People are still talking about it — it being “The War of the Worlds” drama as presented by the Mercury Theater on October 30, 1938. Directed by Orson Welles and written by Howard Koch, the 60-minute broadcast was an adaptation of H. G. Wells’ 1898 novel, “The War of the Worlds.” Koch, who wanted the landing site of his story to be in New Jersey, pointed at a map with a pencil — and landed on Grover’s Mill.
October, Halloween, Grovers Mill, and Martians all seem to go together. The barely-visible water tower next to Grover’s Mill at the intersection of Cranbury, Clarksville, and Grover’s Mill roads can rarely be seen through the trees, yet how many area residents do not point out the historical area while driving by it? Real estate agents often take their future buyers on a tour of the area. The barn is almost restored to the way it looked in the past.
Franc Gambatese, co-owner of Grovers Mill Coffee House, a shop dedicated to the memory of the 1938 broadcast and the lasting impression it made on American history and society, wants to continue the celebration. “I want to see October 30 as a mini equivalent of Ground Hog Day, a local celebration that we can build on every year,” he says. “People often visit the area to take photos of the water tower.”
Gambatese, who has been fascinated by the story since he was a kid, has a large collection of comic books, albums, movies, movie posters, and memorabilia associated with the story. His senior thesis at William Paterson College was titled, “How the Broadcast Affected American Culture.” “The show was sly and adept — Welles did not just pull a stunt with the radio broadcast.”
Growing up in West Paterson, Gambatese knew that Grover’s Mill was in central New Jersey but was never really sure about where it was — until 1997 when he and his wife were driving around the community and the barn loomed in front of them. “When we decided to start the coffee business the big red barn starred me in the face,” he says. “I could have filled the barn with WOW memorabilia but it did not work out.”
When the owners put the building up for sale, Gambatese and his wife, Mickey DeFranco, were in negotiations to purchase the property. Due to several circumstances it did not work out and the couple opened the store in Southfield Shopping Center, dedicated to the memory of the Orson Welles 1938 broadcast, three years ago. Now they present the third annual Martian invasion hosted by actor Michael Jarmus. “The coffee house has been updated to bring all of the memorabilia front and center,” says Gambatese.
It is a family business and Franc and Mickey’s children all work at the coffee house. They are Joey, a graduate of High School South in 2009, and a junior at Fashion Institute of Technology; Jaedi, a June graduate from South and a freshman at the College of New Jersey; and John Paul (JP), 10, a fourth grade student at Village School. Mickey’s father, Franco De Franco, known as Pops, also works at the coffee house.
The coffee house will celebrate the community’s history by hosting a re-creation of the broadcast. The production includes the 1938 radio broadcast as well as appearances by 3-26, Dennis Nobile, Helene Angley, and other special guests.
The three-day event is free and all those who attend in full Martian costume will receive a free 12 ounce cup of coffee. A $25 gift card will be awarded to the best dressed Martian each night. They will be serving up Martian Mocha Java, along with Martian-themed cupcakes baked by Regina Sawyers of West Windsor, owner of Princeton Cakes Studios in Philadelphia.
On Friday, October 28, and Saturday, October 29, at 7 p.m. Michael Jarmus will be hosting the event for the third consecutive year. His stage roles include Carl Phillips and other characters in McCarter Theater’s 50th anniversary re-creation of Orson Welles’ broadcast. A radio air personality and talk show host for more than 45 years, he has also appeared in films, and recently appeared at Lincoln Center as the voice of Boris Karloff in a tribute to the legendary actor.
While there are not many people still in town to talk about the 1938 event, there are some who have — and many stories in print.
Mary Schenck, who lived at the corner of Meadow Road and Route 1 in 1938, did not learn about the broadcast until the next day. Although her family often listened to the radio in the evening, the house was quiet on that date. They did not learn of the invasion until the next day.
Possibly the most-repeated story came from Lolly Dey. A 16-year-old Plainsboro resident, she was at the First Presbyterian Church playing the piano for the youth group that evening. The group was singing when someone came in to tell them that the Martians had landed at Grovers Mill. Dey ran home to tell her mother. When they turned on the radio, they discovered that it was not real news.
Edith Perrine Sprague, who lived in Dutch Neck, also recalled the night. She and her younger sister, Anna, were listening to the show on the radio, and became very frightened. They told their father, who was in the bathroom at the time. Soon the whole family — four children and two adults — got into the car and drove to Grovers Mill. “It was all roped off and we could not get close,” she said. “We wanted to be part of it. It was quite an experience.”
They did not learn the truth until the next day. Sprague, best known for traveling with Elsie the Cow to sell war bonds, has donated all of her papers to a Chesterfield teacher who has agreed to share the information with his students.
The Sunday evening event features an Internet broadcast by RadioOnceMore.com, which owns the rights to the actual broadcast. A few scholars present a roundtable discussion about how the event helped shape American broadcasting. It will be broadcast live on the Internet.
“Although it was a non-event there were survivors who still have a vivid memory of that evening,” says Gambatese.
War of the Worlds Celebration, Grover’s Mill Coffee House, 335 Princeton Hightstown Road, West Windsor. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 28 to 30, 7 p.m. Third annual Martian invasion at the coffee house. Free coffee for those who attend in full Martian costume. Free. 609-716-8771. www.groversmillcoffee.com.
