Orson Welles

Orson Welles (1915-1985), American actor, director, and producer, is renowned for his 1938 radio adaptation of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds, broadcast on October 30 as a Halloween episode of The Mercury Theatre on the Air. Directed and narrated by Welles, the realistic format—using fake news bulletins, eyewitness accounts, and interruptions—depicted a Martian invasion landing in Grovers Mill, New Jersey, convincing some of an estimated six million listeners that aliens were attacking, sparking widespread panic despite disclaimers. This event highlighted media's power to simulate crises, influencing perceptions of alien invasions and science fiction, though Welles did not intend mass hysteria and collaborators denied deliberate deception. No direct involvement in UAP/UFO research, military/government programs, or related testimony; his legacy ties culturally to UFO lore via this fictional broadcast.