On the night before Halloween 1938, a radio drama by the Mercury Theatre on the Air (styled as a newscast) reported that a Martian invasion of earth was taking place. Countless frightened listeners who thought that Martians had actually attacked, panicked.
Was this a commentary on public anxiety regarding impending world war?
I had only heard a portion of this before. It’s a really entertaining drama. Why so many were fooled is beyond me. The time elapsed between events was minutes – 7000 killed, 120 survivors would have taken days to determine.
It took me back to the joy of listening to The Shadow, Dick Tracy, Green Hornet, somebody and the BRB Riders