My War of the Worlds Story – radio broadcast

[MindPilot]

It was around Halloween, mid sixties, and I was about 13. The neighbor from across the street had brought over a few gallon jugs of peach wine he’d made and we stashed those in the back room.

My mom who was thoroughly disgusted with the amount of time I spent reading comic books and watching TV insisted that I listen to the re-broadcast of the original War of the Worlds. She felt comic books and TV “left nothing to the imagination”.

Of course I’m an insolent teenager with my “this ain’t gonna scare me” attitude berating the old folks and their primitive radio shows. How can this possibly compare to color TV?

Comes the night of the broadcast, and my parents are doing a nostalgic gathering around the radio with some hot drinks, and the show begins. I have to admit, it was riveting. I sat absolutely glued to my spot on the floor staring at the pilot light on the front of that little tabletop turquoise plastic five-tube radio.

Glued to my spot. Staring. Riveted. That is until—at just the tensest moments of the show—one of those wine jugs exploded. I don’t believe either of my parents had ever seen anyone move that fast before. In a fraction of a second I had sent drinks, food and furniture flying and was outdoors. Convinced at that instant the aliens were in the house, I fled stopping just short of leaving the me-shaped cartoon cutout in the wall, probably only because the front door was closer than the wall.

A few seconds later, amid mom and dad’s hysterical laughter, I realized what had happened.

So, yeah I want to see the movie but well away from anything that might spontaneously explode.

[MuseRider]

1. My grandmother

told me that when it first aired her little sister called her from across the country in tears saying her goodbyes. It must have really been something when it first aired. I also remember hearing it rebroadcast on the radio at some point. It was pretty cool.

Funny story.