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Death of a Salesman

  • TV Movie
  • 1966
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
644
YOUR RATING
Death of a Salesman (1966)
Drama

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 n... Read allAn 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.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
  • Stars
    • Lee J. Cobb
    • Mildred Dunnock
    • James Farentino
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.9/10
    644
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Alex Segal
    • Writer
      • Arthur Miller
    • Stars
      • Lee J. Cobb
      • Mildred Dunnock
      • James Farentino
    • 13User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 3 Primetime Emmys
      • 5 wins & 8 nominations total

    Photos10

    Death of a Salesman (1966)
    Death of a Salesman (1966)
    Death of a Salesman (1966)
    Death of a Salesman (1966)
    Death of a Salesman (1966)
    Death of a Salesman (1966)
    Death of a Salesman (1966)
    Death of a Salesman (1966)
    George Segal, Lee J. Cobb, Mildred Dunnock, and James Farentino in Death of a Salesman (1966)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Lee J. Cobb
    Lee J. Cobb
    • Willy Loman
    Mildred Dunnock
    Mildred Dunnock
    • Linda Loman
    James Farentino
    James Farentino
    • Happy Loman
    Albert Dekker
    Albert Dekker
    • Ben
    Edward Andrews
    Edward Andrews
    • Charley
    George Segal
    George Segal
    • Biff Loman
    Gene Wilder
    Gene Wilder
    • Bernard
    Marge Redmond
    Marge Redmond
    • Woman in Hotel
    Bernie Kopell
    Bernie Kopell
    • Howard
    Stanley Adams
    Stanley Adams
    • Stanley
    Joan Patrick
    Joan Patrick
    • Miss Forsythe
    Karen Steele
    Karen Steele
    • Letta
    June Foray
    June Foray
    • Jenny
    Marc Fiorini
    Marc Fiorini
    • Stanley
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Alex Segal
    • Writer
      • Arthur Miller
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In his autobiography "Timebends", Arthur Miller said that Lee J. Cobb was his favorite Willy Loman.
    • Connections
      Featured in Role Model: Gene Wilder (2008)

    User reviews13

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    "What happened in Boston, Willy?"
    Alex Segal and Lee J. Cobb leaves a piece of visual art for the ages with Segal's 1966 made for television version of Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman. Lee J. Cobb's exceptional turn as a salesman at the end of his rope, in more ways than one, is one that will stick with audiences long after the film's conclusion. Telling the all too relatable tale of the lack of control we all have over our lives is one which will strike a chord with audiences whether they are in the spring or autumn of their lives.

    Willy Lowman (Lee J. Cobb) is a salesman relegated to the traveling circuit after a series of failures. In his 60's and tired Willy begins contemplating his life, both its successes and failures. He begins to get hung up on his failures and loses control of his life. When Willy's sons come home, be spirals even further into his failures as a father. Willy is constantly criticizing his son Biff (George Segal) claiming that he has yet to make anything of his life. His demure and obedient wife Linda (Mildred Dunnock) is constantly trying to both soothe Willy's doubts and support her sons. Ever nearing a nervous breakdown, Willy begins to relive each of his many personal failures, from the affair he committed against his wife, to the failed business decisions he made with his brother. The family is reeling from Willy's current business failures becoming behind on the final mortgage payment on their home. Dripping further and further into self-loathing, the Lowman family seeps to the pit of despair each wallowing in their various missteps in life.

    Life is full of transition phases, and each member of the Lowman family was experiencing their own unique life transitions. The boys were transitioning into adulthood which oftentimes requires one to abandon the way you thought adulthood would be and embrace what it is. Willy is transitioning in his career, not being as needed in his sales industry like he once was. Linda is transitioning into the autumn of her life, as she has stopped coloring her gray hair and seems to be accepting her decline in years. Oftentimes as we transition in our stages of life, we attempt to assemble a sense of control over things that we truly have no control over. One cannot stop the hands of time, and with each passing year comes a new reality of life. The more we try to control our lives, like Willy did, the more we realize we have no control. Another unfortunate truth we learn with each successive stage in life is just how little freedom we have. For most of our lives, human beings are chained to jobs out of necessity to make money to survive. We spend our lives away at jobs just so we can pay to have somewhere to live, even though we never get to spend any time there because we are always working. Willy worked his whole life only to die before the final payment on his house was made. Willy's is the story of so many everymen, living life for someone else only to be supremely disappointed by its outcomes because we never get to live our lives for ourselves.

    I watched this version of Death of a Salesman for Gene Wilder, although Lee J. Cobb is always a treat. It is disappointing to watch the earlier films in a favorite actor's filmography, as they are often only relegated to a handful of scenes. The few scenes Wilder was in were wonderful, and his gentle presence commanded the screen. He enjoys a powerful scene with Cobb in which he calls him to question what happened at what turned out to be a fateful meeting between him and his son. In spite of his minimal screen time, Gene Wilder was fantastic in the role of Bernard, Biff's tutor. I came for Gene Wilder, and stayed for Lee J. Cobb, and one can't really be disappointed about that.
    helpful•2
    0
    • oOoBarracuda
    • Jun 1, 2016

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 8, 1966 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • La muerte de un viajante
    • Filming locations
      • Studio 41, CBS Television City - 7800 Beverly Boulevard, Fairfax, Los Angeles, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • CBS Television Network
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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