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The Night That Panicked America
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The Night That Panicked America
The Night That Panicked America is an American made-for-television drama film that was originally broadcast on the ABC network on October 31, 1975. The telefilm dramatizes events surrounding Orson Welles' famous — and infamous – War of the Worlds radio broadcast (based on the 1898 novel of the same name by English author H. G. Wells) of October 30, 1938, which had led some Americans to believe that an invasion by Martians was occurring in the area near Grover's Mill in West Windsor, New Jersey.
The Welles broadcast and the reaction to it had been earlier dramatized on television as The Night America Trembled, a live presentation that aired September 9, 1957, on Studio One.
The Night That Panicked America tells the story of the 1938 The War of the Worlds broadcast from the point of view of Orson Welles and his associates as they create the broadcast live, as well as from the points of view of a number of different fictional American families, in a variety of locations and from a variety of social classes, who listened to the broadcast and believed the imaginary Martian invasion was actually occurring.
During the broadcast, CBS switchboard operators are increasingly overwhelmed by the amount of calls from listeners believing the alien attack is real. Soon police and press have infiltrated the building as well. Welles and his The Mercury Theatre on the Air producer Paul Stewart continue the show unabated, but agree to broadcast another disclaimer at the station break. However, by the time this announcement comes, most frightened listeners have abandoned their radios.
When the show is over, press swarm the studio besieging Welles with questions. The story protagonists, safely returning to their homes, hear news coverage of the national reaction to the program, including reports that some listeners were even about to commit suicide. Stewart leaves the CBS building, assuring a security guard the nightmare is over. Audio of future radio coverage of Hitler speeches fades in, suggesting that real-life horrors will soon be heard by American radio listeners.
In addition, Walker Edmiston, Casey Kasem, Ron Rifkin, Marcus J. Grapes, and Art Hannes, portray unnamed Mercury Theatre Players.
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction praised the film's recreation of events in the radio studio, but was unimpressed by its depiction of the resulting panic, calling it "a routine disaster movie with hackneyed characters reacting in predictable ways."
The movie received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including for Outstanding Writing and Outstanding Picture Editing, winning for Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing – For a Single Episode of a Regular or Limited Series at the 28th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1976.
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The Night That Panicked America
The Night That Panicked America is an American made-for-television drama film that was originally broadcast on the ABC network on October 31, 1975. The telefilm dramatizes events surrounding Orson Welles' famous — and infamous – War of the Worlds radio broadcast (based on the 1898 novel of the same name by English author H. G. Wells) of October 30, 1938, which had led some Americans to believe that an invasion by Martians was occurring in the area near Grover's Mill in West Windsor, New Jersey.
The Welles broadcast and the reaction to it had been earlier dramatized on television as The Night America Trembled, a live presentation that aired September 9, 1957, on Studio One.
The Night That Panicked America tells the story of the 1938 The War of the Worlds broadcast from the point of view of Orson Welles and his associates as they create the broadcast live, as well as from the points of view of a number of different fictional American families, in a variety of locations and from a variety of social classes, who listened to the broadcast and believed the imaginary Martian invasion was actually occurring.
During the broadcast, CBS switchboard operators are increasingly overwhelmed by the amount of calls from listeners believing the alien attack is real. Soon police and press have infiltrated the building as well. Welles and his The Mercury Theatre on the Air producer Paul Stewart continue the show unabated, but agree to broadcast another disclaimer at the station break. However, by the time this announcement comes, most frightened listeners have abandoned their radios.
When the show is over, press swarm the studio besieging Welles with questions. The story protagonists, safely returning to their homes, hear news coverage of the national reaction to the program, including reports that some listeners were even about to commit suicide. Stewart leaves the CBS building, assuring a security guard the nightmare is over. Audio of future radio coverage of Hitler speeches fades in, suggesting that real-life horrors will soon be heard by American radio listeners.
In addition, Walker Edmiston, Casey Kasem, Ron Rifkin, Marcus J. Grapes, and Art Hannes, portray unnamed Mercury Theatre Players.
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction praised the film's recreation of events in the radio studio, but was unimpressed by its depiction of the resulting panic, calling it "a routine disaster movie with hackneyed characters reacting in predictable ways."
The movie received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including for Outstanding Writing and Outstanding Picture Editing, winning for Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing – For a Single Episode of a Regular or Limited Series at the 28th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1976.