Friday, October 31, 2014

THE NIGHT AMERICA TREMBLED / Studio One - CBS - 1957

Welp, here's our last Halloween Countdown of 2014... Whew!! I saved this one for the last day, it's an episode from STUDIO ONE that is a recreation of the broadcast by the Mercury Theatre of THE WAR OF THE WORLDS and the panic that followed because some listeners thought it was an actual invasion from Mars! Oh yeah, Happy Halloween Everbloody!!

Eegah!! sent over a little sound clip from this program for our approval, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button over by our air raid siren, NOW, Rufus The Gnat!.. Here's a taste of... THE NIGHT AMERICA TREMBLED!

Our story begins with an introduction by Edward R. Murrow and his cigarette, as heard in the sound clip, he also narrates throughout the hour program.

The Mercury Theatre warms up before they go live, as also heard in the sound clip.

At the bar, it's all in your face politics and talk about the rise of Hitler in Europe.

Here's a shot from the newsroom with John Astin in his very first acting role!! Man, we love John as Gomez Addams, they could have never cast a better actor than him for that part, and, he's still working today!!

And, in this scene, there are Warren Oates and Warren Beatty (on the right) playing cards before the radio program starts. This is Oates third acting credit and Beatty's second credit!

If you didn't hear the intro to the show where they announce that it' a reenactment of H. G. Well's story of a Marian invasion, a listener may get the bejesus scared out of them!

Blogger The Gremlin has screwed up my photos once again, when will the insanity end?!!

Here are some of the actors in the middle of the show, that's Ed Asner there on the left.

Back at the newsroom, the editor keeps getting calls from panicked citizens!

This babysitter, played by Susan Hallaran, is really getting creeped out with the parents gone out to dinner!

And, this scared couple riding in their car just after they decide to get married!

The babysitter can't take it anymore, she calls the parents and begs them to come home!

Some of my favorite parts involves these policemen trying to deal with the non-stop calls from freaked out citizens!

By the time the play is ending, the producer's worried about all the potential law suits!

The parents get home just as the program ends, it was just a play, the babysitter feels a lot better now! And, there's James Coburn as the dad in his very first acting role!

This poor guy tells the police that he was so panicked that he drove hundreds of miles away and is now stranded without any money!

Tune in tomorrow when things will be back to normal!.. Normal?!

13 comments:

Dr. Theda said...

A great choice for a Halloween Post....!!!
Should have posted a pic of one of the water towers that some actually shot at thinking them to be "Martian War Machines".....
Have a great Holiday weekend....

TABONGA! said...

Thanks Doc, it's always Halloween at our house!

Eegah!! said...

What a truly amazing cast!!

Grant said...

Truly amazing is right. Along with the ones mentioned, the actor shown just below the Warren Beatty and Warren Oates photo looks familiar, and the actress playing the babysitter looks familiar. Is there any listing on who they are?

TABONGA! said...

Hi Grant, that's not Dick York as the student, not sure on the girl...

Eegah!! said...

The girl is either Susan Hallaran or Freda Holloway. I'm inclined to think it's Freda. Here's a link to a free streaming link without any bugs!

https://free-classic-tv-shows.com/Drama/Studio-One/1957-09-09-The-Night-America-Trembled/#.VFZFOMmwWrF

Grant said...

Thank you.
At the angles you see in the photos, she looks a little like Barbara Bel Geddes! But I knew that this was probably too late an item for her to play such a smallish role, and besides you probably would have mentioned her by name.

Lacey said...

I'll be curious as to how close this is to the 1975 TV movie "The Night that Panicked America," with Vic Marrow.

I am an old time radio fan and did not even know that Studio One did this adaptation. Thank you for again broadening my education.

Lacey said...

Thank you for this great find.
I was aware of the 1975 TV movie but not this presentation.

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

The babysitter was Susan Hallaran--she went to school with me in NY.

Leslie Tobias

TABONGA! said...

Leslie, thank you for your personal comment..

Susan Hallaran McKenzie said...

I just saw this and yes the babysitter was played by me, Susan Hallaran. Great memories of Edward R Murrow.

TABONGA! said...

Awesome Susan, thanks a lot for saying hi! These are our favorite comments.

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