"Normally, the shoots went great, with the only problem being the mercurial star's habit of changing his lines - much to the ad agency's frustration. Yet on the day of the champagne commercial shoot, Welles arrived disheveled and apparently intoxicated. He had been filming in Las Vegas all night and, hoping to sleep in his limo on the ride back, had taken a sleeping pill."
"Despite Welles' condition, Shillingford tried filming the commercial - even if Welles was unable to perform, getting him on camera would mean, 'we'd have insurance coverage for the day because of the actor malfunctioning.' After several disastrous attempts, Welles finally managed to get some sleep, and once refreshed, 'delivered the lines perfectly.'"
Orson Welles served as a spokesperson for Paul Masson champagne for three years, delivering the famous slogan "We will sell no wine before its time." During one commercial shoot, Welles arrived disheveled and seemingly intoxicated after filming all night in Las Vegas and taking a sleeping pill. Production supervisor Peter Shillingford noted that Welles was typically professional but had a habit of changing his lines. Despite Welles' impaired condition, the crew attempted filming to secure insurance coverage. After resting, Welles performed flawlessly and left the set in good spirits, later inviting Shillingford to lunch at Ma Maison restaurant.
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