The War of the Worlds (radio drama) facts for kids
In 1938, a famous radio show scared many people. It was a version of the book The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. The show was made by Orson Welles for his radio series, The Mercury Theatre on the Air.
This special episode aired on October 30, 1938, just before Halloween. It became very famous because some people thought it caused a lot of panic. However, it's now believed that not as many people panicked as the stories say.
Contents
The War of the Worlds Radio Show
The radio show was about an alien invasion. It was presented like a real news broadcast. For the first 40 minutes, listeners heard what sounded like live news updates.
A Scary Broadcast
The show started with a regular music program. Suddenly, a news update interrupted it. It reported strange explosions on Mars. Soon after, another report came in. It said an unusual object had fallen on a farm in Grover's Mill, New Jersey.
Then, the scary part began. Martians came out of the object. They attacked with a powerful heat ray! More news reports quickly followed. They described a huge alien invasion happening across the United States and the world.
Why People Believed It
The show felt very real for a few reasons. First, The Mercury Theatre on the Air was a show without commercials. This meant there were no breaks to remind people it was just a play. The first real break in the show came almost 30 minutes in.
Some people believed that many listeners tuned in late. They might have missed the beginning, which clearly stated it was a drama. This made them think the news reports were real. However, newer studies suggest this didn't happen very often.
What Happened Next
After the broadcast, there was a lot of anger in the media. Newspapers and public figures said the show's news style was tricky. People called for rules on radio broadcasts.
Despite the controversy, the episode made Orson Welles very famous. He became known as a brilliant storyteller.
Images for kids
-
The New York Times headline from October 31, 1938
-
Welles talks to reporters the day after the broadcast, October 31, 1938
-
A cartoon by Les Callan about the radio show (February 1939)
-
A photo of Welles after the radio scare (1938)
-
A plaque in Township of West Windsor about the broadcast
See also
In Spanish: La guerra de los mundos (radio) para niños
