James Mason says: Thunderbird Wine Has An Unusual Flavor

[syntaur]

A unusual flavor indeed... Thunderbird goes especially well with being face down in the gutter:)

[pearljammer97]

that bird flies higher while you sink lower...if you want to read more about thunderbird, night train, wild irish rose, md20 20 and others check out bumwine.com. funniest testimonial site on the internet. ty for posting this!

[spartak95]

James Mason is the classiest drunk homeless guy ever

[CuteCatFaith]

I loved when studying advertising hearing how they marketed this product. Threw around some empty bottles in some ghetto nabes some weekend nights. The locals then got the idea, woowee, must be good stuff! I had a really square adman, a prof in grad school named Shaw, insist this was true, and what is sicker, he thought it was brilliant! (Well, it was, apparently, effective and low cost!)

[RinkyDink43]

I just sampled this stuff lat nite, and it is most definitely "unusual." A better description would be "absolutely horrid." I like a gang of beverages that people describe as gross, and this swill is absolutely putrid.

[rompn4x]

Taste like rubbing alcohol and acetone mixed with a twist lol.

[jmon73]

AHH YES !! Chateau Ouiso Tonnerre.

[AbsoluteNugget]

I think all James Mason is saying here is that he's never ingested gasoline, and so Thunderbird is unlike anything he's ever tasted.

[Raptorman117]

Isn't this the same drink that turns your teeth black if you drink enough?

[mcboltron]

ahahah unusual

[GypsyFairy85]

"Not like anything I've ever tasted"

[EntropicMisanthropic]

hahaha, I bet "not like anything I've ever tasted" is epic wording. Almost like he refused to lie XD

[sasayaki]

Wow. A Wild Irish Rose commercial with Sir Laurence Olivier would make the night even more perfect.

[SgtTravisBickle]

"All the best people shave twice a day because chrome is the thinking man's stubble." -- Sir James Mason, 20th Century A.D.

[inkey2]

"it's an exceptional good drink for going blind and pouring on wasp nests"

[Duffytoler]

Up Next: Sir John Gielgud for MD 20/20

[Naxwell]

>It's not like anything I've ever tasted

Its moldy... with a hint of tin foil.

[violenceinc]

everybody had class in the 50s. even the winos.

[NoGoodBoyo1000]

One of the classiest actors ever endorsing Thunderbird! Hilarious!

[jaddajn1]

do they pipe that background music down alleyways to enhance the thunderbird drinking experience?

[Th1sWasATriumph]

Things were better then. Of course, I know Thunderbird as the only thing ever drunk by any particular Stephen King motorcycle-booted hoodlum. That man has damaged T-bird beyond repair.

[whirlwindshadow]

I got drunk one time on this crap when I was sixteen. Never again.

[asmodeon]

It also turns your tongue blue when you drink enough of it.

[RedlineNRG]

I drink Thunderbird wine by the case.

[HotBroodish]

exceptionally good for any occasion, whether you're being pulled over for drunk driving, arrested for hitting a prostitute, or playing dice in an alley, it's the perfect accompaniment.

[RedlineNRG]

@HotBroodish Homeless people don't have cars...

[HotBroodish]

@RedlineNRG Yes they do. It's like in the Flintstones.. They find hollow car bodies in junk yards, pile in, and drive them by running.

[HotBroodish]

Unusual flavor. lmao

[SofaKingWeTodEd666]

lol james mason advertising for hobo wine HAHAHAHAHA

[kwbdwino78]

James Mason deserves an Oscar for this performance.

[top40lives]

Here's Burt Reynolds for Purple Drank.

[SofaKingWeTodEd666]

@top40lives lol ikr

[oldtrojanskin]

What's the word? Thunderbird / How's it sold? Good and cold / What's the jive? Bird's alive / What's the price? Thirty twice. Produced by Ernest Gallo It is said that Ernest once drove through a tough, inner city neighborhood and pulled over when he saw a bum. When Gallo rolled down his window and called out, "What's the word?" the immediate answer from the bum was, "Thunderbird."

[oldtrojanskin]

What's the word? Thunderbird / How's it sold? Good and cold / What's the jive? Bird's alive / What's the price? Thirty twice.

[marsbubulubu]

Even Orson Welles would never stoop this low...

[mazakman1957]

Some actor whose career is waning should do a commercial for Irish Rose

or Wild Russian Vanya...perhaps Alec Baldwin...?

