
War of the Worlds Chapter 1
Clip: Season 25 Episode 6 | 7m 16s
Watch chapter 1 of War of the Worlds, premiering on PBS October 29, 2013 at 9/8c.
On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles gave the nation a Halloween scare with his radio broadcast of an adaptation of H.G. Wells' 1898 novel, "The War of the Worlds." Watch chapter 1 of War of the Worlds, premiering on PBS October 29, 2013 at 9/8c.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

War of the Worlds Chapter 1
Clip: Season 25 Episode 6 | 7m 16s
On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles gave the nation a Halloween scare with his radio broadcast of an adaptation of H.G. Wells' 1898 novel, "The War of the Worlds." Watch chapter 1 of War of the Worlds, premiering on PBS October 29, 2013 at 9/8c.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
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When is a photo an act of resistance?
For families that just decades earlier were torn apart by chattel slavery, being photographed together was proof of their resilience.Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipDear Mr. Welles: Uncovering Original Material
Clip: S25 Ep6 | 2m 59s | Letters from a library archive come alive in the American Experience documentary. (2m 59s)
Clip: S25 Ep6 | 18s | Americans were living in fear during the height of the Great Depression. (18s)
Clip: S25 Ep6 | 48s | "Alien army invader in the late '30s was quickly translatable from Martian to German." (48s)
Clip: S25 Ep6 | 22s | In Oct. 1938, a panicked radio announcer reported that Martians had landed in New Jersey. (22s)
Clip: S25 Ep6 | 2m 59s | Actors, antique radios, and the greatest prank of all times. (2m 59s)
Orson Welles' Best Performance
Clip: S25 Ep6 | 32s | The press conference was one of Welles great performances as an actor. (32s)
Orson Welles' Press Conference
Clip: S25 Ep6 | 23s | Orson Welles could not imagine how anyone could believe that Martians had really landed. (23s)
Clip: S25 Ep6 | 18s | Many Americans were in awe that some people had believed the War of the Worlds broadcast. (18s)
Clip: S25 Ep6 | 29s | During the height of the Great Depression, radios were being purchased by the millions. (29s)
There Was No Stopping Orson Welles
Clip: S25 Ep6 | 26s | CBS network executives ordered a break in the broadcast, but Welles could not be stopped. (26s)
Clip: S25 Ep6 | 1m 18s | Outtakes from the recreation shoot for War of the Worlds. (1m 18s)
Preview: S25 Ep6 | 30s | Airing October 29, 9/8c. The most famous invasion that never happened. (30s)
Clip: S25 Ep6 | 16s | In the 1930s, Americans worried when radio programs were interrupted by news bulletins. (16s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipSupport for PBS provided by:
Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Carlisle Companies. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.