Orson Welles and Paul Masson wine history
Orson Welles’s connection with Paul Masson is part of the history of wine advertising. A dated broadcast record offers a firmer starting point than an isolated clip or a story repeated without a source.
- A public archival lead
- Paley Archive catalog T91:0012The Paley Center for Media
- Program date
- December 16, 1978Paley catalog record
- Cataloged connection
- Welles is credited as talent in a Paul Masson wines commercialPaley credits
What the broadcast catalog records
The Paley Archive’s record for a December 1978 Saturday Night Live program lists a Paul Masson wines commercial and credits Orson Welles as its talent. This is evidence of the commercial’s inclusion in the cataloged broadcast. The program’s airdate should not automatically be treated as the filming date or the first use of the advertisement.
A finished commercial is different from an outtake
When examining a circulating clip, first establish whether it is a finished advertisement, an alternate take, behind-the-scenes material or a later compilation. A short excerpt can lose its original date and context as it is copied. Editing, captions and later recollections may add claims that the footage itself does not establish.
Who made the advertisement?
Identifying the performer is only one part of the research. A full account also asks who commissioned the campaign, wrote the copy, directed and produced it, and placed it in broadcasts. Those roles need production records, dated credits or carefully attributed testimony. They should not be assigned from a famous face alone.
Contribute a useful lead
If you remember the production or have a dated advertisement, identify the format, approximate date, publication or broadcast, and how the item came to you. Contact Thomas before sharing private correspondence or uploading material whose reuse rights are unclear. A source description can be valuable even when a reproduction cannot be published.
Common questions
Did Orson Welles advertise Paul Masson wine?
Yes. A Paley Archive broadcast record explicitly credits him as talent in a Paul Masson wines commercial. Viniside links that public record as a documented starting point.
Does a television airdate prove when a commercial was filmed?
No. Broadcast, production and campaign-launch dates are different events. Additional records are needed to connect them.
Sources and further reading
Public reference points checked for this guide. A later institutional or brand history does not resolve every historical claim. See our approach to evidence and corrections.
Have a story, photograph or correction?
A carefully identified memory or record may open a new line of inquiry. Contact Thomas or join the free community to compare notes.
Keep exploring
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