MARTIANS LAND NEAR GROVER'S MILL NEW JERSEY
New York City (JFK+50) This is the headline that some might have expected to see the morning after listening to the CBS Radio Mercury Theater broadcast 80 years ago, October 30, 1938.
While, in reality, there were no Martians and no such place as Grover's Mill, an "on the scene" reporter gave this graphic description of what he was "seeing"...
"Something's wriggling out of the shadow like a gray snake. I can see the thing's body now. It's large as a bear. It glistens like wet leather. I can hardly force myself to keep looking at it...."
Some listeners were said to be so terrified that they jumped in their cars and fled in panic.
*George Orson Welles (1915-1985) was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He graduated from Todd Seminary for Boys in 1931 & made his stage debut in Dublin that same year. By 1935, he was working on Broadway in New York City & supplementing his income in radio. In addition to War of the Worlds, he is best known for his performances in the Broadway play Caesar (1937) & the movie Citizen Kane (1941).
New York City (JFK+50) This is the headline that some might have expected to see the morning after listening to the CBS Radio Mercury Theater broadcast 80 years ago, October 30, 1938.
Those who tuned in while the program was in progress thought they were listening to an actual news broadcast of the landing of an invading army from the planet Mars. The radio play directed by Orson Welles*, War of the Worlds**, was based on the novel by H.G. Wells.
While, in reality, there were no Martians and no such place as Grover's Mill, an "on the scene" reporter gave this graphic description of what he was "seeing"...
"Something's wriggling out of the shadow like a gray snake. I can see the thing's body now. It's large as a bear. It glistens like wet leather. I can hardly force myself to keep looking at it...."
Some listeners were said to be so terrified that they jumped in their cars and fled in panic.
In his novel, H.G. Wells wrote...
"Across the gulf of space...intellects...regarded this earth with envious eyes..."
*George Orson Welles (1915-1985) was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He graduated from Todd Seminary for Boys in 1931 & made his stage debut in Dublin that same year. By 1935, he was working on Broadway in New York City & supplementing his income in radio. In addition to War of the Worlds, he is best known for his performances in the Broadway play Caesar (1937) & the movie Citizen Kane (1941).
**War of the Worlds (1898) was published in 1898 by William Heinemann of London. The novel inspired Robert H. Goddard who invented the liquid fueled & multi-stage rocket which made possible the landing on the moon in 1969.
The War of the Worlds
Illustration by Frank R. Paul [1]
Amazing Stories
August 1927
