THE NIGHT THE NATION HELD ITS BREATH

81 years ago ... yes 81 years ago ... the United States of America held its collective breath

Not just because of what was happening in Europe with Hitler's coming to power, but because of a small group of actors on the radio  ... yes ... RADIO

All day today you can listen to this production on a station I found this summer

Old Time Radio USA

So it likely makes us wonder these days HOW the nation could be taken in so easily - after all, it was Halloween, you would think this sort of thing was to be expected

But we've become so spoiled these days - we have news 24/7 from several different sources, even from other nations ... it would be nearly impossible to cause a panic like this did

My parents were 10 & 12 years old when this was broadcast -- my father refused to listen to recordings of it ... not vbecause he had already heard it and it "old news" ... but rather because he had heard it as a kid and it effected him THAT DEEPLY ...

This man was in WW2 and this radio show scared him that badly!!

I think the best part of the show is there is NOTHING to give you any sense of which year it takes place, but they give just enough information to make it sound so real!!

It is very unlikely anything less ke this could ever fool us again - despite what you hear about ads influencing the elections - people have way too many sources they can access information ... too many ways to double check and clarify

But it would be interesting to try, wouldn't it?