Welles

In eighteen ninety-eight, H.G. Wells published a science fiction novel called “The War of the Worlds.” In it, he described creatures from the planet Mars that had technology far beyond anything on Earth. Among their weapons was what Wells called a “heat ray.” Listen to actor Orson Welles describe the weapon in a famous radio broadcast of “The War of the Worlds” from nineteen thirty-eight.

The American Film Institute has again rated Orson Welles' 1941 feature film debut atop its list of cinematic masterpieces.