[Darthbelal]

@mazakman1957 Charlie Sheen would be great!

[GoldsteinsBook]

What's the word?

[InfiniteRhombus]

Fuck the haters, I love thunderbird. Though, the "unusual flavor" is caused by your brain synapses misfiring.

[Dranahan]

Wow did anyone notice that he doesn't take a drink of it. lol.

[whatsinthebasket]

i want some tbird

[jimaroo100]

Here is the Thunderbird true story....Many years ago Gallo noticed that they were selling huge amounts of white port (usually a very small seller) in African American neighborhoods. The looked into it and discovered that a fav drink was white port and lemon juice. (WPLJ was a 1956 hit song for the 4 deuces) ....so Gallo never one to miss an opportunity made up Thunderrbird which is simply WPLJ and promoted it heavily. and it is still popular in the Hood today.

[texecution]

What's the word?

Humbert Humbert

[tazru333]

"A subtle nutty flavor and the minty finish of a fine mouthwash."

[mazakman1957]

@tazru333

...with an aftertaste of burnt rabbit...

[prolificjiger]

mmmmmmmmmmaaaa the French.

[w3mq]

I never tried the swill, but it was plentiful in the ghettoes were I grew up in. (North Philly) However I have been told that it could be poured in the carburetor to start a stalled vehicle successfully! Its only rival was Tokay, another killer sold in state stores and local speak easies.

[marky2112]

On the rocks? We had it wrong all along.

[DaDa2Phlux]

HaHaHaHaHaHaHahaHaHah.......Qu­ite.

[TheFreakyLemur]

Now... imagine Patrick Stewart doing a commercial for Mad Dog 20/20.

[tobyradloff]

@TheFreakyLemur

MD 20/20...when more than your mind is in the gutter...same with Thunderbird, Richard's Wild Irish Rose, Night Train Express, or any other "bum" ghetto wine.

[GTBurns48215]

This is the equivalent of Taylor Swift doing a commercial for Steel Reserve or any brand of low quality high gravity malt beverage from ghetto hell.

[canovsp]

When I think of someone hanging out in front of a convenience store drinking Thunderbird I think of James Mason.

[sigmundur]

thunderbird + wine = wrong

[donnyvike]

0:03 *reaches with left hand*

0:05: *pours with right hand*

[MarshmallowCreep]

"...not like anything I've ever tasted." It looks like the last thing he wants to do is taste it.

[MonarchyOne]

I keep thinking about Eddie Izzard when I see this.

[StormsongK]

@MonarchyOne "I sound a bit like God, don't I? Yes..."

[milkygear]

I'm drinking thunderbird right now, its not that bad. It tastes like butterscotch, though- nothing like wine.

[UCSPanther20]

Thunderbird: The choice of low-end fortified wine for vagrants everywhere.

[DudeL26710]

They forgot the disclaimer.

Warning: Drinking Thundebird over several years may cause you to transform into The Most Homeless Man in America.

[dueyfinnn]

the taste really packs a poverty punch

[elchangobrujo]

AND ITS UNDER 5$

[milkygear]

when he says "its really delightful"- look at how pissed off he looks.

[TheZepmeister]

When you see ice cubes and lemon wedges for wine you better look out.

[bintasyllah]

@TheZepmeister lol! I love good YT one-liners. Thanks!

[MonteCarlotta]

Thunderbird was Redd Foxx's favorite wine!

[megagagnon1]

@MonteCarlotta I thought Redd Foxx's favorite wine was ripple.

[elc1960]

@megagagnon1 The same company made both Thunderbird and Ripple - Gallo.

[arouska]

I am just watching this to understand the Eddie Izzard inside jokes

[Chiflado21]

@arouska Noah, stop what you're doing and build me an ark xD

[LastTree]

And never taste again. LOL!!!

[mdmdoink]

if its good enough for him.. Its good enough for me!!!!

[noisepuppet]

Tastes just as unusual coming back up.

[Sharoney]

50 cents a gallon! Can't beat that with a stick!

[Kafir014]

Last Tuesday was a nice vintage.

[cookiehead2]

@Kafir014 lol

[elc1960]

@Kafir014 That's like that quote from Robin Williams' 1979 comedy album "Reality . . . What a Concept" where he says "What's the house wine? . . . Thunderbird?! Ah, but it's a good week!"

[StormsongK]

@elc1960 "Hello, Gore Vidal for Thunderbird wine!" Take Two: "Hello, Gore Thunderbird for Vidal wine...?" Take Three: "cChhhhneeaggghggh!"

[elc1960]

@StormsongK Thanks - I was wondering how Robin would have spelled that (LOL)!

[2300skiddo]

Hilarious!!!

[unclejimbo25]

Unusual flavor? Must be the Formaldehyde.

[davidjradich]

Notice that he poured it, but didn't drink it.

[tranurse]

i remember being a poor college student. we used to drink this and mad dog, mixed with sprite or ginerale. yuck.

[92af]

James Mason was much better than Gregory Peck was

[KeVoRkIaN7]

I like how how he won't hold it anywhere near his face

[missphyllislevine]

@KeVoRkIaN7 Brilliant, you made me laugh!

[gyrogeerloose]

"Thunderbird has an unusual flavor all it's own"

With notes of kerosene, asphalt and oven cleaner.

[TheZepmeister]

@gyrogeerloose Don't forget anti freeze, and wood varnish, lmfao!!

[tobyradloff]

@TheZepmeister

Also...iodine and Listerine, turpentine and Mr. Clean.

[tobyradloff]

@gyrogeerloose

With all those toxic chemical notes, don't be surprised if bag ladies douche with Thunderbird.

[deeyanamusic]

Hahaha, didn't realise how good Eddie Izzard is at impersonating James Mason's voice lol

[No1mjfan88]

@deeyanamusic yer Eddie's awesome :D. Gotta love Eddie. James seems to be very suave and charming.

[LiveAndLetLivia]

THANK YOU!!!!! Oh that's awesome - holy shit.

[tobyradloff]

Thunderbird wine is an "aperitif wine", made to be enjoyed before meals.

This means that the bums holding their "Will Work For Food" signs will take a belt (or two or three or more) of Thunderbird before going to the soup kitchen to eat.

[tobyradloff]

James Mason needs to learn some "truth in advertising". Even back in the late 1950's/early 1960's (when this commercial was filmed), Thunderbird wine is best served ice cold, straight from the liquor store cooler, in a brown paper bag, also from the liquor store; it keeps your Thunderbird cold, as well as to hide the bottle from the police, and enjoyed under a bridge or in a skid row alley, not in a fancy Beverly Hills movie star's mansion, on the rocks. What's the word? Thunderbird!

[tobyradloff]

Thunderbird's "unusual flavor"...it's made with the rotten grapes stepped on in barrels by the stinky feet of the bums who will eventually drink it. Tastes like ca-ca.

[nameerf54]

A classy beverage.

[Bullzeye95]

As far as a low priced shitface-inducing beverage, it's not quite as cheap as a 40 of malt liquor, but whereas a 40 requires multiple bottles to truly destroy your ability to perceive reality, a single bottle of Thunderbird drunk by one man is a guaranteed recipe for violence and/or passing out in a pile of your own vomit, possibly in jail.

[cyncityful]

"I like the UNUSUAL flavor of Thunderbird wine. It has an UNUSUAL flavor all its own, not quite like anything I've ever tasted. Yeah, GREAT taste!! I don 't know WHAT they do to it!!!!

[fromthesidelines]

Johnny Carson parodied this kind of ad on "THE TONIGHT SHOW" in the late '70s, particularly the famous Orson Welles "Paul Masson" endorsement:

CARSON (as"Welles"): We will sell no wine...before its time!

CARSON: (as a "wino") [groaning] IT'S TIME!!!!

[gangofmine]

Whats the word? THUNDERBIRD. Whats the price? THIRTY TWICE. Brings back memories of hi school daze.

[slobomotion]

Oh egad he was so good in Pandora and Mandingo!

[elc1960]

Aww damn! I thought it was gonna be like that Orson Welles "aaAHHH the Frensh" video! Thunderbird - never drink a wine named after a car. This stuff was made by Gallo, as were Italian Swiss Colony and Ripple.

[elc1960]

Sing along with ZZ Top - "Have you heard? What's the word? Thunderbird!"

[estaa11]

"If you're gunna sing a song about drinking wine you should... drink some wine"

[yrly59e]

The mouth blackening is urban legend, doesn't happen, I've had this, my wife has, my friends have, just doesn't happen. What I find funny is they advertise it as an Aperitif wine. Aperitif is before dinner wine. Go ahead and drink on an empty stomach before dinner, good luck staying awake.

[Sharoney]

@yrly59e You mean, good luck keeping your appetite!

[speeddammit]

Full Throttle Douche Bottle!!!

[Hurion]

Thunderbird! Turns your gums black, so you know it's working!

[DancingSpiderman]

@Hurion I enjoy getting my dog to smile along with me when I drink the T-bird, so's that the photo shows both of us with black gumms!

[yrly59e]

As far as flavor this stuff is very sweet, tastes vaguely of an apple flavored wine with a bit of sherry. Good no. Not as bad as Cisco or MD 20/20.

[yrly59e]

Watch the level in the bottle, it was done in multiple takes, wonder if he drank it, bet he had a fun time fi he did. If he drank a glass of Thunderbird that big he'd be seriously buzzed, ice or no ice. Thunderbird is scary stuff. I regularly sample different whiskeys. Now I can handle maybe 3 shots of whiskey and barely feel it. I drank a flute glass of this stuff and was more buzzed than from whiskey.

[Folkloreo]

Note that there's no shot of him actually drinking Thunderbird.

[torchkit]

@Folkloreo No commercials for alcohol ever show it being consumed. The FCC doesn't allow it.

[JackKangaroo1]

Oh yeah, wine that you pour into a glass of ice. That's a classy drink. You can sip it while you savor the bouquet of the twist off cap. Do they also sell it as a six-pack in cans?

[96GuitarDude]

cant stop thinkning of eddie izzard lol

[No1mjfan88]

@96GuitarDude yeah same here i just laugh everytime i watch this, Eddies awesome at impersonating him XD. I think Eddie's kinda hot personally ;). and hes very funny too :P.

[gentrifuge]

What a chap!

[Emma1996able]

James Mason said that he corresponded with the agency and took pleasure making idiotic suggestions, some of which were accepted !

[gatenbee]

Seconds after trying some delightful Thunderbird wine, James vomits into that antique vase just behind him.

[jimaroo100]

Gallo launched Thunderbird because they found out that a popular cheap drink in the ghetto was WPLJ - white port and lemon juice - and that's all that TB is... a repackaged product for winos. To have the distinguished MR Mason pushing it is hilarious.

[fromthesidelines]

James Mason would endorse anything, IF the price was right. Obviously, Gallo Wine made him a "nice offer" (including all the wine he could stock in his personal wine cellar?) in the mid-'60s. And he wasn't alone- Basil Rathbone endorsed several brands of beer over the years in print, radio and TV [among other products], including "Leisy's Light Beer" in 1963- and filming "bumpers" for them as "host" of a syndicated weekly movie they sponsored that year in the Midwest, "LEISY PREMIERE THEATER".

[tobyradloff]

@fromthesidelines

Leisy's was a Cleveland beer...my grandfather used to drink it. Same with P.O.C., Gold Bond, and Erin Brew...now Clevelanders who want a good local beer go for Great Lakes, especially the Christmas Ale.

[loaxin]

it not a patch on buckfast tonic wine

[tobyradloff]

@loaxin

Buckfast...the Old English way of getting wasted. Made by monks, drank by drunks.

[ethicomm]

Yes, a quality wine for that time-honored tradition of gathering in an alley behind one's favorite dumpster. Paired with Fritos, it's the taste that can't be beat!

[dicanio150]

when i wanna show a broad how classy i am, i break out some thunderbird wine

[lotrat]

mmmmmm... thunderbird, good week though.

lol

[Reindeer911]

Is it me, or am I detecting just the slightest hint of sarcasm in James Mason's voice? LOL!

[SoINeedAName48]

@Reindeer911

It's you.

[Reindeer911]

@SoINeedAName48 Yes dear

[InterruptingSheepInc]

@Reindeer911 AHAHAH, thinking about that makes this video hilarious xD

[SexyProductions2003]

@Reindeer911 lmao

[lannlann]

@Reindeer911 haha, Yes, that 'slight hint of sarcasm' is the unusual flavor in Thunderbird.

What's the word Thunderbird?.............Unusu­al flavor

[grandadpoppyable]

RIGHT ON. He hated the stuff and let them know it. But took the money tho.

[mantusmania]

hahahahahah

[DixieRected]

Unusual flavor indeed.. somewhere between cat urine and ammonia. T-Bird is some nasty tripe.

[ethicomm]

@DixieRected In comparison, tripe actually tastes good.

[CallyA]

Notice how he doesn't actually taste the wine.

[TigerSlashX]

bumwine

[loufalce]

Can`t believe an actor like James Mason would plug this plonk.

[Emma1996able]

@loufalce Actually, he did that because he was running out of money

[jml4000]

That "unusual flavor" is the swan song of your taste buds right before they commit suicide.

[loufalce]

Not as good as Night Train.

[Adastra14]

hey its fuckn eddie ! :P

[dougalmac54]

What's the word?...THUNDERBIRD!

What's the price?....Fifty, twice!

[justusleejolliffe]

@dougalmac54! Who drinks the most?...Colored folks! LOL!

[franklindavid]

Very classy! to have james Mason for this commercial, ThunderBird was a fortified wine we called "ghetto wine" palatable with ice.

[dinoblackgrape]

i once got pissed on this shit,there was red,blue labels and another one,it was like drinkin parafin,neva agen lol,not my cupa tea,al stik to blossom hill.

[jazzgit335]

That unusual taste is cause by your brain synapses disconnecting.

[gifu1960]

the first and last time I ever drank thunderbird was around 1979. It has such a unique taste that I never forgot what it tasted like, but never really wanted to try it again either.

[thehand58]

Hows it sold?

[syr1811]

It's really not SO bad, but it IS the most likely punchline wine of "YOUR hORSE HAS DIABETES"

I like it in boat-drinks!

;-)

[JubalCalif]

Heavens to Murgatroid! I never thought the late great James Mason ever did TV commercials. But here's the proof! Fascinating footage....thanks for sharing it! Though I wish he'd advertised for a more classy product.....Thunderbird soon got a reputation of being a favorite of Skid Row bums due to it's high alcohol content (it was one of many fortified wines put out by California wine industry titan, Gallo). In any case, may ALL your wishes & dreams come true in the New Year! :)

[berquecrustpunk]

unusual is right. It tastes like ether mixed with NyQuil.

[6motion6]

I'd love to bring a case of this to any party held by wine snobs.

[thegirl44]

Would anyone be so kind as to describe the "unusual Thunderbird taste"?

I don't think that we had Thunderbird here in Canada, although it is the alcohol of choice in retelling my husband the story of how he came to be his parent's "happy little accident".

[syr1811]

It's a strong (~18%), sweet Muscat from Cali.

Not horrible - yet not very good. . . . you're NOT gunna ask me how I know, Right?

[thegirl44]

Your friend that you were just holding the pot, that your mom found in your underwear drawer, for told you. Right?

[syr1811]

Yep!

;)

[bravogolfhotel]

My goodness, Mr. Mason must have been hard up for money. Notice that he doesn't so much as take a sip of it on camera.

[thegirl44]

You can't show a person consuming alcoholic beverages in a TV advert, anyway, but I think that the look on his face more than expressed your hard up for cash theory, bgh.

[friddlefrick]

i think this may be the greatest moment in the history of american television advertising.

[mmysama]

Whats the word?

[DespicableJay]

Thunderbird!

[torchkit]

Whats the price?

[mmysama]

40 twice!

[GTBurns48215]

gets ya trashed...in a flash!

[92af]

James Mason was totaly better than Cary Grant was

[syr1811]

Hic  . . . agree! ;-)

[verbusen]

An exceptionally good drink for every occasion, like when the President is visiting your house? Actually after seeing this ad I got some Thunderbird wine (they had a sale on, it was exceptionally inexpensive), and used it for the occasion of meeting my fiances parents. The taste of Thunderbird was so unusual, I made it my secret and invited them back whenever they liked to enjoy this exceptional wine, thanks Mr Mason!

[syr1811]

BRAVO!

Is the wedding still on?!? LOL

CHEERS!

[Lingerfoot]

Thunderbird wine is so awesome! Best Wine on the planet, go Mr. Mason!

[atcj0611]

Yeah. Taste like ass sweat and coffee grounds.

[loadstard]

Notice you don't see the motherfucker in the commercial drinking this god awful shit!

[consect]

an exceptionally good drink for every occasion - like indictment, posting bail, romancing your first cousin...

yes the unusual flavor of thunderbird.....wood alcohol & rad