When was the original War of the Worlds radio broadcast?

October 30, 1938

“The War of the Worlds”—Orson Welles’s realistic radio dramatization of a Martian invasion of Earth—is broadcast on the radio on October 30, 1938. Welles was only 23 years old when his Mercury Theater company decided to update H.G. Wells’s 19th-century science fiction novel The War of the Worlds for national radio.

What happened in The War of the Worlds radio broadcast?

Orson Welles’s radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds was mistaken by the gullible for actual news reportage of marauding Martians sacking and looting New Jersey. The episode provoked a famous attack of mass panic, making it perhaps the most famous radio drama of all time.

Who did the original War of the Worlds radio broadcast?

Orson Welles
The War of the Worlds (1938 radio drama)

Orson Welles explaining to reporters that he had not intended to cause panic (October 31, 1938)
Genre Radio drama, science fiction
Home station CBS Radio
Hosted by The Mercury Theatre on the Air
Starring Orson Welles Frank Readick Kenny Delmar Ray Collins

What is the difference between the radio and novel versions of The War of the Worlds?

What’s one way Orson Welles’s radio broadcast War of the Worlds is different from H. G. Wells’s novel The War of the Worlds? The radio version is told in the present tense as if events are happening in the moment, while the novel is told in the past tense.

What is the first indication in the 1938 broadcast that something unusual is taking place?

Q. What is the first indication in the 1938 broadcast that something unusual is taking place? In the 1938 broadcast, thr Martians landed n grover´s Mill, New jersey, and many listeners panicked. The first in the 1938 broadcast tha something unusual was taking place the frequent special bulletin interruptions.

What was the first radio show?

Under the call sign KDKA, Pittsburgh’s Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company transmitted the first scheduled broadcast on Nov. 2, 1920. KDKA’s Leo Rosenberg announced live returns of the Presidential election between Warren G. Harding and James Cox.

What is all the red stuff in War of the Worlds?

The aliens crash to Earth in cylinders, which more closely resemble a meteorite (a similar aspect was used in the 1953 film adaptation), and spread their red weed during the invasion. They feed on human blood, extracted from the human prisoners via a Handling-machine.

Are there 2 versions of The War of the Worlds?

Alternate Versions (2)
In response to the criticisms over the 3-hour running time, a Director’s Cut released that excises approximately 45 minutes of the original version. After even more re-cutting, there is now a third version available to the international, non-US market, under the title “Classic War of the Worlds”.

What radio station broadcast The War of the Worlds?

CBS Radio
Almost 85 years ago – Oct. 30, 1938 – “War of the Worlds” was broadcast on CBS Radio, including KNX (1070 AM) here in Los Angeles. In his radio adaption of H. G. Wells’ book for his program “Mercury Theater on the Air,” Orson Welles scared the nation into believing that Earth was being taken over by Martians.

Where did the aliens land in War of the Worlds?

Much of The War of the Worlds takes place around Woking and the surrounding area. The initial landing site of the Martian invasion force, Horsell Common, was an open area close to Wells’ home.

Which radio program panicked listeners on Halloween evening in 1938?

Or Did It? : The Two-Way On the evening of Oct. 30, 1938, Orson Welles and his troupe went on the air to say that Martians had invaded New Jersey. Ever since, stories have made it sound as if the broadcast caused a mass panic.

What were 3 of the most famous radio broadcasts in the 1930’s?

Below are just some of the more popular 1930s radio shows from the ‘Golden Age of Radio’.

~ 1930s Radio Shows ~

  • The $64 Question.
  • Abbott & Costello.
  • The Adventures of Ellery Queen.
  • The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.
  • The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
  • The Adventures of Sam Spade.
  • Amos ‘n’ Andy.
  • Battle of the Sexes.

What is the oldest still running radio station?

KDKA in Pittsburgh, most often cited as the first radio outlet in the United States, had begun as the amateur station 8XK in 1916, but it was forced off the air in World War I. It reappeared on November 2, 1920, as a “commercial” voice-and-music…

What do the birds mean in War of the Worlds?

The birds are what carry the diseases which wipe out the aliens. They also indicate that the shields are down by landing on the tripods. Further, they are carrion birds attracted by rotting flesh.

How did the tripods get to Earth?

War of the Worlds (2005 film)
In this version the tripods were long ago brought to Earth, having been buried underground sometime in its distant past. The aliens instead travel in capsules to their buried machines, which transport them underground.

How many versions of War of the Worlds are there?

So, with no further ado, here are the six main versions of War of the Worlds ranked!

Is War of the Worlds based on a true story?

Concept. The film bases its documentary approach on the 1938 Orson Welles CBS radio broadcast of War of the Worlds, by presenting itself as a true account of actual events (which people accidently took as real news).

What FM frequency is World Service?

BBC World Service can be heard overnight, from 0100 to 0530 hours UK time, on the BBC Radio 4 frequencies 92-95 FM and 198 kHz long wave.

Is War of the Worlds radio broadcast public domain?

Even if Wells renewed the copyright, it expired in 1954, and War of the Worlds passed into public domain in the US. The law giving copyright protection for the life of the author + 70 years came into effect 01 January 1978. Works in their first term or renewed term were grandfathered into the new protection schema.

What killed the tripods in War of the Worlds?

infected blood injected
They are killed by infected blood injected into the mothership’s core, telepathically shutting down the Tripods.

What was the first Black radio station?

WERD
In 1949, station WDIA in Memphis, Tennessee, became the first to employ an all-Black on-air announcing staff. Later that year WERD in Atlanta began broadcasting as the first Black-owned radio station.

What is the most requested song in radio history?

According to this list, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” is the most played song, with 8 million airs. Only includes songs with 3 million + airs. This same list appears at ClassicBands.com.

What did people listen to on the radio during the Great Depression?

Singers Bing Crosby and the Mills Brothers, as well as Guy Lombardo’s orchestra and the Grand Ole Opry were popular. Families listened to baseball, cheering for stars like Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio. Nearly 40 million people listened to the horserace between Seabiscuit and War Admiral in Maryland.

What is the oldest song played on radio?

On the evening of December 24, 1906, Reginald Fessenden used the alternator-transmitter to send out a short program from Brant Rock. It included a phonograph record of Ombra mai fu (Largo) by George Frideric Handel, followed by Fessenden himself playing the song O Holy Night on the violin.

What is the oldest song on the radio?

An anonymous vocalist sings “Au Claire De La Lune” to Parisian inventor Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville, who makes the first known and oldest surviving recording of the human voice.