JFK and Abusing Power: Private Life
Kennedy's personal aides knew about his extramarital activities, as did much of the press.
JFK on Policing the World: The Soviet Menace
As soon as he took office, Kennedy became increasingly worried about turning the Cold War into a hot one, resulting in nuclear catastrophe. Nikita Khrushchev continued to aid in the spread of communism around the world and Kennedy wanted to show the American public he would not be bullied by the Soviet premier.
JFK on the Enemy: The Red Threat
Kennedy believed his first diplomatic meeting with Nikita Khrushchev would be a lesson in compromise. But when it was clear the Soviet premier was unwilling to negotiate over Berlin and more than willing to talk casually about nuclear weapons, Kennedy told him "it's going to be a very cold winter." Kennedy left uneasy.
JFK's First Lady: Jackie and the White House
Raising more than a million dollars for the project, Jackie Kennedy set out to restore the White House and make it a center of art and culture. She debuted her project in a television special called "A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy." When the show producer showed John Kennedy clips of the film, he looked on in adoration.
JFK and Age: The Young Congressman
With little interest in his day-to-day duties as a congressman, 29-year-old Kennedy had some growing up to do before he was ready for the most powerful position in the world.
A Grave Announcement
Shortly after 8 p.m. on the Halloween Eve, 1938, the voice of a panicked radio announcer broke in with a news bulletin reporting strange explosions taking place on the planet Mars, followed minutes later by a report that Martians had landed in the tiny town of Grovers Mill, New Jersey. "War of the Worlds" premieres October 29, 2013 at 9pm ET on PBS.
Orson Welles' Best Performance
After the "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast, CBS execs hastily convened a press conference for Orson Welles. It "was one of Welles great performances as an actor. And he knew that his whole career was on the line here," said Media Historian Paul Heyer. Welles had to sound sincere in his apology, which he may not necessarily have been, according to co-producer John Houseman.
We Interrupt this Program...
During the Great Depression in the 1930s, Americans worried when their radio programs were interrupted by special news bulletins.
Radios by the Millions
During the height of the Great Depression, radios were being purchased by the millions. By 1938, nearly 80% of American homes had a radio. People were willing to forego many modern technological conveniences, but the radio remained a lifeline for the American public.
War of the Worlds Chapter 1
On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles gave the nation a Halloween scare with his radio broadcast of an adaptation of H.G. Wells' 1898 novel, "The War of the Worlds." Watch chapter 1 of War of the Worlds, premiering on PBS October 29, 2013 at 9/8c.
Making War of the Worlds
Actors, antique radios, and the greatest prank of all times. Go behind the scenes with the producers of War of the Worlds on filming the letters sent to Orson Welles and CBS Radio after the 1938 broadcast.
The Power of Propaganda
Many Americans could not fathom that some people heard War of the Worlds and actually believed that Martians had landed in New Jersey. Time and again, newspapers blamed the listener. To journalist Dorothy Thompson, who applauded Welles in her widely-read column, the episode cleverly proved the power of propaganda. Watch this video to hear what she wrote in her column.
Orson Welles' Press Conference
Orson Welles could not imagine how anyone could believe that Martians had really landed in New Jersey. At the CBS press conference the day following his "War of the Worlds" broadcast, Welles was asked whether he believed he had taken advantage of the public. "I can't imagine an invasion from Mars would find ready acceptance," responded Welles.
War of the Worlds Preview
A broadcast that struck fear into an already anxious nation, Orson Welles' War of the Worlds radio broadcast was the most famous alien invasion that never happened.
Dear Mr. Welles: Uncovering Original Material
Last year, a University of Michigan grad student applied for an internship at American Experience. He ended up with a Story By credit on War of the Worlds.
From Martian to German
"Alien army invader in the late '30s was quickly translatable from Martian to German." --David Ropeik, Journalist "War of the Worlds" premieres October 29, 2013 at 9pm ET on PBS.
The Mic Went Dead
The War of the Worlds has become the one most legendary radio broadcasts in history. Twenty-three year old Orson Welles directed the famous radio drama on October 30, 1938, the night before Halloween referred to as "Mischief Night." Throughout the program, which would come to be known as "The Panic Broadcast," ten actors and a 27 piece orchestra eagerly awaited his direction.
War of the Worlds: Outtakes
To bring freshness to the story behind Orson Welles' famous broadcast, producers used letters written by listeners right after hearing War of the Worlds. Actors delivered monologues of parts of these letters as if they were archival interviews - you can see it in the film. Here, actors have some fun at the end of the day describing what it's like to play a character from the 1930s.
There Was No Stopping Orson Welles
At one point during Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" broadcast, CBS network executives ordered an identifying station break to tell listeners that it was only a play. By that time, however, there was no stopping Orson Welles.
Fear and the Great Depression
By the time of the "War of the Worlds" broadcast in 1938, U.S. citizens had been suffering through the Great Depression for nearly ten years. In his 1933 inaugural address, FDR recognized that the dominant mood of the country in the 1930s was not anger or resentment at the capitalist system but in fact was shame and fear.
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