The Night That Panicked America (1975 TV Movie) User Reviews

Convincing true life story

[phantom110 · 8/10 · 2 July 2001]

This was a very good movie. The acting was good, not too cheesy and not to serious. The characters were a bit shallow, but the movie rightfully paid more attention to the broadcast and the reactions, not character's motives.

Great job by Paul Shenar as Orson Welles, and honorable mentions to both De Young and Bosley. Watch it if you can find it!

The night the Martians attacked

[Petey-10 · 8/10 · 29 October 2008]

On October 30th, 1938, exactly 70 years ago tomorrow, the Martians attacked.Or at least many people thought they did.A radio broadcast by Orson Welles took place that night.The radio version of H.G.Wells' The War of the Worlds was being played on the radio and they made it as realistic as possible.People, who hadn't heard the beginning of that play took it all seriously.They really thought the Martians had invaded the Earth.Joseph Sargent's The Night That Panicked America is a made-for -television movie from 1975.There are some known names in this movie.Tom Bosley,as remembered from Happy Days playing Howard Cunningham, plays Norman Smith.Meredith Baxter, as remembered from Family Ties playing Elyse Keaton, plays Linda Davis.John Ritter, who we lost way too soon, plays Walter Wingate.Michael Constantine plays Jess Wingate.Eileen Brennan is Ann Muldoon.Paul Shenar plays Orson Welles.This movie gives a very good portrayal of those events.Something like this couldn't probably happen today.We know too much now.Our world is filled with knowledge, I could say even too much.If we didn't have all the knowledge, we'd all be escaping the Martians.

Bang-up TV movie on one of the all-time great radio plays

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 20 November 2017]

October 30, 1938. A dynamic and highly dramatic contemporary adaptation of H.G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds" performed live on the radio by Orson Welles (a fine and credible portrayal by Paul Shenar) and the Mercury Theatre company causes mass panic all over the United States after many listeners mistake it for a real live broadcast.

Director Joseph Sargent not only keeps the gripping story moving along at a snappy pace, but also builds a good deal of tension as well as offers a flavorsome and meticulous evocation of the late 1930's period setting. Moreover, the smart and compelling script by Nicholas Meyer and Anthony Wilson astutely captures the tense and paranoid atmosphere of a country that was on the cusp of World War II. The sturdy acting by the tip-top cast rates as another significant asset, with especially stand-out contributions from Vic Morrow as the sour Hank Muldoon, Eileen Brennan as the distraught Ann, Michael Constantine as no-nonsense farmer Jess Wingate, John Ritter as Wingate's eager son Walter, Will Geer as the stern Reverend Davis, Tom Bosley as antsy producer Norman Smith, and Burton Gilliam as the excitable Tex. Casey Kasem and Walter Edmiston are both terrific as members of the Mercury Theatre group. The sharp cinematography by Jules Brenner boasts several very impressive crane and tracking shots. An on the money TV movie.

What a Great Movie!

[Ed in MO · 30 October 2000]

"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.

A Look At Both Mass Hysteria And Early Radio

[sddavis63 · 7/10 · 30 October 2013]

In October of 1938, the world was on the brink of war and in the midst of a depression. People were frightened about the present an frightened about the future. One part of this movie, at least, is about fear - the fear felt by people facing tough situations and how easy it is to tap into that fear.

"The Night That Panicked America" is the story (accurately told for the most part) of the night of October 30, 1938. The CBS Radio Network and Orson Welles broadcast their version of H.G. Wells' "The War Of The Worlds." Largely taking the form of news broadcasts, and with people tuning in and out and not necessarily catching the disclaimer at the start, panic began to spread, as people heard the fake news reports and actually believed that Martians were attacking. The portrayal of mass hysteria is very interesting; how easy it was to convince people that this was real was actually rather frightening. I've seen estimates that about 6 million people heard the broadcast, 1.7 million of them believed it and 1.2 million were actually very frightened by what they thought was happening. Fascinating to think how easily manipulated the masses could be by someone deliberately setting out to do it - and, in 1938, CBS wasn't setting out to manipulate; they were just setting out to entertain with a scary Halloween Eve broadcast. Fascinating.

The other interesting aspect of the movie is the technical side. It was also fascinating to see the re-creation of how a 1938 radio show was put together. That alone made this worthwhile viewing - especially to see what they did for something that we today would think of as being as simple as sound effects.

Is this is a great movie? Probably not. It's not exactly what I would call riveting. But it is a good look both at early radio and at the phenomenon of mass hysteria. (7/10)

Fun Dramatization Of What Happen During The Famous Broadcast

[Rainey-Dawn · 7/10 · 4 December 2016]

The movie really is a fun to watch dramatization of what happened during the famous broadcast of "War of the Worlds". Some people tuned into the broadcast after it began, while others were turning the dial and ran across it then began listening and others just walked up while others were listening to the show and became interested in it. People began calling the radio station to learn more about the broadcast to find out it was just a play on the radio. Even some police officers believed the broadcast was real news according to this film.

Well, I think some people believed this was a real event but I don't believe that 1/2 of America was panicking... most already knew about Orson Wells and his radio show. I believe only a handful of people believed it to be a real event -- the rest of the tale of what really happened that night was blown out of proportion and made to sound like it was worse than it really was. That's just how I feel about it.

7.5/10

Accurate recreation of Orson Welles' "War of the World's" radio program .

[mspang · 9/10 · 12 December 1998]

This film was a very entertaining, and historically accurate recreation of Orson Welles' radio program "War of the Worlds", which was based loosely on H G Wells' novel of the same name. It is utterly amazing that so many people believed that this radio drama was real, and the film does an excellent job of dramatizing the reactions of several people who seriously believed that the Earth was being invaded by Martians. What amazes me even more is the fact that no one has made this excellent production available for sale on video. It surely is a marketable product.

I liked this one

[darthvader1961 · 10/10 · 24 August 2006]

I am not generally a fan of movies made for television, but "The Night America Panicked" is a clear Exception. I was fourteen years old when I watched it with my mother who boasted a firsthand experience of the original Orson Welles broadcast of "War of the Worlds," and the resulting mayhem. She had told the story to me many times when I was younger and it was interesting to see it recreated. My mom was so impressed with the late Paul Shenar's enthusiastic portrayal of Orson Welles that she became a lifelong fan. I became of fan of Orson Welles and I loved "Citizen Kane" as well as the humor behind Citizen Kane's promotional trailer (the girls are here for the purpose of ballyhoo). Like other fans, I would like to see this movie preserved on DVD. I would buy it so I could watch it again.

A cautionary tale about the power media

[nitalouise · 10/10 · 30 March 2007]

As the line between entertainment and news becomes increasingly blurred, this important film cautions us about the media's power over our lives. I was lucky enough to get a copy of this recently and am using it in a Western Studies class to teach my high school students about the role of radio in the Modern Age. Both FDR and Hitler understood very well how to use the radio, and this concept is even more relevant today in our age of sound bites and podcasts. More than ever, we need to teach our children how to wade through the information tidal wave that swamps them daily. This film serves as a powerful reminder that we must be far more discerning about what we read and hear, regardless of the source.

It's not on DvD or Video?

[Kai-18 · 31 October 1999]

This is a great movie. If it's ever on TV, I suggest watching it. Personally I don't usually like TV movies but this is an exception. Very good with interesting situations and likable characters. It's hard to beleive something like this once happened but it's allm true. Orson Wells must have gotten into a lot of trouble after that one. It's a shame it's not on DvD. Watch it on Halloween or the Night before.

Excellent Movie Now Available on DVD!!

[radioman63 · 10/10 · 1 May 2015]

There's a lot I can say about this movie and it's all very good. First, it's amazing how erroneous information gets out and is plastered all over the place. Babe Hardy mentions in an earlier post that it was Art Carney who voiced the "Secretary of the Interior" on the broadcast. Carney NEVER was a part of the Mercury Players. The Secretary was voiced by Kenny Delmar, who is remembered by Old Time Radio enthusiasts as the announcer on the Fred Allen Show. He also played the role of the popular Senator Claghorn on Allen's program. Also vandino1 seems to be very down on this movie because it does not show Welles arriving in an ambulance at the CBS studios. He also claims Paul Shenar does not resemble Orson Welles. I completely disagree. Shenar played the Welles role brilliantly. Yes, he was close to 40 playing the role of Welles who would have been about 23 years old, but he does so very convincingly and does resemble him. And Welles did not always arrive at the studio in an ambulance at the last minute!

Having gotten that out of the way, this is a fantastic movie for those who love old-time radio, and are interested in the power that radio once held. The storyline is very factual, showing how Americans believed the broadcast to be real. Those that tuned in late, and had been listening to The Chase and Sanborn Hour, missed the opening of the program introducing the show as the Mercury Theater. Others who first thought it was a play, later began having doubts as the action was very realistic. The nation was jittery, just having passed the Sudeten Crisis the month before. The public had grown accustomed to hearing programs interrupted for bulletins and the threat of war looming. Some people did think it was the Germans invading. Above all else, at that time radio was infallible. If you heard it on the radio it was true! It had to be true!

The pacing of the movie is very good, speeding up as the action starts to take place. The studio where the program scenes were shot was very accurate, and look like the old CBS studios in New York. Observing the action in the studio, the actors working the microphones, the sound effects, and the scenes of production staff in the control room is very good and gives a glimpse of what a radio broadcast during that time period would have looked like. It is a fascinating story and is all very well depicted in this movie, showing the action at the studio interspersed with scenes of the other characters reacting across the country.

The all-star cast is great! John Ritter, Meredith Baxter, Will Geer, Michael Constantine, Eileen Brennan, Vic Morrow, Tom Bosley, and Casey Kasem among them. I remember as a kid watching this movie on the ABC Friday Night Movie on October 31, 1975. Now the best news of all, this movie is available on DVD from Amazon! I have ordered a copy and watched it. It is uncut, original, and great quality. I was fortunate enough to have a recording of it I made from TV many years ago, but now with the DVD, it is available to everyone. There's been a lot of posts over the years on the Internet from fans of this movie anxiously waiting for it to come out on DVD. Now it's here and available! I highly recommend this great movie about a fantastic event that really did happen!

"The Night That Panicked America" was a very compelling dramatization of the events that happened during the radio broadcast of "The War of the Worlds"

[tavm · 9/10 · 30 October 2009]

Today is the 71st anniversary of Orson Welles' radio production of H. G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds" as adapted by Howard Koch for the program "Mercury Theater on the Air". It's also the 30th of my first listening to it on WIBR-AM when I switched between the radio (which had a clear signal) to stereo (which had static making it impossible to hear) back to radio for the last news "bulletins" and the final monologue of Welles. So for the occasion, I decided to rewatch the telemovie, "The Night That Panicked America", especially after listening again to the original radio broadcast this morning. While Koch's script was indeed used for the movie there are some noticeable differences: Koch was not identified in the original radio broadcast, after the initial music of "Ramon Raquello and His Orchestra" the rest of it was not the same as on the program, and Orson here says the network's full name at the end instead of its initials. Anyway, the film goes from the behind-the-scenes before, during, and after the show at CBS to events at various places in the United States where the "invasions" supposedly took place. Much of it is pretty intensely dramatic but there are also some humorous scenes like when reporter "Carl Phillips" is identified as "burned", the person that played him (Granville Van Dusen) is seen looking at a crossword puzzle. That scene in San Francisco with that butler mocking his employer with his take on the Martians was also good for a laugh. Not to mention that water tower scene near the end. But there were some intense ones too like the scenes involving Eileen Brennan and Vic Morrow as a married Jersey couple who panic during the broadcast with their kids in tow or Will Geer as the Presbyterian minister who almost loses it when Cliff DeYoung-whose character is Catholic-rushes back in the church to frantically get Geer's daughter played by Meredith Baxter to marry him. It's also a hoot to see Tom Bosley, who's always Howard Cunningham to me, as a nervous network executive, John Ritter as a farmer boy anxious to fight the Germans, and especially, "American Top 40/America's Top 10" host Casey Kasem as many of the radio play's characters (of course, he introduces the band at the beginning). The same goes for one Burton Gilliam, who I recognized from Blazing Saddles, as a bar patron who knows it's a radio show initially before being fooled and getting arrested. Other nice touches are the way the "aliens" opened their hatch (a jar being opened inside a toilet bowl), seeing that farmer switch from the more popular "Chase and Sanborn Hour"-which starred Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy-because he didn't like the singer showcased, and seeing the "Secretary of Interior" sound just like Roosevelt! (Loved hearing the way the last one just stretch his words!) The best part, however, was seeing the way Orson Welles was portrayed by Paul Shenar as we see him directing from his podium, saying the lines Welles said, and arguing with Bosley about putting that disclaimer on the air during the station break (I happen to think the way they all got excited about where to put the disclaimer was contrived and was probably meant to be there even before the hysteria but it was still a dramatically compelling scene). I've probably said too much so I'll just say that "The Night That Panicked America" comes highly recommended to anyone who loves seeing a behind-the-scenes depiction of a radio program and the events that happened around it.

Great Movie. Knew of Radio Show. Very Funny.

[ghawkins · 8/10 · 19 October 2003]

Had heard of the Radio Broadcast, and was intrigued by Orson Welles causing so much panic for the people who tuned in late. Enjoyed the hectic panic shown in the movie. This was also a good starring vehicle for Eileen Brennan, who attended The American Academy of Dramatic Arts,at the same time as myself. She has a good comic ability, and handled herself well as one who is truly panicked. I felt the movie was a good laugh riot from start to finish. After seeing the movie, It made me even more sad for missing the original on Radio.

America Scared

[Sargebri · 20 September 2003]

This film was an excellent look at the perhaps one of the most notorious instances of mass hysteria ever. This film made me interested in the actual play and I think that this was pretty much an accurate portrayal of the event. Also, the little stories of how people were affected by the broadcast and what they went through as the story unfolded. The one story that I felt really conveyed what happened was the one featuring Vic Morrow and Eileen Brennan as the couple on the brink of divorce who forget their differences and are brought back together because of the broadcast. If anyone wants a good example of a good TV movie, this is it.

The great great great grandmother of Fake News

[raylier · 8/10 · 3 June 2021]

Just brilliant. And... without Social Media, Smartphones, Computers. Only radio! This is a classic one. I don't think anybody will reach this level in this modern time! Great movie!

Great Adaptation

[rnbbork · 10/10 · 18 September 2020]

I wish ABC would replay this on Halloween. I haven't seen it in years but remember it being AWESOME. Trying to find a copy.

A bedtime story for a grown old man

[marcusbrainard · 8/10 · 24 December 2015]

I caught wind of this story when I was a 8th Grade student at my middle school and in 1971 saw the 1953 Movie where it took place in Los Angeles, and in January, 1973 picked up a 2 record set that tells the Howard Koch Story. I also saw The Night America Panicked on TV in 1975 & I do have CD Copies of the radio show. My father heard it in 1938 as a 13 year old kid & he was hip about The Mercury Theatre, to him it was just another story. In 1968, Jefferson Kaye did versions of WOTW in 1968, 1971 & 1975 on The WKBW Radio show. In 1988 there was a 50th Anniversary of it & had Jason Robards playing Orson's Richard Pierson & The Roosevelt part was handed to Vice-President George E.W. Bush. Today I use the radio show to put myself to sleep. I also covered The 2005 Version and the tripods remind me of a "Christine" car shooting lasers from the parking lights & inboard lights zapping people right & left & the trumpet noise was great. also a boy similar to Bill Cosby did smear Jello on the floor and set the sofa on fire to keep The Martians from coming in the results his father got injured and broke his arm & for two years would intro his son & make his son tell about how he burned a $100.00 sofa & broke his father's arm saving the house from The Martians. Marcus Brainard

Excellent recreation of the War of the Worlds radio broadcast of 1930?

[edwardo · 4 June 1999]

This film was an excellent portrayal of the radio broadcast and the actor who played Orson Wells did an excellent job. The sound effects at the radio station was unbelievable accurate as to the sound of an alien space craft both landing and the sound of the hatch coming off, very scare as was suppose to happen especially back in the 30's. The acting to go along with the radio broadcast was out of sight. This was a very entertaining movie and i wish it was also available on video as stated by Mike Spangler, if that is not possible than it should be made available to be shown on TV again, so people could record it as I did some years ago, but have a very poor copy of. If this is available to be replayed on TV, than this Halloween should be appropriate to re-broadcast this fine movie

Great movie.

[wkozak221 · 10/10 · 6 May 2021]

I love this movie. It is very well done. The script and cast are perfect. Some personal notes.,There really is a Grover's Mill NJ. I went there with my dad. Yes, there is a water tower. My parents free up during this the Depression. My dad said really did believe this was happening. He was in a traffic jam coming home from work. It does show how different people reacted to the broadcast. Paul Shemar is great as Welled.

The mixture of fact and probable fiction makes for an intensely thrilling night.

[mark.waltz · 10/10 · 6 October 2020]

No wonder Orson Welles is still celebrated as the boy wonder of the 1930's. He conquered the stage, radio and the big screen in a matter of a few years. Everyone listening thinks at first that they are listening to a weekly radio anthology series when a seeming break-in to the program reveals that the world is being invaded by martians. Guests at a huge society party, a young couple dealing with a religiously bigoted father and a battling married couple dominate most of the audience listening in all the while when special effects through the help of Orson Welles and his magnificent crew are enacting a fictional bit of science fiction that the world thinks is real.

Filled with a cast of suburb actors (among them Tom Bosley, Eileen Brennan, Vic Morrow, Meredith Baxter and Will Geer), this has a script that is alternately funny and suspenseful, ironic because you can't believe that everybody listening seems to be falling for this deliciously planned prank. Some of the gullible listeners even head out to New Jersey with tons of ammunition to fight the alien invaders, some of whom believe are actually Germans. Even though the movie watching audience knows the truth,

Among the best moments are a sound alike of FDR giving a national report and the butler at the party trying to convince his boss that it is simply a radio show, and basically ignored, eventually deciding to allow his employer to remain fooled. The build up in panic makes this all the more enjoyable as seemingly smart humans really show how idiotic and naive they are. This is an above average TV movie with great direction, a convincing script, and a pace that makes the film fly by.

And you are there....

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 25 October 2016]

This movie is currently available on YouTube. It consists of the presentation of the Mercury Theater production of "War of the Worlds" and simultaneously shows various gullible folks around the US reacting to it...and believing the invasion from Mars is real. It's a very famous and well documented event and one the film does a great job in recreating...live and in all its vividness. The acting and production are very good and I think it's a great way to experience what it was like to listen to it in 1938...far better than just listening to a recording of the radio broadcast. On hand are a variety of 1970s stars and I remember watching this when it acme on in the 70s and just watched it again tonight...and was impressed both times.

It'll do til something better comes along

[vandino1 · 17 October 2005]

An okay telefilm about the famous (infamous?) radio broadcast. It certainly deserves good marks for adhering closely to what occurred during the original broadcast and, of course, dramatic license is to be expected with the various stories of Americans reacting to the show. But, still, it IS a TV movie from 1975 which means that it's low budgeted---therefore it seems underpopulated. For instance, Orson Welles (Shenar) arrives at the CBS Radio studios walking in at a leisurely pace in the early evening down an empty, quiet street... when in fact Welles was always rushing in at the last minute from a stage show rehearsal, and New York streets at 7PM would be bustling with people and noise (sometimes Welles hired an ambulance to get him to the CBS studio on time---now that would have been a great opening for this film!) Not to nitpick, but it's this kind of flatness in sound and direction that hurts the film. Additionally, Shenar looks nothing like a young Orson Welles (who looked very much like Bob Hope) and plays him with too much control. Welles was dynamic and explosive and very much a young man (in his early twenties in 1938) while Shenar is too aloof and too much older (he was nearly forty when he played this part). But Shenar does have the rich deep Wellesian baritone (probably the main reason for hiring him). A great subject for a movie and one that deserves another try... although this one is adequate.

Good Re-Enactment Makes It Worth Watching

[Michael_Elliott · 30 August 2015]

The Night That Panicked America (1975)

*** (out of 4)

Orson Welles and his fellow actors arrive at the radio station on October 30, 1938 to begin their performance of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds. Around the country various people turn the radio on and hear the broadcast but don't understand that it's fake.

This dramatization of the events of that day have been told countless times in both books, television shows and movies but this here is one of the better examples even though it too is far from perfect. THE NIGHT THAT PANICKED America has some terrific stuff in it that makes it worth viewing but at the same time the subject is so great that you can't help but wish one day someone really nails the material. With that said, there are some fun performances throughout and there's no doubt that it remains fun.

The best thing going for this film is the actual re-enactment of the radio station. I thought director Joseph Sargent did a terrific job at showing us what it was like in a radio station back in these days and seeing the re-enactment of the broadcast was a lot of fun. A lot of screen time is devoted to this so that means that very few of the surrounding stories are built up. The character development is pretty much missing and I think one flaw with the picture is that there are so many characters that we just don't really get to know any of them.

The film offers up a rather nice cast including Vic Morrow, Eileen Brenan, Tom Bosley, Will Geer, a young John Ritter and Paul Shenar as Welles. The supporting stories range from mildly interesting to some pretty bland stuff including a man trying to get a woman to marry him before the invasion. Still, THE NIGHT THAT PANICKED America is worth watching and especially if you're familiar with the true story.

where can i get a copy of this movie

[smokinjo · 19 September 1999]

i really like the way this one was done have not seen it for a long time have a lot of war of the worlds stuff even corresponded a while with Ann Robinson