October 30: Radio Broadcast of “The War of the Worlds” (1938)
Prayer Idea
Pray that you would develop your skills of discernment to identify truth and fiction.
History Note
H. G. Wells (1866-1946) was an English author who wrote a wide variety of novels, short stories, and nonfiction work. In the 1890s, he wrote and published a serialized novel called The War of the Worlds in British and U.S. magazines. The story appeared in book form in 1898. The plot involves beings from Mars invading Earth.
Orson Welles (1915-1985) was an American entertainer. He was only 23 when he produced a radio drama based on The War of the Worlds. It was broadcast on the CBS radio network on October 30, 1938, changing the story to involve an extraterrestrial invasion of the United States.
The radio drama was presented as if it was a breaking news story. Though the broadcast mentioned several times that it was fictional, some people who tuned in may have missed those statements. People in New York and New Jersey called their local police stations, and others called their local CBS radio station to check on the situation. Some people were scared. However, newspapers evidently exaggerated reports of panic to denigrate radio, which was becoming a major competitor in the realm of news reporting.
After the broadcast, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received several hundred complaints about the program. Some people wanted the government to censor such programs from being broadcast. However, other people wrote to say how much they enjoyed it.
H. G. Wells and Orson Welles were both in San Antonio, Texas, in 1940. A local radio station hosted them both for an interview. As a real war was once again unfolding in Europe, Wells observed, “You aren’t quite serious in America, yet. You haven’t got the war right under your chins. And the consequence is you can still play with ideas of terror and conflict.”
This is a headline from a Chicago newspaper on October 31, 1938. Image from the records of the Federal Communications Commission.
Learn More
This video shows Orson Welles reflecting on the radio broadcast.
Find more resources at Homeschool History.
