Invasion from Mars: Or How Orson Welles Panicked a Nation

Synopsis: On 30 October 1938, the Orson Welles Mercury Theatre group enacted a version, by Howard Koch, of H.G. Wells, novel ‘War of the Worlds’. It was transmitted live at 8pm standard time throughout the USA on the CBS radio network. Millions heard it and many panicked, believing that Martians were invading New Jersey. Using reconstruction and interviews with American radio listeners, sets out to analyse how it was that such a profound reaction was caused. Archive radio broadcasts as Hitler marched through Europe in 1938, together with science fiction serials such as Flash Gordon’s ‘Trip to Mars’, help illustrate how the American people had been subtly prepared to accept the notion of alien invaders. As one interviewee says ‘Some people mixed up the Martians with the Germans.'
Series: Science, Technology and Everyday Life 1870-1950, Course A282
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Video; Videocassette. Standard formats. col. 25 min.
Year of production: 1988
Availability: OUT OF DISTRIBUTION
Subjects: Media studies; Psychology; Technology
Keywords: history of technology; Hitler, Adolf; radio broadcasting; radio drama; Wells, H G

Producer

Neil Cameron

Cast

James Moore

Name: Open University Worldwide
Web: http://www.ouw.co.uk External site opens in new window
Phone: +44 (0) 1908 274066
Address: Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA
Notes: NB. As of May 2016 Open University Worldwide are no longer distributing DVDs. They have posted this message on their website: ‘Unfortunately Open University Worldwide Limited has decided that product sales are no longer viable given the reduced funding to Higher Education institutions and diminishing demand for the products we have traditionally stocked. At present the Open University Students Association (OUSA) will continue to sell the "Good Study Guide", and we are in discussion with other possible distributors to continue to make The Open University’s products available for purchase. As soon as we have any information on other channels of distribution we will update this notice’. Some products are still available via second hand dealers on Amazon.co.uk

This record has been viewed 1010 times.