Mercury Theater - War of the Worlds, originally broadcast October 30, 1938, 80 years ago -The buildup, done in the style of live radio. This first portion of the program terrified Americans. The lead-up to World War 2 had America on the edge, and this tipped many Americans over the edge.
Orson Welles himself concluded the drama in a mostly monologue, save for a brief exchange with an artillery soldier, having no idea what his simple play had done. Also in this hour, the only recorded exchange between Orson Welles and the author of the book, The War of the Worlds, HG Wells. And was there REALLY Mass Panic in the streets?