Image: Mercury-Theatre-Radio-Rehearsal-1938

Description: Photograph of a rehearsal of CBS Radio's The Mercury Theatre on the Air, printed in many US newspapers following the broadcast of "The War of the Worlds" Subjects include Orson Welles, with arms upraised; Bernard Herrmann, conducting the CBS Radio orchestra; actor Ray Collins at the CBS microphone, and Richard Wilson (white shirt) beside him. Caption reads as follows: Producer Welles—In Action While he rehearsed the cast of the Mercury Theater of the Air in the H. G. Wells story "War of the Worlds," Producer Orson Welles little thought that their acting skill would send the nation into a panic. Welles is shown, with hands upraised, directing the actors who are gathered, scripts in hand, around the microphone in the foreground. So realistic was the Welles production of the utterly imaginative tale of a descent upon earth of monstrous people from Mars, that radio listeners from New York to San Francisco and Canada to the Gulf of Mexico believed the catastrophe was really happening. Many were injured in the widespread panic that ensued. Snipe on reverse side of original photo distributed October 31, 1938, reads as follows: Awe-Inspiring Mercury Theater Group In Rehearsal New York City—A rehearsal session of the Mercury Theater radio group which threw the nation into a panic with its radio dramatization of H. G. Wells' novel, "The War of the Worlds," is pictured above. Standing with his arms upraised is Producer Orson Welles. This is not a picture of the rehearsal of the startling presentation, but is a typical Mercury Theater rehearsal shot. The highly realistic arrangment of the novel, with Welles acting in the role of a news commentator reporting catastrophic happenings in New Jersey where a band of warriors from Mars, according to the story, were spreading destruction and death with weapons invulnerable to human attack, sent thousands of listeners into hysteria. Many listeners believed they were hearing an actual news broadcast. Your credit line must read (Acme Telephoto)
Title: Mercury-Theatre-Radio-Rehearsal-1938
Credit: The Gastonia Daily Gazette (North Carolina), November 3, 1938 (page 8)
Author: Acme Telephoto
Permission: This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1923. Public domain works must be out of copyright in both the United States and in the source country of the work in order to be hosted on the Commons. If the work is not a U.S. work, the file must have an additional copyright tag indicating the copyright status in the source country. PD-1923 Public domain in the United States //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mercury-Theatre-Radio-Rehearsal-1938.jpg
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No