The Night That Panicked America is an American madefortelevision movie that was originally broadcast on the ABC network on October 31, 1975. The telefilm dramatizes events surrounding Orson Welles famous and infamous War of the Worlds radio broadcast based on the novel of the same name by English author H.G. Wells of October 30, 1938, which had led some Americans to believe that an invasion by Martians was occurring in the area near Grover Mills, New Jersey.
The film was released for the first time on DVD by CBS Home Entertainment on October 28, 2014. This was the first time that the film became available in any home video format.The Welles broadcast and the reaction to it had been earlier dramatized on network television as The Night America Trembled, a live presentation that aired September 9, 1957 on Studio One. The cast of this toprated TV recreation of Welles radio broadcast included Alexander Scourby, Ed Asner and Warren Oates. James Coburn made his television debut, and John Astin appeared uncredited as a reporter. In one of his earliest acting roles, Warren Beatty appeared in the bit part of a cardplaying college student. ........
Source: Wikipedia