down in history with how huge the

backlash appeared the entire country in

a frenzy over something he put together

[Music]

as a conveyance for authentic news I

don't believe that I have since it is

not a method original with me it is used

by many radio programs I am terribly

shocked by the effect it's had I do not

believe that the method is original with

me or or peculiar to the mercury

theaters presentation as the years went

on however the more historians look back

at this bizarre event the more they

began to question it according to the

radio research project invasion of Mars

it was reported that six million people

were listening to the broadcast and just

around 1 million of those believed it

was real in later studies however it

suggested that those viewing figures

were greatly exaggerated estimating

around 1 million were actually listening

to the show rather than 6 but even those

viewing figures are uncertain and it

could have even been smaller

luckily the seee hooper rating service

was doing research on the very night of

the broadcast into what people were

listening to calling over 5,000 homes

asking what they were watching less than

2% out of the 5,000 said they were

listening to War of the Worlds broadcast

and out of 5,000 homes there were no

mentions of people listening to news

bulletins about alien invasions although

many people supposedly left their homes

the second they heard the world was

being invaded by aliens so those who

believed

was real wouldn't have been in their

homes to answer the call but the fact

remains that only 2% out of that

specific 5,000 were listening to it to

further back up the evidence that not

many people were actually listening to

the broadcast was that there were very

popular programs airing in the same

timeslot as War of the Worlds one

program in particular was a show called

the chase and Sanborn hour that was

hosted by ventriloquist Edgar burnin how

exactly a ventriloquist works on radio

well your guess is as good as mine Ben

gross the New York Daily News Radio

editor published a memoir in 1954 where

he recalls the streets of Manhattan

being deserted as he sped to the CBS

headquarters not too long after the War

of the Worlds broadcast was ending also

despite the rumors that have circulated

over the years about people jumping off

of buildings there were no confirmed

reports of this actually happening there

were no reports of medical injuries as

well that were to do with the War of the

Worlds broadcast but if this was true

and the backlash really wasn't as big as

it was documented then why why would the

reaction to the broadcast be so greatly

exaggerated what exactly would be the

point who would benefit from this the

media it's important to note that

America just came off the back of the

Great Depression and radio was a new

quicker and easier way to find out what

was going on in the world the 1930s

marked the beginning of the Golden Age

for radio many people stopped buying

papers and solely relied on their little

contraptions for events around the world

the newspapers took a huge hit during

this time and radio was now seen as a

direct competitor maybe even a threat

when it came to delivering news they

needed something that would turn the

audience against it and go back to

buying their products that perfect

opportunity came along when War of the

Worlds

if they could show that radio negatively

impacted the world it could turn people

away from it stop them from being so

trusting in it so while it seems like it

wasn't a nationwide panic like the

legend had us believe it is still

important to note there are records of

people who did genuinely fall for it and

believe there was an alien invasion

taking place when the broadcast ended

over the course of the next few weeks

Orson received thousands of letters from

people who were listening to the show

while it aired some applauding his

legendary work but others were angry

claiming they had fallen for the news

bulletins even Orson claimed himself

that most of his life he's had people

come up to him talk about how they fell

for the broadcast at the time if you

think this is an exaggeration it's only

a little while ago that I again ran into

some work ISM Simpson welfare workers

Quakers and Red Cross people who had

been up in the Black Hills of Dakota

some five or six weeks after this

broadcast persuading the people to leave

the mountains and go back home because

Martians really hadn't come just the

other day I was coming here to England

on the ferry and some people were in the

next compartment on the boat the boat

train said to me yeah

there you are Orson hey why are you sure

scared us we were on our honeymoon my

wife and I I'm sorry to say that they

look very ancient coupled I said we were

on our honeymoon and that had a little

portable radio we were out there by the

lake and heard what you said we come

right back home that spoiled the

honeymoon but glad to see yours and that

kind of things falling all over the

world since then so at the end of the

day we don't know how big the reaction

actually was we know a lot of people

fell for it but we also know a lot of it

was exaggerated by the press either way

it certainly deserves a place in the

history books for the bizarre situation

it caused if you're still interested in

War of the Worlds after this video the

BBC have just made a three-part

television series based on the War of

the Worlds

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that's all for me now guys I hope you

enjoyed this video and I'll see you in

the next one

take care