On October 30, 1930 the American Radio Drama Mercury Theatre on the Air, which was broadcast on CBS, ran an adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel The War of the Worlds, performed by Orson Welles. The first two thirds of the program was simulated news reports of an alien invasion. People tuning into the program mistook it as fact, since they hadn't heard the disclaimer at the beginning. Across the United States, millions were in a panic.
During the broadcast, Edgar Bergen (the famous ventriloquist) was performing with his dummy, Charlie McCarthy, on another station. His show was so popular that most of the listeners of the time were tuned in to hear them instead of the Mercury Theatre. Though people changed stations during the musical break at the fifteen minute mark, and heard War of the Worlds, it was the light hearted humor of McCarthy that kept them calm until the truth of the play was known. For this reason Charlie McCarthy & Edgar Bergen are sometimes credited with "saving the world"
You can read more about Charlie McCarthy and Edgar Burgen here.
-Professor Walter
Comments