ARCHIVE

Report about the 75th anniversary of the Oct. 30, 1938 Mercury Theatre on the Air radio broadcast of "The War of the Worlds." The adaption of the H.G. Wells novel led to widespread panic, though historians continue to debate the extent of the panic. Welles was influenced by two earlier, similar broadcasts, one in which he played a role. He also used the famous radio broadcast of the Hindenburg explosion as a template for his actors. This report includes an excerpt of the Hindenburg broadcast, and a press conference Welles held with reporters the day after the broadcast.