THE DAY THAT PANICKED AMERICA:

Details

• Release Year: 2005
• Genre: Other
• Plot: 'Ladies and gentlemen, I have a grave announcement to make! Those strange beings who landed in the Jersey farmlands tonight are the vanguard of an invading army from the planet Mars!'; ; 'No more defenses. Our army is...wiped out...artillery, air force, everything wiped out.'; ; 'This may be the last broadcast. We'll stay here to the end...'; ; And so began the biggest controversy of the decade as millions of Americans shrieked in terror at what they thought was the world coming to an end! It was actually a very well-acted radio play that put the nation into a perilous frenzy. It also changed how we approached radio and television forever.; ; On October 30, 1938, normally discerning Americans became so totally captivated by Orson Welles' dramatic radio show that they forgot that it was the night before Halloween. Listeners were moved to hastily get into their cars and try to escape. Throughout New York, families left their homes in a panic. Some began moving household furniture. Thousands called the police, radio stations and newspapers seeking advice on protective measures against the raids. Phone lines were overloaded. Scores of people required medical treatment for shock.; ; The real horror of the 1930's only escalated with this broadcast. The world was about to enter into a new phase of terror in which The War of the Worlds Mercury Theatre broadcast was simply the metaphor of what was to come - World War II and the Rise of the Third Reich!; ; This program explains much of the hysteria caused by this broadcast, the scandal that followed, and the question of whether is could ever happen again...
• Cast: John Ross, Orson Welles
• Director: John Ross
• Runtime: 1:10
• Company: Highland Entertainment
• Media Format: Movie