The powers to confuse audiences masse may have first become public as an end of one of the most shocking mistakes in history. It happened the day before Halloween, on Oct. 30, 1938, when millions of Americans attuned into a popular radio program that featured plays directed by, and usually starring, Orson Welles. The performance that evening was an adaptation of the science fiction novel The War of the Worlds, about a Martian attack of the earth. But in adapting the book for a radio play, Welles made a significant change: under his control, the play was written and performed so it would sound like a news broadcast about an attack from Mars, a technique that, probably, was designed to heighten the dramatic effect.
As the play opened, dance music was prevented a number of times by false news bulletins announcing that a "huge flaming object" had dropped on a farm near Grovers Mill, New Jersey. As members of the audience sat on the edge of their group seat, actors playing news broadcasters, officials and other characters one
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"Good heavens, something's wriggling out of the shadow like a gray snake," he said, in an appropriately dramatic tone of voice. "Now it's another one and another. They look like tentacles to me. There, I can see the thing's body. It's large as a bear and it glistens like wet leather. But that face. It... it's indescribable. I can hardly force myself to keep looking at it. The eyes are black and gleam like a serpent. The mouth is V-shaped with saliva dripping from its rimless lips that seem to quiver and pulsate. The thing is raising up. The crowd falls back. They've seen enough. This is the most unusual event. I can't find words. I'm pulling this microphone with me as I talk. I'll have to stop the description until I've taken a new position. Hold on, will you please, I'll be back in a