Orson Welles - Findus frozen food commercial

A classic 'behind the scenes' sound recording of Orson Welles, as he attempt to read what he considers to be very badly written scripts for various frozen foods..

He gives the creative team a pretty hard time over their use of grammar and what should or shouldn't be seen on screen as he talks.

Orson only did this type of work to earn money for the projects he really wanted to do ... and I think that his frustration was coming out here.

• Category

  Comedy

[mgtash1]

Love it! But I am pretty sure these were TV commercials, not radio. Two reasons: (a) I am 62 and I think I can remember seeing them in the 70s, possibly, or early 80s; (b) in the peas one he complains that his script does not fit the pictures, eg: 'It's so nice that you see a snow-covered field . . .'

[jonnyacapulco]

do you know, that's a very good point. it's gone down in internet legend as being a radio ad. there's also some confusion over the brand ... some say birds eye, some say findus. it would be great if you could track down the final ads ... i bet they're on the internet somewhere :)

[deteugma]

Are you sure he didn't say "if you'll forgive me MY saying so?" "If you'll forgive me by saying so" doesn't make sense to me, but maybe that's because I'm American.

[jonnyacapulco]

hmmm think you might be right deteugma. i stand corrected ;-) ... changes made.

[DaveBTHunt]

I am English and might be able to help you with the very last part you have as "unintelligible", shortly after he declaims the depth of their ignorance, [LOL]:

Producer: "That was absolutely fine, it really was. You - you ..."

Welles; [Interrupting] "Oh, it isn't worth it - no *money* is worth this.....".

And....they're done.

BTW, the company name was and is a UK company called 'Findus', and not 'Finders", as you have it earlier, and not Birds Eye as in the Title card.

[jonnyacapulco]

- hey thanks for the advice ... corrections made. I agree about the Findus part ... but many people (wrongly) refer to it as the Bird's Eye ad ... so will leave it like that as a sort of 'catch all' ... thanks again DaveBTHunt

[WriterJohnC]

Orson IS a legend. IN July, or any other time.

[Justin Joseph]

Crumb crisp coating! HAHAHA! Those scripts DID suck! Who talks like that???

[jazzalex22]

Maurice LaMarche bought me here.

[TheSnowballEarth]

lulz haven't seen "The Critic" in awhile...

[TheSnowballEarth]

Love the photo @ 1:52, looks like he's crushing someones head... ;-]

[petulia67]

Welles by a knockout...and oh how we need more like him today.

[eddievhfan1984]

Findus.

[PrivateAckbar]

Even if he''s nuts he is right.

[richard speck]

"You are such PESTS."

[Joe Armstrong]

As one of the finest Shakespearean actors and directors to have lived, I imagine that Welles knew a lot about how stresses work in poetic verse and language. When he says he can't emphasise 'in', he's pointing out the fact that in everyday speech it would go unstressed. To attempt to do otherwise would sound unnatural or hammy

[danburycollins]

here under protest is beef burgers

[thetick532]

Green Penis