Today, we're looking at one of the best radio hoaxes you've probably never heard of. It seems so long as we’ve been alive, we’ve been using any available media we have to pull a fast one on our fellow man. I wouldn’t be surprised if we find a cave painting showing good hunting fields ahead, only for it to leave over the side of a cliff.
Sea Dragon Attacks Toyoko
You have to feel sorry for Toyoko sometimes. Between Mothra, Gamera, Godzilla and giant ants, these constantly rampaging kaijū seemingly never give Toyoko a break.
I’ve never been to Toyoko, unfortunately. But my parents have and must have caught it one a quiet day. However, on the 29th May 1947, WVTR, the Tokyo armed forces radio station, interrupted its usual broadcast to bring the news of a 20-food sea monster heading inland. Over the next hour, it updated listeners with news that the creature was smashing buildings, rerailing trains and generally causing chaos.
The armed forces were attempting to hold it at bay, but so far all their efforts were ineffective. The whole broadcast was accompanied by the sounds of gunfire and screams (apparently). The announcer advised everyone to retreat inside, barricade their homes and wait for updates.
Needless to say, Toyoko remains standing.
Thus far, the only crypto-zoological monsters who have ever invaded have been blessedly fictional. And if you’re getting your dates mixed up, fan-favourite Godzilla was only actually a thing in 1954, a good seven years later.
While many may see this as an influence, I’m not personally sold on the idea. In fact, I’ve looked at Godzilla before on this blog and he really is more of a by-product of nuclear fears.
And it’s even more complicated than that since The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, an American movie released in 1953 is more often credited as the inspiration. Which, in itself, was inspired by The Fog Horn, a 1951 short story by Ray Bradbury. Which has some Lovecraftian overtones.
So, yeah, let's follow this rabbit hole and see where it goes. As a classically trained know it all, let me recount all the sea monsters to be found in The Odyssey.
The programme ended with the "dragon" announcing in a soprano voice that he wished to congratulate the service on its fifth anniversary. Binghamton Press, 29th May 1947
Now if Godzilla had thought of that.
What happened?
WVTR was a radio station controlled by American forces. It broadcasted mainly to American-speaking Japanese and, importantly, was meant to be the mouth-piece of the American presence in Japan.
After the event, several people were disciplined, including Dr Wilson W. Cook, the director of WVTR, Corporeal Arthur Bartick, Private First-Class Arthur Thompson and Private First Class Pierre Meyers.
I haven’t been able to find anything concrete on what happened to these men. But the Los Angeles article suggests they were eventually transferred to Korea in punishment. There’s also not much evidence as to why they pulled this stunt.
If you want to read more, Radio Heritage purports to have a first-hand account on their website you can read here. Full disclosure, however, I'm a tad sceptical of the validity so I actually went got myself a 7-day free trial on Newspapers.com to dig out all the articles I could find on the hoax. I hope you all appreciate the work I do for you all.
The Orsen Wells link
What I really clinched this all for me was the article in the Los Angeles Times, printed on the 1st June, 1947 which described the event as a ‘hoax a la Orsen Wells.’
Not to mention the minor detail that Arthur Bartick and Arthur Thompson were, in fact, scriptwriters from Los Angeles before they enlisted. And Pierre Meyers, the announcer, was from Hollywood.
Wells has a lot to answer for.
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