Analyzing Orson Wells 'War Of The Worlds'

During the late 1930s, much of America had become dependent upon their radios. In fact, 82% of families during this period had access to radios, and tuned in regularly. News, sports, plays, and other forms of entertainment were broadcasted across the nation, available for any ear within reach. That said, with thanks to radio, it is no surprise that on October 30, 1938, american producer, Orson Wells successfully as well as accidentally convinced a nation that it was under attack by martians from the planet Mars. In the 2013 documentary, War of The Worlds, stories about the events are told, and first-hand account reenactments share the fear America experienced on that night. Most importantly, however, this documentary shows the true gullibility of American society, and how terrifyingly effective propaganda can be. To continue, the film gives information about the state of the nation. According to historian, T.J. Jackson Lears, America was in a period of anxiety, fear, and forboding. For instance, hearing bad news from the radio was commonplace, therefore, it set the perfect stage for Orson Wells’ play to be taken seriously. Not only, but the film also gave background history about how America was struggling to overcome the previous stock market crash, and the fact that a large portion of banks were failing. By giving the …show more content…
Additionally, according to the documentary, Wells even announced this before the show began. However, due to another popular broadcast being played at the same time, many listeners did not tune in until after this announcement was made, thus, taking everything they heard to heart. This portion of the documentary is extremely significant not only because it shows the power of media, but also the power of propaganda. As a result of America missing the first few minutes of the broadcast, Wells singlehandedly convinced an entire nation that martians were going to take over