Caption: Orson Welles (1915--1985), 1937 Mar01---young Orson.

Orson Welles was, of course, a film director and I remember him as a frequent guest and guest host on the The Tonight Show in the 1970s or so.

Welles' 1938 The War of Worlds radio play provoked a real Martian invasion scare---it was a radio play, NOT a hoax, but it was done in a you-are-there fashion---heck it was Oct30, the day before Halloween---on the other hand, Welles was a bit of wag.

Welles transferred the setting from England to Grover's Mill, New Jersey. I guess an Martian invasion of New Jersey just seemed more likely.

Orson Welles videos:

1. 'Attack By Mars' Panic; Orson Wells Speaks 1938/10/31 1:28 / A bit sluggish, but it's fun to see young Orson. He's less glib than he later learnt to be later years as when guest hosting the The Tonight Show 1970s or so. Orson's denying there was hoax---but the press conference was on Halloween. Too long and dull for the classrooms.
2. Orson shmoozes about Winston Churchill 2:52 / When Orson was more adept at speaking to ex tempore.

Credit/Permission: Carl Van Vechten (1880--1964), 1937 (uploaded to Wikipedia by User:Dbenzhuser, 2005) / Public domain.
Image link: Wikipedia.
File: Art file: orson_welles.html.