Death of a Salesman (1966)

An abridged award-winning television adaptation of a famous play about an aging travelling salesman who's on the verge of a nervous breakdown. His job is gone, and his family hates him for never being there. He tries mending things with them.

Director:

Alex Segal

Writer:

Arthur Miller (play)

Stars:

Stanley Adams, Edward Andrews, Lee J. Cobb

Won 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Stanley Adams	...	Stanley
Edward Andrews	...	Charley
Lee J. Cobb	...	Willy Loman
Albert Dekker	...	Ben
Mildred Dunnock	...	Linda Loman
James Farentino	...	Happy Loman
Marc Fiorini	...	Stanley
June Foray	...	Jenny
Bernie Kopell	...	Howard
Joan Patrick	...	Miss Forsythe
Marge Redmond	...	Woman in Hotel
George Segal	...	Biff Loman
Karen Steele	...	Letta
Gene Wilder	...	Bernard

Storyline

An abridged award-winning television adaptation of a famous play about an aging travelling salesman who's on the verge of a nervous breakdown. His job is gone, and his family hates him for never being there. He tries mending things with them.

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Plot Keywords:

husband wife relationship | family relationships | dream | brother brother relationship | melancholy | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

This television drama was video taped in Los Angeles, California, at the CBS Television City (studios), located at Beverly Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue. Tom John, an established New York City Television Designer and Art Director was hired to design the production. Tom employed his New York City assistant, Chuck Murawski as his Assistant Art Director, flying Chuck from New York City for the four-week prep period. The television play adaptation was rehearsed in the mezzanine rehearsal rooms adjacent the third floor Art Department. (This rehearsal hall was later used by Carol Burnett for her show's rehearsal, and for her private exercise club meetings during The Carol Burnett Show (1967) weekly schedule.) During the production period, Tom, and another "Hollywood designer friend", Jim Trittipo, who often visited each other during the production schedule, late one midnight, were in the CBS Art Department, an original gauche film production sketch from Gone with the Wind (1939) had graced the walls of the Art Department for years. The pair decided to steal the "burning of Atlanta" sketch, using a mat knife, slicing the illustration down the middle, so that each could have a "souvenir".

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Connections

Version of BBC Play of the Month: Death of a Salesman (1966)

User Reviews

Miller's classic, filmed as a play, deals with life's losers.

Willy Loman never realises until the end that he is a loser. Although his son Biff knows he himself is a loser, his father won't accept this. Son, Hap, like his father doesn't know he is a loser, either. Miller seems obliquely to imply that society is to blame for Willy's sad life. Maybe so, surely society doesn't cut him much slack, especially as represented by the son of his long time firm, for which he has been a fairly successful salesman much of his life. Whatever one's opinion on this subject, the play certainly portrays very genuine emotions and problems as the aging Willy more and more loses contact with reality and harkens back to nodal points in his life, especially contacts with his successful brother Ben. Or is Ben just a figment of his imagination. We can only guess. At the final funeral scene, Hap's losing philosophy continues. Could he and Biff take Willy's $20,000 insurance award and make it as ranching partners out west? We'll never know; Hap is determined to "make it big" in the Big Apple. Fat chance!

A better cast would be hard to imagine and the stage setting is beautifully photographed. The "fantasy" scenes are smoothly integrated with bits of "movie magic" that emulate what would be accomplished in the theatre with tricks of lighting. Cuts from the complete play are minor. This was TV at its best.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 May 1966 (USA)

Also Known As:

La muerte de un viajante

Filming Locations:

Studio 41, CBS Television City - 7800 Beverly Boulevard, Fairfax, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

CBS Television Network

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1