1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you missed in history class from how 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 1: I'm to bling a chalklate boarding, and I'm fair it out. 4 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,960 Speaker 1: And nowadays, at least in terms of the Internet, we're 5 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 1: all pretty used to, maybe even desensitized to the idea 6 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 1: of the news hoax, those bits of information that are 7 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: passed off as real news. I mean we can probably 8 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: all think of some examples of them. I think, you know, 9 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,559 Speaker 1: there's always those out there about celebrities who've died when 10 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: really they haven't. And we do one of our own 11 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:37,919 Speaker 1: every year, don't we. We do. We have an annual 12 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: April fools Day article, which is kind of a staff favorite, 13 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:44,279 Speaker 1: I would say, picking out what it's going to be, 14 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:47,599 Speaker 1: somebody gets to write it, and then um, I sit 15 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: next to tech Stuff Jonathan Strickland and he's written a 16 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 1: few of them before, and usually April Fool's Day, you 17 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: can hear him trying to judge if the articles passed 18 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: off is real anywhere, and which which news sites are 19 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: running it as a as a real story. But it's 20 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 1: always kind of fun just to help this fake out article. 21 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:09,119 Speaker 1: It's usually something pretty outlandish like animated tattoos or green 22 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: Air Force one or or something that is a little 23 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: bit plausible, but not so much if you if you 24 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: think about it for a while, especially if it's April 25 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: Fool's Day. So someone might be in danger of falling 26 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: for one of those. But we're usually not in danger 27 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: of falling for these Internet hoaxes because they're not coming 28 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:28,839 Speaker 1: from so called legitimate news sources. Most of the time. 29 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: A lot of times they're passed along through social media, 30 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 1: or you get an email that looks like it's made 31 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 1: to look like a news article that was forwarded to 32 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: you or something like that. But what if these are 33 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:45,040 Speaker 1: actually proliferated through what we consider to be legitimate media, 34 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: So you read it on a on a newspaper website 35 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: that you respect and read frequently, or or see it 36 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: on a news channel exactly, or hear it on the radio, 37 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: And that's kind of what happened in the situation we're 38 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: about to discuss, though it might not have been intended 39 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: as so to The ninety eight War of the World's 40 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 1: broadcast has been called the greatest hoaks in the history 41 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: of broadcasting. And you could call it the greatest I 42 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: guess because so many people believed it. The broadcast was 43 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: an original play based on H. G. Wells War of 44 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: the World's, a science fiction novel about a Martian invasion 45 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 1: of the Earth, but enough people thought it was real 46 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: that it caused mass panic, and for that reason, the 47 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,679 Speaker 1: situation has been a case study for sociologists and psychologists 48 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: and for media critics who cite it as an example 49 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: of the power of the media. But what made it 50 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 1: so realistic in the first place, and why did so 51 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: many people believe it, Especially since the broadcast was labeled 52 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: upfront as fiction. They weren't trying to fool anybody, or 53 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:43,079 Speaker 1: at least it seems that way. So we're going to 54 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: go into all of that, and we'll also want to 55 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: take a look at the brains behind the broadcast, in 56 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:51,519 Speaker 1: particular Orson Welles. He's probably best known for his work 57 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 1: on Citizen Kane, one of the most influential films of 58 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:58,400 Speaker 1: all time, but many people say that this radio broadcast 59 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: is what made Hollywood take note of him in the 60 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: first place, how he really got his start. So we're 61 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: going to start with him. George Orson Wells was born 62 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 1: May sixth, nineteen fifteen in Kenosha, Wisconsin into an upper 63 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 1: middle class family. He was the second son of Richard Wells, 64 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:17,239 Speaker 1: a successful inventor, and Beatrice Wells, who was an accomplished pianist. 65 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: And Orson is said to have been pretty precocious while 66 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: he was growing up, and something of a child prodigy too. 67 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 1: He was reading and writing Shakespeare at age three, and 68 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: at age five he had walk on roles at the 69 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 1: Chicago Opera. Pretty impressive, but things in his life started 70 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 1: to shake up a little bit when he was around 71 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: six years old. That's when his parents separated, and when 72 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: he was nine years old, his mother got hepatitis and died. 73 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: And after that he traveled the world with his father 74 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: a couple of times. He went to Africa and Europe 75 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: and Asia, but in nineteen thirty his father passed away 76 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: too and that left him. That left Orson Wells an 77 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: orphan at age fifteen, so he studied at the Todd 78 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: School for Boys in Woodstock, Illinois, where he was pretty 79 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 1: mediocre student in general, even though he showed great interest 80 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 1: in studying drama, so he graduated at sixteen. He wanted 81 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: to go to work in theater, but he couldn't really 82 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: break in right away, so instead he studied at the 83 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,719 Speaker 1: Art Institute in Chicago for a while and even worked 84 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: as a reporter briefly, which seems to be everybody's job 85 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,159 Speaker 1: when they a lot of reporter openings back then another 86 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 1: aren't now. In nineteen thirty one, though, he kind of 87 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:30,720 Speaker 1: went off on a different path. He went to Ireland 88 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: and that fall he found theater work in Dublin with 89 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: the Gate Theater. He remained there for about a year 90 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: and then did a tour of Spain and Morocco before 91 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 1: finally heading back to Chicago. And when he got back there, 92 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 1: he joined Catherine Cornell's company, Theater Company in nineteen thirty 93 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 1: three and stayed with her until about nineteen thirty four. 94 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:49,600 Speaker 1: Then he finally made it to New York, which is 95 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 1: where he wanted to go, and he made his Broadway 96 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: debut in nineteen thirty four in Romeo and Juliet. But 97 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: while he was getting the supporting roles on stage, Orson 98 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 1: sought out radio work to make ends meet. Yeah, and 99 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: soon he really made a name for himself doing these 100 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: dramatic radio performances, and he narrated a news series called 101 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:11,479 Speaker 1: The March of Time for two years, and in ninety 102 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 1: seven he became famous as the voice of a mysterious 103 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 1: crime fighter and the radio showed the shadow and Eva 104 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 1: who knows what evil lurks in the heart of men? Yeah, 105 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: I mean he or some Wells. He has a great voice. 106 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: But as a result of the Depression, Wells had also 107 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:30,040 Speaker 1: become involved in the Federal Theater Project, which was part 108 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:33,719 Speaker 1: of the New Deal's Works Progress administration, and through that 109 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:36,600 Speaker 1: he started working with a guy named John Houseman, and 110 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:40,840 Speaker 1: together they worked on a couple of avant garde productions, 111 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 1: including a production of Macbeth with an all African American 112 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:48,839 Speaker 1: cast and um. Their partnership continued and developed into a 113 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,839 Speaker 1: pretty interesting one. Yeah. Nineteen thirty seven, Wells and Houseman 114 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:56,039 Speaker 1: formed the Mercury Theater with only a hundred dollars in 115 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:58,919 Speaker 1: capital to start with. They had a few stage hits, 116 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: and then in the summer of eight they made a 117 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: deal with CBS to produce weekly radio dramas with the 118 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 1: Mercury Theater cast, and they called themselves a Mercury Theater 119 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 1: on the air. The program was initially called First Person Singular, 120 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:13,800 Speaker 1: but I don't think that's stuck. Kind of like Mercury 121 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:17,360 Speaker 1: Theater in the Air. Better, definitely more dramatic, but they 122 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 1: were originally slated to run nine to ten weeks, and 123 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 1: the Mercury Theater broadcasts included adaptations of Dracula, a Tale 124 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: of two Cities around the world in eighty days, so 125 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: famous works. And the broadcasts were done in first person narrative, 126 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: and they incorporated things like stream of consciousness, diaries and letters, 127 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:36,280 Speaker 1: and they also used sound effects and music in an 128 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:40,160 Speaker 1: innovative way. Despite all that innovation, though, the ratings weren't 129 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: all that great at first. But the show scheduled for 130 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 1: October thirtieth ninety eight, the Halloween show War of the 131 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: World was really about to change the fate of this 132 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: radio company entirely so. According to many sources, including Richard 133 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: Cavendish in History Today, Howard Kotch, who was the primary 134 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 1: or on the script of of this adaptation of War 135 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 1: of the World's privately thought that H. G. Wells book, 136 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 1: which was published back in was pretty dated and pretty 137 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: boring actually, and orson Welles and Houseman and Cotch all 138 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 1: wanted to figure out how to spice it up a 139 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 1: little bit, make it compelling for the for the radio 140 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 1: format especially. Yeah, it's hard to think of a classic 141 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 1: work like War the World's needing any work, but apparently 142 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 1: it did in this instance, and so Cotch worked on 143 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 1: a script for this and he banged it out in 144 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 1: six days. Now we're going to stop for a second 145 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 1: here and tell you a little bit about the story 146 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 1: in case you don't know War of the Worlds, and 147 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: you can see then the differences between the script change 148 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 1: the original story. Right, So the original story took place 149 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 1: in England, but Cootch changed the setting to grow Over Mills, 150 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: which is a village in central New Jersey. And this 151 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 1: the idea behind this was to bring the spookiness of 152 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 1: the Martian invasion closer to home for the American listening audience. 