Orson Welles - "The War of the Worlds" Quiz

Answer:

When H.G. Wells' wrote his classic 1898 science fiction novel about a Martian invasion of Earth, who knew that over a century later the book would inspire future writers, blockbuster movie releases, and one of the most famous radio broadcasts of all-time. The story of an alien invasion on Earth was vividly described on October 30, 1938 as a broadcast heard on the Columbia Broadcasting System. Orson Welles was the voice of the radio show. In the original book, the martian invasion took place in England in the 19th Century. But the radio production moved the invasion to the present time and set the scene in New Jersey in the United States.

"The War of the Worlds" skit should have been obvious to listeners that is was a re-telling of this legendary science fiction novel. But it was broadcast during prime time, 8pm, and during a live music performance on air that typically did not have commercial interruptions. Then when it was released as a special emergency broadcast, listeners were caught off-guard. Many listeners panicked, called local authorities, and some even fled their homes. But time has a way of romanticizing the true story. There was not a national emergency caused by the radio broadcast. Back in 1938, television was not around so the major competition for entertainment was between radio and print media. Radio was considered new technology at the time since it had only been around over a decade as a form of entertainment for listeners. Some believe that newspapers hyped up the hysteria to discredit radio.

Following the broadcast of "The War of the Worlds" on radio, some expressed outrage at the false alarm and called for the FCC, the Federal Communications Commission, to create new regulations. What the broadcast truly did was boost Orson Welles visibility to the public. He was seen as a vivid storyteller and this would come to life in the upcoming years with his legacy of films to follow after 1938. Three years later, Orson would direct, co-write, and star in his epic film "Citizen Kane".