Product Description

Arthur Miller's DEATH OF A SALESMAN stunned audiences with its brilliance and was quickly earmarked as a classic of the modern theatre. It also sparked heated debates over the true nature of tragedy. Some critics criticized Miller for infusing the play with a deep sense of pity for the commonplace salesman Willy Loman. They insisted that Willy was a "little man" and therefore not worthy of the pathos reserved for such tragic heroes as Oedipus and Medea. Miller, however, argued that the tragic feeling is invoked whenever we are in the presence of a character, any character, who is ready to sacrifice his life, if need be, to secure one thing--his sense of personal dignity. And the "little" salesman was determined to do just that, no matter what the cost.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24556 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-10-07
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 108 minutes

Special Features
English
Region 2

Synopsis
One of the most famous plays of all time and the winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Arthur Miller's classic DEATH OF A SALESMAN is adapted here for American television. Broadcast in 1966, the production features Lee J. Cobb in a stunning performance as the tragic salesman Willy Loman, with Mildred Dunnock, George Segal, and James Farentino in supporting roles.

Review
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. --Heritage Theatre

Customer Reviews

The Version to Own
If you want to see a production of one of American Theater's most important playwright's most important works, then look no further. Though there have been several noteworthy productions over the years, this Broadway Theater Archive treat showcases the "perfect" Salesman cast, in a treatment that is essentially a reblocking of the famed Elia Kazan Broadway premiere of the play. Willie Loman's originator, Lee J Cobb, reprises his role, along with Mildred Dunnock. Though Geroge C. Scott and Dustin Hoffman received critical acclaim for their interpretations of Willie Loman, neither holds a candle to Cobb. He simply "is" Willie. George Segal and John Malcovich weigh in about evenly in the "best Biff" category, but the nod goes to Segal, because of the great ensemble cast he was lucky enough to play off of. Yet another winner in a BTA series that chronicles American Theater in its greatest era (60's and 70s).

Just a note to bear in mind that these plays are film versions of the plays exactly as they were staged on Broadway at the time, so don't look for cinematic production values. Sometimes the camera work is not ideal, but that doesn't get in the way of the consistently powerful performances, and that's what great theater is all about, anyway. I'm just grateful that most of the series is available and hope that the unavailable titles are just being restored and will be rereleased soon.

BEK

TV Classic
It is always difficult to discern between `the original version` and `the one you saw first`. In the case of TV registrations of Arthur Millar`s play `Death of a Salesman` I saw the 1985 version with Dustin Hoffman first. This `original`, yes `historical 1966 television adaption` stars Lee J. Cobb and Mildred Dunnock recreating their original Broadway roles.
Cobb and Hoffman have different interpretations of Willy Loman and good for them. Good for us. It is very interesting to compare the two.

This 1966 version (which by the way is in realy remarkable condition for a recording that old!) is the closer to the actual theatre setting. It makes very clever use of `shine-through` walls (transparent linen with lights onto it or on the objects behind it); I never realised this used as early as the 60's. The way Willy's brother Ben appears in the 1985 version is less theatrical: Although this version is a television adaption I have no doubt the theatre presentation wasn't very different.

I must say I like Hoffman as good as Cobb, and I won't hold it against anyone if they would think *this* version *the* television adaptation..