Humorous Histories: The War of the Worlds

Hello once again everyone! For the last story I will be covering one of the most noteworthy cases of mass hysteria in modern times. Or at least, what seemed like it. Today, I will be discussing the infamous radio adaptation for The War of the Worlds, and how an incredibly effective adaptation turned into a case study on how media can affect perception on certain events.

Over the course of the evolution of mass communication technologies and media formats, the art of adapting literary works has progressed to levels previously unheard of. From radio plays that sought to adapt different novellas to full-fledged blockbuster films that have brought entire book series to life on the big screen, adaptations of novels, plays, and other media forms have progressed exponentially as technology has progressed and new media outlets became more available. However, many would argue one of the most effective and celebrated adaptations of a classic novel came during the late 1930s, with a certain radio drama directed by who many consider one of the best filmmakers of all time. However, this adaptation would also garner a certain degree of infamy, with stories of mass hysteria reported on by the media of the time linked to this project. Of course, I speak of the radio adaptation of H. G. Well’s War of the Worlds, a case study in how media can affect the people that consume it and how media perception can alter a work’s reputation.

On the evening of October 30th, 1938, radio listeners across the United States were suddenly greeted by reports of a shocking and horrifying nature. As the report played out, the voice of Orson Wells rang out, telling people about mysterious creatures and terrifying spacecrafts flying through the sky to bring war and death to the human race. In reality, Wells was simply narrating the events of H. G. Wells The War of the Worlds, a classic science fiction novel originally published in 1898, which detailed the story of a Martian invasion of Britain at the turn of the 20th century. Despite the fictional nature of this report, some listeners believed that the startling broadcast was real, and as such, began to report it to the media and the authorities.

The radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds was developed as the 17th episode of The Mercury Theatre on the Air, a series of radio dramas hosted by CBS Radio and performed by Well’s Mercury Theatre in New York City. Having been started the earlier the same year on July 11th, the series focused on adapting various classic novels and other stories into hour-long radio dramas. The broadcast rendition of The War of the Worlds used many different techniques similar to other broadcasts the show had done previously, and was chosen as the program’s Halloween broadcast once the rights had been acquired. Directed and narrated by Wells himself, the broadcast proved revolutionary for its time, but may have ended up being a bit too convincing for some people.

Once the broadcast had hit and reports from scared and concerned civilians reached the ears of newspapers and editorials, the story of mass hysteria spread like wildfire. Within the hour, Wells had become the most talked about man in the country, and law enforcement , photographers, and news reporters soon surrounded the CBS building to figure out what was going on. Ultimately the truth came out: the entire thing was fake and was meant to be a chilling adaptation of a classic novel, one that struck at the core of the anxieties at the time. Reports showed that one one-third of those who reported the broadcast believed that the invaders were of extraterrestrial origin, reflecting the fears and anxieties of the American people at the time, as the world was still deep into World War II and threats of attack by Nazi Germany and the other Axis Powers were still things people feared immensely. Once the story was fully revealed, however, normalcy soon returned, and the incident would only add to Orson Well’s legend in the realms of film and radio.

Overall, what this incident highlights more than anything is how mass hysteria can be exacerbated by both the environment of the times and how media covers certain events. What started out as an innocent radio broadcast adapting a classic story would soon turn heads and become the subject of panic for a number of people across the country. Moreover, the reporting that various newspapers did for this event would only cause this mass hysteria to spread further, as the story perfectly reflected the fears and anxieties of people at the time. Ultimately, the radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds would go down as one of the more interesting stories in the history of pop culture and would serve as one of the crowning achievements of Orson Well’s career, for better or for worse.

Work Cited

The infamous “War of the worlds” radio broadcast was a magnificent fluke. (n.d.-e). https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/infamous-war-worlds-radio-broadcast-was-magnificent-fluke-180955180/

Tonguette, P., June-Friesen, K., Staff, H., & Tucher, A. (n.d.). The fake news of Orson Welles: The War of the Worlds at 80. National Endowment for the Humanities. https://www.neh.gov/article/fake-news-orson-welles-war-worlds-80

“War of the worlds” didn’t panic america. newspapers did. Freethink. (2025, September 24). https://www.freethink.com/consumer-tech/war-of-the-worlds-anti-radio-propaganda