What surprised you most during the research process?
There is a lot more material out there than I expected. For sure I came across boxes and boxes of material for Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, and Touch of Evil. But I also found many files about Paul Masson, G&G Nikka Whiskey, and even a bank in Shreveport, Louisiana. So it was great to find so much that I could use to write an entire book.
Which advertisement tells us the most about Orson Welles as a person?
I’d argue that the ones closest to his own interests would either be the G&G Nikka ad that he turned into a Marlene Dietrich tribute or the Nashua copiers ad where he got to perform magic tricks. Those felt like 60 second short films covering his own interests while still advertising other products.
How did Welles' attitude toward advertising change over the course of his life?
Because of the sponsorship nature of old time radio, Welles and other actors would have to participate in advertisements on their respective programs. It wasn’t exactly something they could opt out of. But over time actors were able to distance themselves from directly participating in advertisements. Welles was able to do this, but he returned to television commercials with some ease. So I don’t think his attitude changed so much as the cultural circumstances.
Was there a particular discovery that made you think, "This has to go in the book"?
The First National Bank Shreveport ads. These are regional and relatively obscure ads when compared to a national campaign like Paul Masson or even the Dark Tower board game. The bank ads came right after Welles’ Paul Masson campaign ended. Welles was such a different person behind the scenes on these ads than he was with Paul Masson that the campaign had to get its own chapter in the book.
Did you encounter any myths about Welles that the book helped correct?
The infamous Paul Masson Champagne spot and its associated outtakes are nothing like one would expect from the outtakes alone. Uncovering what happened that day was my own personal Rashomon.
What attracted you to overlooked subjects like Welles' commercials?
There’s so many commercials and television works from Welles out there. It is a major portion of his life but it is often mentioned in passing in biographies or outright ignored. But there are so many great stories out there about the makings of these ads. I got to talk to people who were never interviewed about their experiences with Welles. I think it is a major void in his scholarship that I wanted to fix.
Were there any commercials or campaigns you wanted to cover but couldn't fully document?
There are still some commercials I’ve heard about but have yet to find. I’d love to find the cement ad he did along with a commercial he did for Texas radio advertisers. The book is finished, but the research continues!
Did any commercial campaign turn out to be more significant than it initially appeared?
Probably the G&G Nikka Whiskey ads. There was an extreme interest in Welles in Japan after a roadshow rerelease of The Third Man, to which the Jima Dentsu company capitalized on as best as they could. They released a year’s worth of ads in a matter of months, tried finding more Welles films and programs to import, and even gave him creative control over other ads. It might have been the closest he got in the commercial realm as he did in making any feature film.
Which decade produced the most interesting commercial work from Welles?
The eighties! Not only because he did the most ads in the five years before he passed away in 1985, but some commercials were made with nascent blue screen and splitscreen technology. So there were some actual technical achievements in these ads before he passed away.
Many people know Welles as a filmmaker, but far fewer know the extent of his commercial work. What part of that story tends to surprise readers the most?
There are real people who worked on these ads. Many of them started their careers working with Orson Welles on commercials. Many are retired but there are still people out there today working who can say that they worked with Orson Welles. The makings of these commercials could be as intense as any story from Welles’ RKO days.
What is the most "Orson Welles" moment you encountered while researching the book?
On the shoot for the first First National Bank Shreveport ad, there’s a moment where Welles asks who the ad’s copy writer is. He does so seriously, to which Judy Williams shyly raises her hand and says, “I did!” Welles immediately goes from severe to gentle, telling her how much he loved it. It disarmed people on set and showed that he isn’t some primadonna.
What do you hope readers take away from the book?
That Welles wasn’t just some sellout at the end of his life trying to make a buck or that he was so humiliated doing commercials that he had to perform them while drunk. This is a part of his life that may not be as artistically important as Citizen Kane, but it is a significant portion of his life that shouldn’t be overlooked or orphaned.