The actual historical footage and stills tell a fascinating tale featuring the brilliance of Orson Wells. Unfortunately the director added footage of contemporary actors playing people (poorly acted) effected by the 1938 broadcast.
9 Reviews
The Truth?
gavin694218 May 2017
An account of Orson Welles' 1938 radio drama broadcast that inadvertently started a mass panic.
I have always been suspicious that the American public was so stupid that it believed a radio play about Martians was somehow real, and was whipped into a frenzy. I generally believed that Orson Welles himself had more or less created the legend after the fact.
This may still be true, but at least some people did seem to panic, enough that the FCC got involved. Those interviewed here... I don't know if these are actual people, or actors reading lines from letters. Some of it is incredible, such as the comment that Americans ought to be sterilized or that a "radio dictator" should be appointed to prevent the radio from being used by the people.
I have always been suspicious that the American public was so stupid that it believed a radio play about Martians was somehow real, and was whipped into a frenzy. I generally believed that Orson Welles himself had more or less created the legend after the fact.
This may still be true, but at least some people did seem to panic, enough that the FCC got involved. Those interviewed here... I don't know if these are actual people, or actors reading lines from letters. Some of it is incredible, such as the comment that Americans ought to be sterilized or that a "radio dictator" should be appointed to prevent the radio from being used by the people.
Well-done; provides context for why so many were panicked
Mr-Fusion1 November 2013
Warning: Spoilers
It's about time someone profiled this footnote in American history, and a fine job it is. This episode takes us back to that fateful night 75 years ago, when Orson Welles brilliantly reworked H.G. Wells' classic "War of the Worlds" as a breaking news broadcast. And that radio melodrama gripped an unsuspecting American public, causing panic among 6 million radio listeners. It was a ballsy broadcast, proving Welles an innovative provocateur, and a truly gifted performer.
Using archival footage of panicky testimonials, and Oliver Platt's capable narration, the episode succeeds in detailing the fall-out of this radio drama as millions fall victim to Welles' on-air mischief. It's a window into the anxieties felt by so many during the Great Depression and Hitler's European expansion, and this remains one of my favorite stories in American History.
8/10
Using archival footage of panicky testimonials, and Oliver Platt's capable narration, the episode succeeds in detailing the fall-out of this radio drama as millions fall victim to Welles' on-air mischief. It's a window into the anxieties felt by so many during the Great Depression and Hitler's European expansion, and this remains one of my favorite stories in American History.
8/10
It's Hard to Blame People Considering the World of the Time
Hitchcoc23 January 2015
I just had a chance to view this analytical presentation of the events surrounding that Halloween radio performance by the great Orson Welles, Welles was bewildered by the results though he loved every minute of it. What we need to realize is that it was announced at the beginning that this was fictional. Of course, the problem was that Germany was on the march and was being observed by the populace. People were glued to their radios and if they missed the beginning, the performance was so good by the players, that it isn't hard to see how they could fall for it. One thing I never thought about before was the fact that events happened so fast that any thoughtful person should have realized it couldn't have happened in just a few minutes. The events of the first twelve minutes involved events that should have taken a couple days (for instance, how did the military get there so fast?) Suffice it to say, this is a nicely crafted presentation. So many of these things have been done in the past. I believe this is the best of them all.
A slight but fun episode...
planktonrules16 October 2015
Most episodes of "The American Experience" are about giant events, such as wars, presidencies and the like. However, this one is much more pop culture-oriented and is lighter in spirit in some ways. It's all about Orson Welles and his very controversial "War of the Worlds" broadcast of 1938. While I've seen documentaries that talked about this before, this one is difference because it puts the event into the context of th evens of the day--including the Munich Crisis which just preceded the broadcast!
The story is told though interviews, photos, video and recreations of various folks who were scared by the broadcast as they talked about their fears. All in all, a fascinating show...especially when it rightfully points out that this stunt really did nothing but benefit Welles and his career! Well worth seeing.
The story is told though interviews, photos, video and recreations of various folks who were scared by the broadcast as they talked about their fears. All in all, a fascinating show...especially when it rightfully points out that this stunt really did nothing but benefit Welles and his career! Well worth seeing.
This "American Experience" episode-"The War of the Worlds"-puts things in perspective surrounding the events of that infamous radio broadcast
tavm31 October 2013
Exactly 75 years and a day ago, Orson Welles managed to cause a public panic over the radio airwaves when he presented his version of H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" as a series of interrupting news bulletins for most of an hour without commercial interruption or a disclaimer informing the fictional nature of the program except at the beginning or near the end. Much of the listeners may have come in late since it was opposite the very popular program, "The Chase and Sanborn Hour" starring Edgar Bergen and his dummy, Charlie McCarthy. But when Nelson Eddy started singing, many switched dials and heard about invading Martians. It was during this period in time that much of those listeners were used to news about Hitler possibly invading the U.S. based on his doing so to other countries. Also, the previous year, there was the Hindenburg disaster that was harrowingly reported live as it happened. This "American Experience" program discussed those details and also had actors play actual citizens who commented on what happened to them as the program went on the air. Many were not amused though some were relieved when learning it was just a play. I especially liked the woman who laughed while getting drunk when the bartender told her it wasn't true. Seeing Welles in the press conference expressing regret was fascinating to watch especially as his daughter reveals he seemed to enjoy the attention that resulted afterwards. Quite fascinating, the way the thing was put together with what I just mentioned as well as scenes from a later live TV special called "The Night America Trembled" about the events surrounding that infamous program and which I reviewed several years ago on this site. So on that note, I highly recommend "The American Experience: The War of the Worlds".
Cheesy and Irresponsible "Mock"umentary
klasikvhs29 August 2015
The subject of this "documentary" (which seems more like a MOCKumentary) is my favorite real-life Halloween story of all-time. And I always thought that "American Experience" was a reputable series on PBS, but this episode has change that perception. I may never see this series the same way again. I don't think I saw any disclaimers or anything but it appears to me that they present fake interviews with horribly unskilled actors reciting words written by various real people from the late 1930's from various sources...as real as if making their own brilliant statement on Welles' original take on the media. Nice try ...for an amateur documentary ...crushing failure for an iconic series like American Experience.
It also drags on and on and on and the narrator's voice or manner is not conducive to holding an audience's attention.
It also drags on and on and on and the narrator's voice or manner is not conducive to holding an audience's attention.
It Was One Of The Biggest Mass Hysteria Events In U.S. History
StrictlyConfidential27 July 2020
This 1-hour historical documentary from the PBS Network takes a close-up look at the significance of the date October 30, 1938 (@ 8:15 pm) when the "Orson Welles" dramatization of "The War of the Worlds" was aired on the radio (coast to coast) all across the USA.
Through stills, archival footage, reenactments, and interviews - The producers of this documentary try to come to rational terms as to why this particular broadcast generated such widespread panic among the citizens of their country.
Looking back, today, at this incident from 80+ years ago - It certainly strikes one as being completely laughable that thousands of Americans actually believed that their country was, in fact, really being invaded by Martians.
Through stills, archival footage, reenactments, and interviews - The producers of this documentary try to come to rational terms as to why this particular broadcast generated such widespread panic among the citizens of their country.
Looking back, today, at this incident from 80+ years ago - It certainly strikes one as being completely laughable that thousands of Americans actually believed that their country was, in fact, really being invaded by Martians.
Wonderful Look at the Historic Night
Michael_Elliott26 November 2013
The American Experience: War of the Worlds (2013)
**** (out of 4)
October 30, 1938 turned out to be the date for the most famous radio broadcast in history. This was the date that panic took over America as Orson Welles did a radio show of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds but the only problem is that many listeners thought it was a real alien attack. I've seen quite a few articles and documentaries on this subject but there's no question that this here is the very best. This documentary works on so many levels but best of all is that it gives the viewer a very detailed look at the events of this day and everything that led up to the fear that overtook people in the country. It's interesting to hear certain things like how the Hindenburg disaster from the previous year played a part in how one actor of the play decided to add some extra fear. There's also the fact that many heard "alien attack" on the radio and feared that it was actually Germany coming onto our shores and attacking us. The documentary also covers the week events of the script being written and the various changes that had to be made before it hit the air. Peter Bogdanovich as well as Welles own daughter are among the people interviewed and it seems pretty clear that the great filmmaker was quite happy with the chaos that he caused even though clips of the press conference the following day tries to show him concerned over what had happened. Fans of the story, the radio broadcast or just the history behind it should really enjoy this episode as it pretty much contains everything you'd want to hear about it.
**** (out of 4)
October 30, 1938 turned out to be the date for the most famous radio broadcast in history. This was the date that panic took over America as Orson Welles did a radio show of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds but the only problem is that many listeners thought it was a real alien attack. I've seen quite a few articles and documentaries on this subject but there's no question that this here is the very best. This documentary works on so many levels but best of all is that it gives the viewer a very detailed look at the events of this day and everything that led up to the fear that overtook people in the country. It's interesting to hear certain things like how the Hindenburg disaster from the previous year played a part in how one actor of the play decided to add some extra fear. There's also the fact that many heard "alien attack" on the radio and feared that it was actually Germany coming onto our shores and attacking us. The documentary also covers the week events of the script being written and the various changes that had to be made before it hit the air. Peter Bogdanovich as well as Welles own daughter are among the people interviewed and it seems pretty clear that the great filmmaker was quite happy with the chaos that he caused even though clips of the press conference the following day tries to show him concerned over what had happened. Fans of the story, the radio broadcast or just the history behind it should really enjoy this episode as it pretty much contains everything you'd want to hear about it.
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