On October 30, 1938, CBS broadcast a radio play of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds. The novel, first published in serial form in 1897, tells the story of an alien invasion of England. The Mercury Theatre on the Air production changed the location to New Jersey and employed a series of news bulletins to heighten the realism of the story. … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: The War of the Worlds Broadcast, 1938
On October 21, 1967, an estimated crowd of 100,000 gathered by the Lincoln Memorial in Washington to protest the Vietnam War and march on the Pentagon. Organized by the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, the demonstration was the first major national protest against the Vietnam War. Along with the signs, chants, and other … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: The March on the Pentagon, 1967
On October 2, 1967, Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice. Marshall had a long history of fighting for civil rights in the legal system, most famously when he argued against school segregation in the Brown v. Board of Education case. Marshall served on the Supreme Court until 1991. He died in … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall is Sworn In, 1967
For the release of a new short film about Austria’s Lipizzan horses, Universal-International, the maker of Universal News, staged a special publicity event at a drive-in movie theater. From the release sheet: “HORSE NIGHT” AT THE DRIVE-IN, CALIFORNIA – “Horse night” at the drive-in. An enterprising theatre manager sets up oats and rye on the … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: A Drive-In Movie for Horses, 1954.
Long considered an essential accessory, this week’s featured Universal News story shows us the latest in hat fashions for the 1956-1957 winter season. From the release sheet: HAT FASHIONS In New York, creations of the country’s foremost milliners for the November to January season are previewed. Ranging from chic miniature pillboxes to resplendent toques and turbans, … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: Winter Hat Fashions for 1956.
In this week’s Universal News story, an art show in Provincetown, Massachusetts features the artists as living canvases. The participants (whom the narrator identifies as hippies) were members of the Provincetown art community. Provincetown has a long history as an art colony, from the early 20th Century to today. From the release sheet: BODY PAINTING Provincetown “hippie” artists have an … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: A Body Paint Show at the Provincetown Art Colony, 1967.
This week’s story features a winter fashion show from French designer Pierre Cardin. Along with several coats, an “astronaut-inspired dress” is presented. From the release sheet: FASHIONS Pierre Cardin shows his winter fashions at Versailles. Coats are of thick, woven wool; evening dresses show a lot of sequins; and there’s even a space-age cocktail dress! … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: Pierre Cardin’s Winter Fashion Preview, 1967
On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, marking the official start of the Second World War. Sixteen days later, Russia invaded Poland from the east. By the end of September, Poland had succumbed to the dual attacks. The nation was divided between Russia and Germany according to boundaries established in a secret clause of a nonaggression … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: The Invasion of Poland, 1939
This week’s story features a demonstration of the “often-forecast” videophone. Today, numerous devices and programs enable video calling, but the videophone as a separate appliance never quite took off. One reason why 1955 was not the year for the video phone is the price tag: According to the Universal news story, the videophone cost $5000.00, or about $43,000.00 in today’s dollars. … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: Video Phone Demonstration, 1955
This week’s story is from the 1936 Summer Olympics, held in Berlin, Germany. The games are most well-known for the controversy surrounding them; there was strong support in the United States and around the world for a boycott because of the Nazi regime’s racist ideology and discriminatory actions against Jews. The United States’ team attended the games, but several Jewish … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: The 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin
