John Houseman

War of the Worlds

Freddie: In the control room, producer John Houseman is running over last-minute notes with a myriad of technicians…

John: Now, gentleman, are we certain the cue line on page twelve will come in precisely at the time we discussed?

Mercury Stage Manager: Yes, Mr. Houseman. Twelve minutes in to the second.

John: Excellent. Orson and I are counting on you. Now, let’s review that handful of last-minute changes…

Freddie: As the actors prepare for the second act of their play, producer John Houseman rushes out of the control room and to Mr. Welles…

John: Orson!

Orson: Why, John, you’re white as a sheet. What the devil’s going on?

John: You’re not going to believe this…

John: You’re not going to believe this…

Orson: Try me.

John: Listeners have been calling into the switchboard. They’re in a panic.

John: Listeners have been calling into the switchboard. They’re in a panic.

Orson: Did you hear that, folks?

John: Laugh all you want, Orson, but the CBS bigwigs aren’t laughing, believe me. They’ve been in the control room for the past ten minutes demanding a station break.

John: Laugh all you want… They’ve been in the control room for the past ten minutes demanding a station break.

Orson: And we’re giving them one now, aren’t we?

John: I had to do everything within my power to stop them from taking us off the air.

Orson: And you did a fine job at such, my boy. But I don’t see the call for such hullabaloo, John. After all, it’s only a play.

John: But the listeners, Orson. They don’t think it’s a play. They think it’s really happening.

Orson: That’s the point, isn’t it? Why do we do this, John? To be convincing, to further the suspension of disbelief.

John: Well, you’re succeeding, so congratulations. But just how far would you like the listeners to suspend their disbelief?

John: Well, you’re succeeding, so congratulations. But just how far would you like the listeners to suspend their disbelief?

Orson: So far as the traffic will allow, of course.

John: Even if that includes inciting a riot?

Orson: Oh, so now it’s a riot. A minute ago it was a panic. Exactly how many telephone calls have come through the CBS switchboard?

John: A sufficient enough number that we’re engaging in this conversation.

Orson: Get me a number, John. How many calls? … I don’t need you running in here like the sky is falling.

Mercury Stage Manager: One minute to air…

John: We have a responsibility to the listening public. Orson.

Orson: And I, for one, believe that responsibility is to entertain them. Is that not what we’re doing?

John: Yes, Orson.

Orson: Relax, John. And, who knows, perhaps a bit of attention will land this program a sponsor. “Any press is good press.”

John: You’re not experiencing this little play the same way I am, from the control room.

Orson: I’d dare say there’s more panic emanating from you at the moment than our dear listeners. Panicky calls aside, how’s the play sound?

John: “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how’s the show?”

John: “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how’s the show?”

Orson: That’s the spirit.

John: It’s coming off fine, Orson. Just fine.

Freddie: … Producer John Houseman and other CBS employees made their way into the studio and all hell broke loose…

John: We need the scripts. Every last one of them.

John: We need the scripts. Every last one of them.

Orson: Whatever for?

John: We need to dispose of them immediately. We’re destroying the recordings, too. As far as we’re concerned, the last hour did not happen.

John… As far as we’re concerned, the last hour did not happen.

Orson: John! You’re hysterical!

John: Orson: the police are here.

John: Orson: the police are here.

Orson: The police?! Why?

John: When the listeners couldn’t get through to the CBS switchboard, they started telephoning the police. And when the police couldn’t get through to our switchboard, they decided to come here in person.

John: … And when the police couldn’t get through to our switchboard, they decided to come here in person.

Orson: Now, John, this is lunatic.

John: Call it what you will, Orson. There are police—and reporters, too, all of them most eager to speak with you.

John: Call it what you will, Orson. There are police—and reporters, too, all of them most eager to speak with you.

Orson: Send them away.

John: I tried that, Orson. But they refuse to leave.

John: I tried that, Orson. But they refuse to leave.

Orson: And why are they oh-so-patiently waiting in the control room?

John: I would not say patiently. I told them we were still on the air. But it won’t be long before they realize I wasn’t telling them the truth.

Orson: Over a hundred telephone calls to the switchboard?! Has the world gone mad?!

John: In a word: yes. Look, you duck out the back door and go to your rehearsal. You’ve got actors waiting at the theater. I’ll handle the police and press.

John: In a word: yes. Look, you duck out the back door and go to your rehearsal. You’ve got actors waiting at the theater. I’ll handle the police and press.

Orson: No. I’ll handle them. Send them in.

John: Are you certain?

Orson: It is the wisdom of radio executives and of an organized public that will decide these things for us. It is not up to speak. I’m the accused.

John: Ladies and Gentlemen, please! My name is John Housman, and I am a producer of this program. And Mr. Welles has no further comments at this time. A formal press conference will be arranged as soon as possible.

Freddie: More than twelve thousand articles would appear in newspapers over the following weeks. Here’s Mr. Houseman on what has been called “The Press-Radio War”…

John: The newspaper games was, shall we say, not radio’s greatest fan. This new wireless competitor had stolen some of their finest journalists, and had taken many of their print advertisers as well. Newspapers had an axe to grind. And our broadcast gave them a chance to sell their papers with sensationalistic stories of panic, but also provided an opportunity to drive the message home that radio should not be trusted.

Freddie: The broadcast would become, in the end, the most famous radio program in history. Or, as producer John Houseman called it…

John: The War of the Worlds was a magic act, one of the world’s greatest, and Orson was just the man to bring it off.