War of the Worlds. A Halloween Eve (October 30/1938) CBS live broadcast radio drama, played out for a prank. Produced and directed by Orson Welles of the Mercury Theatre Players and based upon the 1898 H.G. Wells novel. The radio airing terrified many of its listeners, especially the ones who tuned into the broadcast late, and thought it was a live news broadcast of a real alien invasion from outer space.

A Princeton psychologist of the day, found in his study of the mass hysteria, that 2 million people were alarmed into thinking the alien attack was legitimate.

The short audio portion in this video is of the specific section of the 60 minute radio play that prompted most of the listening audience to believe it an actual attack.

The day after the radio airing, Orson Welles apologized to the public for the panic he had 'created'.

1938年，大导演奥森·威尔斯根据H.G. 威尔森原著小说改编了一出广播剧《世界大战》，并放在万圣节前夕通过CBS的直播之声播出，本打算跟听众朋友们开个玩笑。结果听众们都把这个故事当成了直播中的新闻，纷纷跑到街上，用湿毛巾挡着头。这个广播剧给当时社会造成了极大的恐慌。奥森·威尔斯最后不得不出来向大家道歉。

虽然是发生在万圣节的事情，不过整个这一出戏就是一愚人节玩笑啊。由此也说明，玩笑不能开的太大，说谎也不能说得太像真的，不然最后郁闷的人还是自己。

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