On Halloween eve in 1938, there was an adaptation of H.G. Well’s 1898 novel “War of the Worlds” on the radio series “Mercury Theatre of the Air”. Orson Welles produced, hosted, and acted in this series, which adapted mystery, science fiction and other drama for radio. Welles aired the 1898 Martian invasion novel (War of the Worlds) in the style of a radio news program. For people who missed the opening disclaimer, the program sounded like a real news report! The production was scripted in the form of fake news flashes that repeatedly interrupted musical recordings. The first news flash reported strange activity sighted on Mars. The next interruption was an urgent message saying a meteor had crashed near Grover’s Mills, New Jersey. Then came a “live” report from the New Jersey site saying it wasn’t a meteor at all but Martians with death-ray guns who had just killed one thousand people. Even though there had been a strong disclaimer at the beginning of the broadcas
t saying the story was only make-believe, there were some real consequences. The radio play was misinterpreted by some to be an actual news story. People crowded into churches, highways became jam-packed with cars, and many people put on gas masks. In one unlucky town in Washington State, an actual power failure magnified the frenzy and horror. Thousands of people, believing they were under attack by Martians, flooded newspaper offices and radio and police stations with calls, asking how to flee their city or how they should protect themselves from “gas raids.” Scores of adults reportedly required medical treatment for shock and hysteria. There were even reports of people committing suicide out of fear of the Martians invading New Jersey. After listening to a part of the broadcast (see below), answer the following questions in 3 – 5 pages double spaced. You may want to read the following article for further information about the radio broadcast before answering the questions: