October 30 - The Night That Panicked America

This entire movie happens today – October 30. I hope you enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

THE NIGHT THAT PANICKED AMERICA

On October 30, 1938 [the entire film] Orson Welles’s Mercury Theater radio show prepares to broadcast an adaptation of H.G. Wells’s “The War of the Worlds”.  They pick the small town of Grover’s Mills, New Jersey as the site of the fictional invasion. In Grover’s Mills Walter Wingate is milking his cows, but he wants to get into the fight against Hitler by joining the Canadian armed forces if necessary. His father Jess is opposed to this.  In Newark, Hank Muldoon is preparing to leave his wife. In Oak Park Illinois, the minister father of Linda Davis refuses to give her permission to marry Stefan Grubowski, a Catholic. On Nob Hill the Matlocks are having a party.  Orson Welles arrives at the studio and the broadcast begins. On Nob Hill they change the station just in time to hear the first simulated news broadcast. The Nob Hill party guests and the Wingates hear report of Martians landing in Grover’s Mills. The Muldoons also hear this broadcast and while the servants on Nob Hill know it is just a radio broadcast don’t tell their bosses. The radio reports the Martians attack the crowd. The Wingates grab their shotguns and go Martian hunting. The show reports the Martians have killed 7,000 troops. Some people start to panic and flee.   Stefan returns and gets Linda, but her father refuses to go. People start calling the station in panic. They broadcast a disclaimer, but many people don’t hear it. Jess Wingate and his neighbors mistake a water tower for a Martian. Orson Welles goes on air and announces it is just a radio program. Rev. Davis, still believing the invasion is real marries Stefan and his daughter.   Mr. Muldoon decides to stay with his family.

An amusing, if over hyped film. It’s interesting enough to keep you entertained for an hour and a half. It will never be a classic, but it does serve as a warning about the gullibility of some people.

Orson Welles: The Road to Xanadu by Simon Callow (Viking, New York, 1995) at page 401 and the film at 01:50 to 01:51 give the date of the broadcast

Producer - Joseph Sargent

Director - Joseph Sargent

Wards – The film won the Outstanding Acievement in Film Sound Editing for a Special Program Emmy. It was also nominated for the Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for Entertainment Programming for a Special and Outstanding Writing in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy - Original Teleplay Emmys at the 28th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Screenplay - Nicholas Meyer and Anthony Wilson

Runtime – 1 hour 32 minutes

Released - October 31, 1975

Starring -     

Vic Morrow as Hank Muldoon

Eileen Brennan as Ann Muldoon

Meredith Baxter as Linda Davis

Tom Bosley as Norman Smith

Will Geer as Rev. Davis

Paul Shenar as Orson Welles

John Ritter as Walter Wingate

Michael Constantine as Jess Wingate