153 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 1: He also presented H. G. Wells story as a series 154 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 1: of increasingly alarmed me news bulletins that start by reporting 155 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 1: a meteorite landing in New Jersey. Now, the news bulletins 156 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 1: is kind of like the key to the whole thing 157 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 1: of definitely why this hoax worked. And a lot of 158 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 1: people think that it was Orson's idea. We're not sure 159 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: about that, but just putting that out there. The meteorite 160 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: turns out to be this extraterrestrial capsule that opens up 161 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:23,840 Speaker 1: to reveal terrifying creatures that burned by standards to death 162 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: with heat rays. Yeah, and then there's another twist that 163 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 1: the capsule later reveals a giant machine that starts reaking 164 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 1: havoc in New Jersey and New York. And as the 165 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 1: news bulletins report more and more Martian landings all over 166 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 1: the country, the situation quickly escalates into total war. Still though, 167 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:44,319 Speaker 1: when the script was finished, I mean, it sounds like 168 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: a pretty pretty cool story, and we know the history 169 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 1: of it now, But when the script was done, everyone 170 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: involved thought it was still pretty silly and dull. Yeah. 171 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: According to an article by James Narramore in the journal Humanities, 172 00:08:57,320 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 1: Orson almost withdrew the project to the last minute in 173 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:02,960 Speaker 1: favor of an adaptation of Laurena doone. But they went 174 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 1: on a scheduled at eight pm on October thirty, and 175 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 1: by eight thirty members of the Mercury Theater on the 176 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:11,559 Speaker 1: air were surprised to find out that some people actually 177 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 1: thought the story was real. So let's look back now 178 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 1: and try to understand the panic that came from this 179 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 1: radio drama. So, looking back on some of the more 180 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:24,559 Speaker 1: extreme reactions to the broadcast, that we're going to talk 181 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 1: about later. Most sources describe it as a quote panic 182 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:33,520 Speaker 1: or a mass hysteria. So what really happened here, Well, 183 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: people basically started acting really irrationally. They were trying to 184 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: flee to their cars. They were going to warn neighbors 185 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: and people in churches that the world was ending. So 186 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 1: traffic was jammed and communication systems were jammed because so 187 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: many people were trying to call the police and the 188 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:51,679 Speaker 1: radio stations to find out what, what should we do? 189 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:54,920 Speaker 1: Where should we go? And we have a few examples 190 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 1: here of things that the New York Times reported the 191 00:09:56,880 --> 00:09:58,679 Speaker 1: next day, just to kind of give you a play 192 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 1: by play of things that a really happened, or at 193 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: least were reported to have happened. For one thing, at 194 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:06,319 Speaker 1: least a score of adults required medical treatment for shock 195 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 1: and hysteria. Yeah, And in Newark, a single block at 196 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:13,400 Speaker 1: Head and Terriff and Hawthorne Avenue, more than twenty families 197 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 1: rushed out of their homes with wet handkerchiefs and towels 198 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 1: over their faces to flee from what they thought was 199 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 1: a gas raid. And some of them even began moving 200 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: household furniture. I don't know if they were trying to 201 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: save it, or blockade their houses or just do something. 202 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 1: And just to clarify, people were worried about a gas 203 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:35,440 Speaker 1: raid because of the giant machine Sarah mentioned before was 204 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 1: supposed to be spring poison gas in the story on 205 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:41,199 Speaker 1: the radio, so they thought that they had to protect themselves. 206 00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 1: The switchboard of the New York Times was overwhelmed by 207 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:47,720 Speaker 1: about eight hundred and seventy five calls. A man who 208 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: called from Dayton, Ohio asked, quote, what time will it 209 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:52,960 Speaker 1: be the end of the world. With so many of 210 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 1: these calls coming into the newspapers, a lot of papers 211 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 1: found it advisable to follow up on them and see 212 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: if there was any truth to reports despite the fantastic content. 213 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: So finally the Associated Press decided to send out the 214 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:11,199 Speaker 1: following bulletin at eight forty eight pm. And here here 215 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: it goes note to editors queries to newspapers from radio 216 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:19,680 Speaker 1: listeners throughout the United States tonight regarding reported meteor fall 217 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:22,439 Speaker 1: which killed a number of New Jersey it its are 218 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 1: the result of a studio dramatization. The a P and 219 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: then the police stations also had to issue statements so 220 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:32,560 Speaker 1: that the officers knew what was going on. So here's 221 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: an example of what the New Jersey State Police put out. 222 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 1: They teletyped the following quote note to all receivers. W 223 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:44,600 Speaker 1: ABC broadcast as drama regarding the section being attacked by 224 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 1: residents of Mars period imaginary affair period end quote. It's 225 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:54,920 Speaker 1: it's brief and to the point, and I like the 226 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:57,560 Speaker 1: addition of the imaginary fair at the end. But just 227 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: to make sure, just to make sure, guys, this is 228 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:02,800 Speaker 1: not for real. But it's sort of hard to tell 229 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: exactly how many people were part of this so called 230 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:09,679 Speaker 1: mass panic. The New York Times made reference to thousands 231 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:12,080 Speaker 1: of people, and a lot of sources make a reference 232 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:16,440 Speaker 1: to the generic millions. And you'll see estimates that about 233 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,280 Speaker 1: half of the six million people who heard the broadcast 234 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:22,559 Speaker 1: believed it was true, and about half of those people 235 00:12:22,679 --> 00:12:26,440 Speaker 1: actually panicked. So that leaves us with approximately one point 236 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 1: two million people. But not everyone thinks the numbers were 237 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,840 Speaker 1: really that high. That's true. Some experts believe that these 238 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 1: inflated numbers are the result of just a lot of hype. 239 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 1: In the Chronicle of Higher Education, Michael Sucklau wrote that 240 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 1: quote the panic was neither widespread nor as serious as 241 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:46,720 Speaker 1: many have believed at the time or since. I mean, 242 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:51,439 Speaker 1: nobody died, nobody was killed or committed suicide, so there 243 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:54,600 Speaker 1: weren't those results from it. But he says that our 244 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 1: perception could be the result of a couple of things. 245 00:12:57,400 --> 00:12:59,520 Speaker 1: For one thing, it could be just the media loving 246 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:01,680 Speaker 1: and really just making a big deal out of the story. 247 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: You know, it was a story that a lot of 248 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 1: people wanted to read and they put it out there. 249 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 1: Another possibility is that it was just inaccurate reporting on 250 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:11,199 Speaker 1: the part of survey respondence. A lot of people were 251 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 1: surveyed after the fact to kind of study the situation 252 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: and find out what really happened. So what suckle I 253 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:19,079 Speaker 1: was saying here is that people after the fact may 254 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:21,960 Speaker 1: have claimed that they heard the broadcast when they actually didn't. 255 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 1: They might have just seen their neighbor panicking and and 256 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 1: done the same, yeah, or heard the story and decided 257 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 1: to pass it along. Um, maybe they just wanted to 258 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:33,240 Speaker 1: feel part of it. Well. So, regardless of how many 259 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:36,319 Speaker 1: people did panic, the fact remains that a lot of 260 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:38,600 Speaker 1: people really did believe that the War of the World's 261 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 1: broadcast was real. But why did they believe that? Why 262 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 1: would people believe this story about a Martian invasion just 263 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 1: because they heard it on the radio. That question is 264 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 1: especially pertinent since the program started out with a very 265 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:55,559 Speaker 1: clear introduction, this is how it this is how it 266 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 1: went orson Wills and the Mercury Theater on Air presents 267 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 1: the Are of the Worlds by H. G. Wells, And 268 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:05,839 Speaker 1: to add to that, a couple of times in the 269 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 1: middle of the broadcast they say you're listening to an 270 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:13,080 Speaker 1: original dramatization by Mercury Theater on the Air of War 271 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:16,360 Speaker 1: of the World's by H. G. Well So it seems 272 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: like if you caught one of those parts, it would 273 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:20,800 Speaker 1: be pretty clear that it was it was fiction. But 274 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:23,080 Speaker 1: there are a few theories as to why people thought 275 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 1: that this was real. The first theory posits that people 276 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:28,920 Speaker 1: just came into the program too late and didn't hear 277 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 1: that opening line. So, as we mentioned, ratings for the 278 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 1: Mercury Theater on the Air weren't that great at the time. 279 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 1: In their time slot, they had to compete with the 280 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 1: more popular Chase and Sandborn Hour on NBC. So after 281 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: that opening line of this broadcast, the broadcast shifts to 282 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:47,680 Speaker 1: a weather report that transitions into a music program uh 283 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: performance of Raymond Rocquello and his orchestra. So you're listening 284 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:55,120 Speaker 1: to the seemingly normal radio program for a good couple 285 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 1: of minutes before the first news interruption about gas eruptions 286 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:01,600 Speaker 1: on Mars actually occur hers. So the theory is that 287 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: this news interruption was timed, perhaps purposely timed perfectly to 288 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 1: the commercial break of the Chase and Sandborn Hour. So 289 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:12,520 Speaker 1: people would have been flipping around during the commercial break 290 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:16,480 Speaker 1: as we often do easy Latin music listening, and decided 291 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 1: to stick around for a minute exactly um and so 292 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:22,720 Speaker 1: when they were switching channels, when they switched to CBS, 293 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:25,920 Speaker 1: they would have just heard this good evening later than 294 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:28,320 Speaker 1: gentlemen from the Meridian Room in the Park claus A 295 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: Hotel in New York. Today we bring you the music 296 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 1: of Raymond Ricchello and the Doctors, though the Dutch of 297 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:56,200 Speaker 1: the finish Raymond Rocquello lead with low company, Ladies and gentlemen, 298 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: we interrupted our program with dance music to bring you 299 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 1: a special bullet from the intercontinent of a radio on you. 300 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 1: At twenty minutes before a Central time, Professor Farrell at 301 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: the Mount Gettings Observatory Chicago, Illinois reports observing several explosions 302 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:13,280 Speaker 1: of incandescent gas occurring at regular intervals on the planet Mars. 303 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 1: The spectroscope indicates the gas to be hydrogen and moving 304 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: towards the Earth with enormous velocity. Professor Pearson of the 305 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:24,359 Speaker 1: Observatory at Princeton confirms Farrell's observation and describes the phenomenon 306 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 1: as quote like a jet of blue flame shots m 307 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: a gun unquote. We now return you to the music 308 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: of Ramon Roquelo playing for you in the Meridean room 309 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 1: of the Park Claza Hotel situated in downtown New York, 310 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: so you can see there where where it would have 311 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:50,200 Speaker 1: sounded just like a normal interruption. It does sound like 312 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:52,840 Speaker 1: a real interruption. And the fact that the Mercury Theater 313 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:55,640 Speaker 1: on the air was still unsponsored at that point really 314 00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:59,200 Speaker 1: helped because there weren't any commercials breaking in to remind 315 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 1: people that day we're actually just watching a show. Also, 316 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 1: there are a few other effects that took place during 317 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,880 Speaker 1: the show that really added to the reality of all 318 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:13,600 Speaker 1: of it. The interviews with real sounding experts like Professor Pearson, 319 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 1: a noted astronomer Lloyd Gray, and natural history museum expert 320 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 1: and also a man on the street. You know, things 321 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:24,040 Speaker 1: that real radio news programs were doing at the time. 322 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:27,760 Speaker 1: On the interviews, they sounded really kind of authentic. I thought, 323 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: at least listening to this broadcast with the interviewer asking 324 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: people to speak up and things like that, interrupting each other, 325 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 1: it sounds very natural. It doesn't sound like something that 326 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 1: would have been rehearsed and performed. It's not totally perfect, 327 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:44,400 Speaker 1: I guess, and the sound effects of background noise kind 328 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:47,399 Speaker 1: of add to that authenticity. So here's an example of 329 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 1: an interview that would illustrate this point. Would you mind 330 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:57,199 Speaker 1: very much side place back, here's Mr Willmots, owner of 331 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:00,320 Speaker 1: the bond Here you may have some interesting fact to listen, Willment, 332 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:03,199 Speaker 1: would you please tell the radio audience as much as 333 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:06,639 Speaker 1: you remember this rather unusual visitor that dropped in your 334 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:09,920 Speaker 1: back yard a step posted, please, ladies and gentlemen. This 335 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:13,680 Speaker 1: is Mr Willman. I was assisting with the radios and 336 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:18,359 Speaker 1: louder placements starting a louder please post. Yes, I was 337 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:21,440 Speaker 1: listening to the radio and kind of drowsing. A professor 338 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 1: fellow was talking about Mars, so I was half dozen 339 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: and half. Yes, yes, this woman, and then what happened? Well, 340 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:29,639 Speaker 1: as I was saying, I was listening to the radio 341 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:33,439 Speaker 1: kind of halfway, yes, this willen, and then you saw something? 342 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: Not first off, I heard something? And what did you hear? Hissing? 343 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 1: Sound like this kind of like a fourth of July 344 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 1: rocket asked? Then what? I turned my head out the 345 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 1: window and would have scorn. I was asleep and dreaming. Yes, 346 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:51,359 Speaker 1: I've seen a kind of greenish streak, and then zingo, 347 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,240 Speaker 1: something smacked the ground, knocked me clear out of my chair. Well, 348 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:58,600 Speaker 1: where are you frightened? Mr Willman? Well, I quite sure, 349 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:02,520 Speaker 1: I reckon I was kind of role Thank you, mis Willman. 350 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:06,200 Speaker 1: Thank you very much. Best funding. Ladies and gentlemen. You've 351 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:08,959 Speaker 1: just heard Mr Wilmot's owner of the farm where this 352 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:11,919 Speaker 1: thing has fallen. That type of on the spot coverage 353 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 1: was also familiar to people, so the broadcast really took 354 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:20,120 Speaker 1: advantage of that fact. Since the Hindenberg explosion in nine seven, 355 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:23,359 Speaker 1: people were used to the on the spot, guy on 356 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:26,040 Speaker 1: the street kind of news coverage, and some even say 357 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:29,200 Speaker 1: that orson Wells had the actors listened to those older 358 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:32,679 Speaker 1: broadcasts so they knew exactly what they were trying to 359 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:37,600 Speaker 1: replicate kind of studied them. And finally, another theory as 360 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:40,160 Speaker 1: to why people would have believed this hoax is that 361 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:43,240 Speaker 1: listeners were just vulnerable at this time because of what 362 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:45,119 Speaker 1: was going on in the world. And I mean, we 363 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:47,560 Speaker 1: have kind of talked about and going especially through the 364 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 1: New York Times stuff, and it's kind of amusing to 365 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 1: see in some cases, at least the way people reacted 366 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 1: or the way the police department reacted. But some of 367 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,200 Speaker 1: the issues that were going on, we're pretty serious. I mean, 368 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:00,560 Speaker 1: for one thing, a lot of people point to anxiety 369 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:02,919 Speaker 1: that may have been latent in the population at this 370 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:07,199 Speaker 1: time after years of economic depression. Also, the Second World 371 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: War was looming in Europe, so that had people on edge. 372 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 1: And in fact, the show aired just after the Munich crisis, 373 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 1: which was a war scare, which may have caused some 374 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:19,639 Speaker 1: people to think that the invasion wasn't actually extraterrestrial it 375 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 1: was just a human war, which actually is scary enough. 376 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 1: It is scary. And regardless of exactly why people believed 377 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:29,399 Speaker 1: this radio drama, whether they thought it was an enemy 378 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: invasion or an alien invasion, they did believe it and 379 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 1: it led to some not so great publicity for CBS consequently, 380 00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 1: and initially for Orson Welles too, so he had given 381 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:42,200 Speaker 1: the final word and the broadcast basically saying that it 382 00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:45,679 Speaker 1: was all just a story and CBS's version of a 383 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 1: good Halloween joke essentially, but a lot of people were 384 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 1: angry when they realized it was fiction. That FCC issued 385 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 1: a statement calling the program quote regrettable. Lawsuits were drawn up. 386 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:00,520 Speaker 1: Even H. G. Wells threatened to sue for the misuse 387 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,960 Speaker 1: the quote misuse of his novel, and CBS had to 388 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:07,159 Speaker 1: come out and publicly apologize and promised not to create 389 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 1: any quote simulated news broadcast that could cause harm. So 390 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:14,119 Speaker 1: there was a lot of backtracking immediately after after the 391 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 1: show came out. There was an Orson Wells even retreated 392 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:19,880 Speaker 1: from public view for a little while. But actually, once 393 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,919 Speaker 1: the death settled, it became very clear that this broadcast 394 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:24,920 Speaker 1: really put him on the map at the young age 395 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 1: of twenty three. The Mercury Theater on the air continued 396 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:29,960 Speaker 1: for a while and even got the sponsorship of the 397 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:32,280 Speaker 1: Campbell Soup Company, So they went from me in the small, 398 00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:37,160 Speaker 1: unsponsored show to really having a new name family fund 399 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:39,160 Speaker 1: kind of. Yeah, Well, they got moved to a better 400 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:41,440 Speaker 1: time slot and they were renamed the Campbell Playhouse, so 401 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:44,200 Speaker 1: they had a little backing behind them. Orson Wells also 402 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:46,439 Speaker 1: got a contract with R. Chaos Studios and moved to 403 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:50,200 Speaker 1: Hollywood to write, produce, direct, and act in Citizen Kane. 404 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 1: And of course he made a lot of other films too, 405 00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 1: so he was really prolific in that respect. Hard Cotch 406 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:58,960 Speaker 1: also went into film and had a very successful career. 407 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:01,679 Speaker 1: He received an awesome ger in nineteen forty four for 408 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 1: the Casablanca screenplay, and even H. G. Wells finally changed 409 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:11,359 Speaker 1: his tune. The controversy spurred renewed interest in his novel. 410 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:14,280 Speaker 1: I mean, it's one of those any publicity is good 411 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:17,080 Speaker 1: publicity kind of cases, I think, and he came to 412 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 1: realize that. Yeah. So in retrospect it seems like a 413 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 1: genius move because of the publicity it did get for 414 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:26,200 Speaker 1: all these people, and many saw it as such at 415 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 1: the time. I read one take on it that said, 416 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 1: if you weren't fooled by it, you probably thought this 417 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 1: whole thing was genius, especially if you saw your neighbor 418 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:36,399 Speaker 1: running out right, and if you were if you were 419 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:38,320 Speaker 1: the neighbor running out, if you were fooled by it, 420 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 1: then you were probably one of the ones who were outraged. 421 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:43,439 Speaker 1: I thought it was really, really a bad thing to do, 422 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 1: and I think that's probably true of most hoaxes. Yeah, 423 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:49,159 Speaker 1: if you're in on it, it's cool. If not, if 424 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: your feelings are hurt, your feelings may be hurt and 425 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:54,199 Speaker 1: you may feel a little bit silly about it. But 426 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:56,240 Speaker 1: I don't know what's a It's an interesting question. Since 427 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:59,720 Speaker 1: we weren't around, then, do you think that you would 428 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: have for those hopes? Sarah? Well, hopefully I would have 429 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:06,640 Speaker 1: been a careful listener and I would maybe pick up 430 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:09,040 Speaker 1: on some of the clues that it wasn't real. Um, 431 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:11,040 Speaker 1: if you would have been there exactly at eight pm 432 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 1: to hear the intro, yeah, i'd have my clocks that 433 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 1: I'd be like one of the old fashioned pictures where 434 00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:18,480 Speaker 1: the family is sitting in front of the radio waiting 435 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:20,840 Speaker 1: for the show to be on. Um. I don't know, though, 436 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 1: I'm not sure. I'm not sure what I would have done. 437 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:26,400 Speaker 1: What about yourself, Yeah, I'm not sure either. I would 438 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:29,200 Speaker 1: like to think that I wouldn't be fooled, but you'd 439 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:32,200 Speaker 1: be out there with a towel over your head. Maybe 440 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:34,439 Speaker 1: unless I wouldn't be out there, but i'd definitely be 441 00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:37,000 Speaker 1: checking things out. I might make a phone call. I 442 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:39,640 Speaker 1: can't be sure. It's interesting to wonder about, and I 443 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:41,920 Speaker 1: am interested to know what our listeners think is a 444 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:47,119 Speaker 1: good one. Um, how would you have reacted if you 445 00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:50,720 Speaker 1: heard the War of the World's Radio We may have 446 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:52,760 Speaker 1: to put that one out there, but I think before 447 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:55,960 Speaker 1: we can find that out before we sign off today. Well, 448 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:58,040 Speaker 1: it's worth mentioning that there have been some other more 449 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:01,160 Speaker 1: recent War of the World's panics, including one in nineteen 450 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:03,920 Speaker 1: forty nine involving a broadcast that took place on Radio 451 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:07,640 Speaker 1: Quito in Ecuador. But this one was actually deadly. Thousands 452 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:10,639 Speaker 1: of people rioted in the streets. Some people thought that 453 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:13,920 Speaker 1: monsters were actually invading the country, and some people thought 454 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:16,480 Speaker 1: that it might actually be neighboring Peru invading. So some 455 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:19,080 Speaker 1: similar things going on at the time as far as 456 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:22,199 Speaker 1: what people thought. UM. After discovering that it was all 457 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 1: a hoax, though, mobs attacked and torched the radio station, 458 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:30,000 Speaker 1: killing twenty people, and since then there's been other similar 459 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:33,000 Speaker 1: hoaxes around the world, one in Buffalo, New York in 460 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:36,840 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty eight, one in Providence, Rhode Island in nineteen 461 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:40,440 Speaker 1: seventy four, and one in northern Portugal in nineteen eighty eight. 462 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:43,640 Speaker 1: So these things still happened. I noticed though there hasn't 463 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:47,840 Speaker 1: been one of these radio hoaxes since the Internet became 464 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:50,760 Speaker 1: pretty common. And I wonder now if it would just 465 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:54,000 Speaker 1: be put down pretty pretty quickly, you know, if the 466 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 1: flames would be put out before it got to the 467 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:58,920 Speaker 1: point of people rioting. But I don't know it could 468 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,480 Speaker 1: It could accelerate things though, if you think about it, 469 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:05,080 Speaker 1: It's true. I would encourage people to listen to the broadcast. 470 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:06,920 Speaker 1: I listened to the whole thing, and I think Sarah 471 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,760 Speaker 1: did too, and um I listened to a couple of times, actually, 472 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:12,040 Speaker 1: and I heard different things both times. It was interesting 473 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:14,159 Speaker 1: to sit there and imagine what it would be like to, 474 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:18,160 Speaker 1: uh have that as your form of entertainment. Yeah, either 475 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:22,040 Speaker 1: either enjoying it as fictional entertainment, knowing it was such, 476 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:25,639 Speaker 1: or trying to imagine what the people who thought it 477 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:28,239 Speaker 1: was a real news report were actually thinking. And you 478 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:30,720 Speaker 1: may recognize little bits and pieces of it here. It's 479 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:33,719 Speaker 1: been sampled in popular culture. For example, if you if 480 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: there are any fans of the band pin Back out there. 481 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:39,360 Speaker 1: They sampled parts of this for their song Boo on 482 00:25:39,359 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 1: one of their albums, so that's just like a plug 483 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 1: for one of my favorite bands there. Yeah, if you 484 00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:46,679 Speaker 1: know of any other places in popular culture that this 485 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:50,400 Speaker 1: has been sampled, please write to us at History Podcast 486 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:53,080 Speaker 1: at how staff works dot com. I think that's all 487 00:25:53,119 --> 00:25:56,440 Speaker 1: we have today though, on the War of the World's broadcast, 488 00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:58,640 Speaker 1: and now we're going to move on to exter mail. 489 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 1: So some of you may have heard our recent podcast 490 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:11,360 Speaker 1: proposal from Jim to Julie on our Victoria and Albert episode, 491 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 1: and we heard from both of them recently. They are 492 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:19,440 Speaker 1: now engaged, So podcast proposal success. We were pretty excited 493 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:22,120 Speaker 1: at our cubes when we got that email or we Yeah, 494 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:24,439 Speaker 1: we were jumping up and down and they sent us. 495 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:27,040 Speaker 1: We put this on Facebook up a great save the 496 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 1: date that's superhero themed. So congratulations to Jim and Julie. 497 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:34,080 Speaker 1: But are we really invited. We don't know, I know, 498 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:36,840 Speaker 1: we don't know, if we don't know, if it's just 499 00:26:37,119 --> 00:26:39,560 Speaker 1: sharing the Well, we sent the save the date to 500 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:42,320 Speaker 1: everybody on our Facebook page now though, so I don't 501 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:45,440 Speaker 1: think they probably don't want thousands of people at their weddings. 502 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 1: On that note, we thought we would share this postcard 503 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:54,280 Speaker 1: that we received from David from the Alhambra. Um. Katie 504 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:56,720 Speaker 1: and I did an episode on it back in the fall, 505 00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:59,400 Speaker 1: so here's what he wrote. Hi to Blina and Sarah. 506 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:01,679 Speaker 1: After hearing your show, I was inspired to take the 507 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:06,080 Speaker 1: thirty hour flight to visit the Alhambra from Australia. The 508 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:09,240 Speaker 1: place really is too beautiful for words. I sat in 509 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 1: the shadow of the Alcazaba having a Spanish tortilla sandwich, 510 00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:16,680 Speaker 1: listening to your Rick on Quista podcast, just to make 511 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:19,080 Speaker 1: sure I didn't miss the thing. I thought life could 512 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:23,240 Speaker 1: not get better. Podcast in headphones, tortilla in hand, and 513 00:27:23,359 --> 00:27:26,480 Speaker 1: gorgeous gardens as far as you can see. Until it did. 514 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:29,719 Speaker 1: My partner and I decided to get married then and 515 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:34,880 Speaker 1: there a series of events your podcasts began audio. So 516 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:39,399 Speaker 1: today we're just like the romantic podcast streak going it 517 00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 1: seems we do. We we love those stories and we 518 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:46,159 Speaker 1: will admit that it's girly and apologize to anyone who 519 00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:48,880 Speaker 1: was offended by our love of love. We just did 520 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 1: a podcast on Like Possible Invading Aliens, so we think 521 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:54,800 Speaker 1: it balances out. It's the best of both worlds, the 522 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 1: War of the World's best of both worlds excellent, So 523 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:03,440 Speaker 1: congratulation David and your partner, and congratulations again to Jim 524 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 1: and Julie. You guys look very happy together. If you 525 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:09,360 Speaker 1: want to email us, that doesn't have to be a 526 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:13,640 Speaker 1: grand dromantic story or an alien story. Yeah, just just whatever. 527 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:18,720 Speaker 1: Any suggestions you have on radio dramas, orson welles old Hollywood, 528 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:22,120 Speaker 1: I know lots of you have all sorts of Hollywood suggestions, 529 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:24,919 Speaker 1: go ahead and send them to us. That history podcast 530 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:28,199 Speaker 1: at how stuff works dot com. We're also on Twitter 531 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:32,240 Speaker 1: at Miston History, and we're on Facebook, as I already mentioned. 532 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:34,560 Speaker 1: And if you would like to learn a little bit 533 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:37,439 Speaker 1: more about the possibility of life on Mars, which is 534 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:40,960 Speaker 1: something sort of indirectly explored in the topic we talked 535 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:44,520 Speaker 1: about tonight, we have an article by our own Sarah 536 00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 1: Dowity on our website called is there really water on Mars? 537 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:50,720 Speaker 1: And you can look it up by entering that topic 538 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:53,400 Speaker 1: into our the search bar on our homepage, which is 539 00:28:53,440 --> 00:29:00,240 Speaker 1: at www dot how stuff works dot com. Three sure 540 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: to check out our new video podcast, Stuff from the Future. 541 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:05,800 Speaker 1: Join how stup works staff as we explore the most 542 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:10,400 Speaker 1: promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow. The How Step Works 543 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 1: iPhone app has a rise. Download it today on iTunes.