On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles's radio play "The War of the Worlds" accidentally provokes mass panic.On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles's radio play "The War of the Worlds" accidentally provokes mass panic.On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles's radio play "The War of the Worlds" accidentally provokes mass panic.
- Won 1 Primetime Emmy
- 1 win & 3 nominations total
Photos
Meredith Baxter
- Linda Davis
- (as Meredith Baxter Birney)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaCBS made numerous 'disclaimers' during the broadcast, which is why no one ever successfully sued the network or Welles, despite numerous lawsuits.
- GoofsThe announcer introducing the Mercury Theatre on the Air's production of "The War of the Worlds" names Orson Welles and Howard Koch as the writer. While Koch did write the script, he was not named in the introduction to the original broadcast.
- Quotes
Ora Nichols: [to her assistant, assessing the Mercury Theater's show] Looks like another big night for Charlie Mc Carthy.
- Alternate versionsPremiered om ABC-TV at two hours (with commercials). A subsequent network rebroadcast was cut to fit a ninety-minute time slot. Both versions later turned up in syndication.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Familiar Faces: Return of the Top 13 Weirdest Halloween Specials (2017)
Featured review
What a Great Movie!
"The Night That Panicked America" is an adaption of the famous War of the Worlds broadcast of October 30, 1938. I'm watching this on October 30, 2000, the 62nd anniversary of the actual broadcast. A 30-year-old Nicholas Meyer wrote the excellent screenplay and supervised the production of this made-for-TV movie, making sure it was done in an historically detailed and accurate way. I am very, very impressed by this production, and I doubt that it could have been done any better. The movie usually shows up on the Sci-Fi Channel around Halloween. Look for many future youthful stars such as Meredith Baxter, John Ritter, and Casey Kasem.
This is a must for anyone interested in the career of Orson Welles. Paul Shenar, who played the role of Welles in this production, is much too old for the role but his voice is close to the beautiful voice of Welles.
This is a must for anyone interested in the career of Orson Welles. Paul Shenar, who played the role of Welles in this production, is much too old for the role but his voice is close to the beautiful voice of Welles.
helpful•193
- Ed in MO
- Oct 30, 2000
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- Also known as
- The Night the Martians Landed
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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Top Gap
By what name was The Night That Panicked America (1975) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer