So, I'm carving pumpkins with the kids last night.....

[Jack_Ripper]

And a quick google search, we're listening to The War of the Worlds. My son is 7 so he was just cutting away, but my 12 year old daughter starts asking questions. I tell her my grandpa and his dad were listening to the original broadcast, but they (like so many others) missed the beginning. As told by my grandpa, great grandpa James sat on the porch with a loaded shotgun.....

 

[gold89]

where did your dad and grandpa live

When they heard this? I'm curious because it's my recollection that this broadcast was heard in the east.

 

[Noodle]

PBS is running a great show about the program and aftermath


I'm sure it will be on again this week. It's part of their show the American Experience. From this link, it looks like you may even be able to watch the program online for free. Highly recommend it.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/worlds/

 

[Noodle]

per the PBS show mentioned above, it was all over the country


e.g., San Francisco.

One thing I learned from the PBS show is that many people thought it was a German invasion, equating "alien" and "invasion", etc. with an invasion by the Germans.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/introduction/worlds/

 

[kescwi]

Interesting, I've read that when War of the Worlds was published in England it was at a time when many novels were being written about an invasion of England. Often Germany was the aggressor/oppressor. With real fears of Germany that existed at the time there were those in England who used the aliens as a metaphor for Germany.and would bring up War of the Worlds as an example when stirring the anti German pot.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[Jack_Ripper]

Re: where did your dad and grandpa live

It was broadcast by CBS on the east coast, but that signal carried for thousands of miles in all direction. Since they only had a radio, it was the main source for entertainment and news....plus, as panic spread, news of the "invasion" spread with it.