The War of the Worlds (Radio Broadcast)

The radio broadcast adaptation of H.G. Wells’ science fiction novel The War of the Worlds was directed by Orson Welles, and was performed as a Halloween special on October 30, 1938. It was presented as a series of news bulletins which described to listeners about a current invasion of Earth by the Martians. The broadcast started with the news of strange explosions sighted on Mars. Then, there were reports of Martian ships landing in the United States and wreaking havoc throughout it. During this broadcast, many listeners contact their family, friends, or neighbors about the news, which led to wild spread rumors and confusion, because many people missed or ignored the opening credits of the program.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(radio)