Various OW Commercials

[O J Radok]

We all regard the Paul Masson wine commercials to be the nadir of Welles' career, don't we?

Well, you ain't seen nothing yet if you haven't suffered (or laughed) through the OUTTAKES of the Paul Masson commercials.

You have been warned:

http://www.viceland.com/issues/v9n4/htdocs/touching.php

(Scroll a bit down, then click on the Welles photo.)

[Jeff Wilson]

Christ, that's horrible and funny at the same time. But why even bother filming when Welles was clearly in the bag?

[Le Chiffre]

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I laughed my ass off. Poor Orson. I'll bet alot of people on the set that day were probably staring at him in disbelief.

[Terry]

Here's the 1982 commercial for the Milton Bradley game. It's been 24 years since I'd seen it, but I still remembered the line "I was victorious." Due to my love of Welles, I got the game (I was 15 at the time.) I still have it, it still works, and I played it not long ago. Fantastic to see the ad again.

[tony]

Here's an oddity on Youtube: it is purported to be a welles directed commercial, circa 1969:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH4iuGZnAxY

[Roger Ryan]

The blocking and lighting are definitely in the Welles' style, but the cuts on the trucking camera are pretty amateurish which makes me think someone else edited the footage.

[ilpjohn]

Does anybody know something about "Carosello" TV commercial for Stock 84, directed by Welles for Italian TV in 1966? It was seen a couple years ago on "Stracult" (Rai Tv), then the reel disappeared...

[Terry]

Is that the one with Welles speaking Italian?

I didn't know he'd directed it.

I'll have to look at it again.

Maybe I should figure out how to put it on youtube as well.

[ilpjohn]

Yes, is the one in which Welles speaks italian.
He directed and played in it as himself too.

Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH4iuGZnAxY

enjoy it!

[Wellesnet]

OW Perrier (1982):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNVcs4jKP_A

OW Perrier:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qHv4yh4R9c

[Le Chiffre]

For some reason, Welles's commercials for food and drink definitely seem more fun and less cringe-inducing then his commercials for games, airlines, or hardware, such as this one for a copier:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ724bYrxsQ

One guy puts it well here:
"Sad that he was reduced to doing this, because every fibre of Welles' being was created for an infinitely higher purpose than hawking hunks of plastic. If you can't fathom the tragedy of one of the greatest minds of the 20th century playing a two-bit salesman, after decades of being refused financial backing for the creative endeavours that were close to his heart, then I'd say you either have a high opinion of soulless consumerism, or a low opinion of Orson Welles."

[Wellesnet]

...to go with the French Champagne. Teri Garr is also featured here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ekv4NqYeCI

[Terry]

https://youtu.be/vaLn9vri1i4?t=193

[Terry]

I'd forgotten the BC comic strip ever existed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1acuh1RPDeQ

[Le Chiffre]

That's a cute commercial. Pretty nice visual quality too, I'm assuming from someone's VHS collection.