Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Death of a Salesman (1966 U.S. film)

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
8.2
/
10
1
Votes
Alchetron
8.2
1 Ratings
100
90
81
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
Rate This

Rate This

Genre
  
Drama

Music by
  
Robert Drasnin

Network
  
CBS

Awards
  
Peabody Award

8.2/10
Filmweb

Screenplay by
  
Arthur Miller

Initial release
  
8 May 1966

Music director
  
Robert Drasnin

Death of a Salesman (1966 U.S. film) wwwdigitallyobsessedcomcoverart1deathofasales

Story by
  
Arthur Miller (playwright)

Directed by
  
James B. Clark Alex Segal

Starring
  
Lee J. Cobb Mildred Dunnock James Farentino George Segal

Directors
  
Alex Segal, James B. Clark

Cast
  
Stanley Adams, Albert Dekker, Edward Andrews

Similar
  
The Crucible, A View from the Bridge, All My Sons, Our Town, The Linda McCartney Story

Death of a Salesman is a 1966 American made-for-television film adaptation of the play of the same name by Arthur Miller. It was directed by Alex Segal and adapted for television by Miller. It received numerous nominations for awards, and won several of them, including three Primetime Emmy Awards, a Directors Guild of America Award and a Peabody Award. It was nominated in a total of 11 Emmy categories at the 19th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1967. Lee J. Cobb reprised his role as Willy Loman and Mildred Dunnock reprised her role as Linda Loman from the original 1949 stage production.

Contents

Playbill markets this version of the play as an "abbreviated" one. Although the performance is abridged, it was adapted for television by Miller himself, meaning that not much substance was lost in the changes. The production was filmed after several weeks of rehearsals.

It was a 1966 CBS television adaptation, which included Gene Wilder, James Farentino, Bernie Kopell and George Segal. Cobb was nominated for an Emmy Award for the performance. Mildred Dunnock, who had co-starred in both the original stage version and the 1951 film version, again repeated her role as Linda, Willy's devoted wife, and earned an Emmy nomination. In addition to being Emmy-nominated, Cobb and Dunnock were Grammy Award-nominated at the 9th Grammy Awards in 1967 in the category of Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording. This movie is one of several adaptations of the play and was contemporaneous with a May 1966 BBC version starring Rod Steiger and produced by Alan Cooke.

The production marked the acclaimed reunion of the leading actor and actress from the original 1949 broadway cast. The performance also marks a strong dramatic turn for George Segal who is known for his comic work, while a young Gene Wilder presents a comic but sensitive performance as Bernard.

Cast

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

    • Reception

    In general, critics spoke well of the Xerox-sponsored CBS adaptation The day after it aired Jack Gould praised it in The New York Times with a column that began "An evening of exalted theater came to television last night in a revelation of Arthur Miller's 'Death of a Salesman' that will stand as the supreme understanding of the tragedy of Willy Loman." Joan Crosby of The Pittsburgh Press praised all members of the Loman family for their performances and described the performance as "An evening of high drama, not to be missed". United Press International critic Rick Du Brow noted that the first television adaptation earned a place in history: "it promptly took its place among the most unforgettable productions in the history of the video medium." Du Brow praise Cobb's performance as great, Dunnock as a "bastion of strength decency and human understanding," Segal as "superb" and Farentino as "outstanding". Associated Press correspondent Cynthia Lowry described the show as a powerful depiction of "tense, sometimes painful drama" told mostly by flashbacks from happier times. Lowry described Cobb's distraught performance as "overwhelming", Dunnock's portrayal of the "loving, patient and blindly loyal wife" equally powerful and the performances of both sons as sensitive.

    Segal won Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Television Film and the Emmy Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama at the 19th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1967. Producers Susskind and Melnick also won the Emmy for Outstanding Dramatic Program. Meanwhile, Miller won the Emmy for Special Classifications of Individual Achievements as the adaptor. Cobb and Dunnock were Emmy-nominated for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama and Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Drama, respectively.

    The production earned two Emmy nominations in Individual Achievements in Art Direction and Allied Crafts classifications and four in Individual Achievements in Electronic Production classifications. Du Brow noted that the camera work made the transitions between Willy's temporal wanderings smooth and that the color use was also essential to the mood of the scenes.

    Awards

    1966 Directors Guild of America Award

    Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television

    Alex Segal Won James B. Clark (associate director) (plaque)
    1967 (19th) Emmy Awards

    Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama

    Alex Segal Won

    Outstanding Dramatic Program

    David Susskind (producer) Won Daniel Melnick (producer) Won

    Special Classifications of Individual Achievements

    Arthur Miller (adapter) Won

    Individual Achievements in Art Direction and Allied Crafts - Art Direction

    Tom H. John (art director)

    Individual Achievements in Art Direction and Allied Crafts - Art Direction

    Earl Carlson (set decorator)

    Individual Achievements in Electronic Production - Electronic Cameramen

    Fred Gough (cameraman) Robert Dunn (cameraman) Jack Jennings (cameraman) Richard Nelson (cameraman) Gorm Erickson (cameraman)

    Individual Achievements in Electronic Production - Lighting Directors

    Leard Davis (lighting director)

    Individual Achievements in Electronic Production - Technical Directors

    A.J. Cunningham (technical director)

    Individual Achievements in Electronic Production - Video Tape Editing

    James E. Brady (video tape editor)

    Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama

    Lee J. Cobb

    Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Drama

    Mildred Dunnock
    1966 Peabody Awards

    Personal Award

    Tom H. John Won - (Also for Color Me Barbra and The Strolin' Twenties)
    1967 (9th) Grammy Awards

    Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording

    Lee J. Cobb Mildred Dunnock

    References

    Death of a Salesman (1966 U.S. film) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA