Ray Collins is utterly chilling as the announcer who broadcasts from the top of the CBS building in New York as the martians approach. One can hear the sense of resignation in his voice, especially when he says, "This is the end now." Very tough to listen to.
All people had to do was look out the window to see that there weren't any aliens coming down the street. It's an urban myth that everyone went crazy during this broadcast. In fact, more people were listening to another station that evening.
This was NOT Welles' "first radio broadcast", 'Venom'. On the contrary, Orson had been appearing regularly on radio since early 1937- in small supporting roles on "THE MARCH OF TIME", his own seven-part adaptation of "Les Miserables" on Mutual from July through September 1937, and as Mutual's "THE SHADOW" during the 1937-'38 season, before he began "THE MERCURY THEATER ON THE AIR" on CBS in the summer of '38. It's just that he wasn't well-known to most listeners as yet.
I've been listening to these this morning and reading some of the comments while i listen..loads of people saying how they would have known it was a hoax..people still had to use their imagination back before TV replaced radio and i can imagine they were running wild.. It sounds pretty authentic 70 years after so imagine the realistic quality of the production at the time,considering how things usually date quite badly. They would have to spend Billions to achieve something similar today
you know if they would air something like this again and again on the radio(not the tv people would just think it's just a movie) a lot of people would still fall for it
@graneadly i think to have the same impact it would have to be a million dollar synchronized multi media extravaganza..back then peoples radios and imaginations were their only window to the world... maybe summat will occur in the same vein though in the future!?!
@dannyofthededd "i think to have the same impact it would have to be a million dollar synchronized multi media extravaganza" *Cough* 911 *cough* look-up "September Clues"
@dannyofthededd Someone could hijack all communications (i.e. Internet, TV) and put on "found footage" (a la Cloverfield) depicting the alien attack, overriding whatever the viewer is watching/viewing. Although that could be difficult xD
@dannyofthededd You reaise a good poit and TBH i agree for something so old sounds real not bad now at day we would know better unless someone made an authentic news broadcast on tv :p
@dannyofthededd Well, they are reminded throughout the program it's a performance. They did know it was a hoax. They were not running wild. Any public reaction was exaggerated. You can still enjoy the audio without believing it fooled the general public.
@Venom7619 I'm very sure. You're probably thinking of HG Wells, who wrote War of the Worlds (and others), not Orson Welles, who did the WotW radio broadcast. No relation.
At 9:20, there was originally a 20 second break for "station identification" {the network usually had one during their hour-long shows, about 40 minutes into the program}- some CBS affiliates had already interrupted the broadcast locally to alert their listeners that "The War Of the Worlds" was ONLY a "dramatized play", and that it wasn't really happening. It was too late; panic and hysteria had already started in most areas of the country because of what listeners had already heard..
this is eerie as hell.
thearmyofgreatness 2 weeks ago in playlist Favorite videos
you cant blame people for taking this seriously...there was no internet or cnn back in those days!
reliablethreat23 3 weeks ago
Years ago I read a history of the broadcast and found a really neat story. A man
got totally spooked, believing that the Martians had indeed invaded New Jersey
and his house is righ in the path of their advance. He jumped in his car, driving off
like the Devil was nipping at his heels. Then he realized that he had left his dog behind.
So, he went back for the dog.expecting to be toasted by a heat ray at any moment.
I like this guy.
rangerbobcat 1 month ago
The New York scene was pretty dark O_O
Although there must have been someone near the area he was describing that looked outside and saw nothing :P
AlexanderT21 2 months ago
Comment removed
AlexanderT21 2 months ago
did anyone see a similar program in 1995 or around there? it was pretty scarey tuning in midway thru it.
Gooodwitch 3 months ago
Greatest radio broadcast off all time...
beatlejim64 3 months ago
Ray Collins is utterly chilling as the announcer who broadcasts from the top of the CBS building in New York as the martians approach. One can hear the sense of resignation in his voice, especially when he says, "This is the end now." Very tough to listen to.
kpyng 3 months ago
All people had to do was look out the window to see that there weren't any aliens coming down the street. It's an urban myth that everyone went crazy during this broadcast. In fact, more people were listening to another station that evening.
TheMesaPress 4 months ago
@TheMesaPress
It's not an urban myth at all, it's well documented that people did panic at it
TheGrasshugger 1 month ago
5.25, now thats a "SITUATION"
plopper09 4 months ago in playlist The War of the Worlds - 1938 Radio Broadcast
I like the music at 9:28.
truecinema 5 months ago
when he said it was just an act i bet ppl where so pissed off
mrbrodieftw1 8 months ago
This was NOT Welles' "first radio broadcast", 'Venom'. On the contrary, Orson had been appearing regularly on radio since early 1937- in small supporting roles on "THE MARCH OF TIME", his own seven-part adaptation of "Les Miserables" on Mutual from July through September 1937, and as Mutual's "THE SHADOW" during the 1937-'38 season, before he began "THE MERCURY THEATER ON THE AIR" on CBS in the summer of '38. It's just that he wasn't well-known to most listeners as yet.
fromthesidelines 11 months ago
I've been listening to these this morning and reading some of the comments while i listen..loads of people saying how they would have known it was a hoax..people still had to use their imagination back before TV replaced radio and i can imagine they were running wild.. It sounds pretty authentic 70 years after so imagine the realistic quality of the production at the time,considering how things usually date quite badly. They would have to spend Billions to achieve something similar today
dannyofthededd 1 year ago 7
@dannyofthededd
you know if they would air something like this again and again on the radio(not the tv people would just think it's just a movie) a lot of people would still fall for it
graneadly 1 year ago
@graneadly i think to have the same impact it would have to be a million dollar synchronized multi media extravaganza..back then peoples radios and imaginations were their only window to the world... maybe summat will occur in the same vein though in the future!?!
dannyofthededd 1 year ago 2
This has been flagged as spam show
@dannyofthededd "i think to have the same impact it would have to be a million dollar synchronized multi media extravaganza" *Cough* 911 *cough* look-up "September Clues"
9999necron 4 months ago
@dannyofthededd Someone could hijack all communications (i.e. Internet, TV) and put on "found footage" (a la Cloverfield) depicting the alien attack, overriding whatever the viewer is watching/viewing. Although that could be difficult xD
AlexanderT21 2 months ago
@AlexanderT21 if the right people in the right places wanted to have a go I'm sure it could be pulled off man!!
dannyofthededd 2 months ago
@dannyofthededd You reaise a good poit and TBH i agree for something so old sounds real not bad now at day we would know better unless someone made an authentic news broadcast on tv :p
DestinyFreedom 7 months ago
@dannyofthededd Well, they are reminded throughout the program it's a performance. They did know it was a hoax. They were not running wild. Any public reaction was exaggerated. You can still enjoy the audio without believing it fooled the general public.
ChristopherDone 6 months ago
@ChristopherDone perhaps you are right..and i definitely do enjoy it myself minus the hoax effect. it is some pretty sublime screenplay regardless..
in a two hour broadcast there was an announcement that it wasn't real every half hour or so..
dannyofthededd 6 months ago
didnt people recognice mr. wells S VOICE?
ghostwhiskey 1 year ago
@ghostwhiskey this was orson welles first radio broadcrast and none ever knew about him this is a radioplay to get more people buying his books
Venom7619 1 year ago
@Venom7619 Orson Welles didn't write any books.
RCR1020 8 months ago
@RCR1020 are you sure...... Cuz I've read one of them....
Venom7619 8 months ago
@Venom7619 I'm very sure. You're probably thinking of HG Wells, who wrote War of the Worlds (and others), not Orson Welles, who did the WotW radio broadcast. No relation.
RCR1020 8 months ago
@RCR1020 oh yeah sorry im so dumb.... ;P
Venom7619 8 months ago
@Venom7619 Heheh. Not dumb, just confused. It happens :P
RCR1020 8 months ago
so cool
navyrob69 2 years ago
At 9:20, there was originally a 20 second break for "station identification" {the network usually had one during their hour-long shows, about 40 minutes into the program}- some CBS affiliates had already interrupted the broadcast locally to alert their listeners that "The War Of the Worlds" was ONLY a "dramatized play", and that it wasn't really happening. It was too late; panic and hysteria had already started in most areas of the country because of what listeners had already heard..
fromthesidelines 3 years ago
@fromthesidelines You mean the...the Martians are NOT coming?! And you left me cringing in a cupboard for the first three parts?! How could you.
gmakepiece 1 year ago