Death of a Salesman (1951) User Reviews

Loman Family Values

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 22 June 2013]

When Death Of A Salesman was still on Broadway critics acclaimed Arthur Miller's play as an American classic and so it remains. There are so many versions out there that you've got so much to compare. And Lee J. Cobb who created the role of Willy Loman managed to get an acclaimed television version made for future generations to see.

I think that Fredric March's interpretation stands up to any that's out there. For one thing at the age of 54 he's the proper age for the part. March fleshes out the Loman character and plumbs his depth of a man who has seen life pass him by and he's running on fumes. He's not going to rise to management in his profession simply on his likability. And for Willy Loman that's the most important thing in the world.

His family which includes wife Mildred Dunnock and sons Kevin McCarthy and Cameron Mitchell stand by him. But McCarthy who since being a high school football hero has led a drifting aimless life is curiously alienated from his father. The source of that alienation is what you see Death Of A Salesman for.

Arthur Miller's work which is a classic about showing middle age with a purposeless existence has so many interpretations. Everyone has there own interpretation of Willy Loman so here's mine. When we're young we all start out with ambitions and dreams. Choices we make at that time determine our fates whether realize it or not. Most of us adjust and try to make a comfortable existence. It's usually our leisure time activities that identify us as individuals. Hobbies, causes, even sports fandom if that's your thing make life bearable. Willy didn't need to be liked, the poor guy needed a hobby.

Fredric March got an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, but lost to Humphrey Bogart for The African Queen. Mildred Dunnock and Kevin McCarthy were nominated in the supporting actress and actor categories. The film also received nominations for Best black&white cinematography and best musical scoring. It did not come home a winner as this was the year for A Streetcar Named Desire. Ironically March as Willy was up against the Broadway Biff Loman who was Arthur Kennedy and was nominated for Bright Victory.

I urge everyone to see all versions of Death Of Salesman as possible. I guarantee you will see as many Willys as there are actors to play him. This is as good as any.

A Greek tragedy is pretty heavy-going stuff from Arthur Miller...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 25 December 2006]

Arthur Miller justifiably received a lot of acclaim for his Broadway stage version of DEATH OF A SALESMAN and this film version starring FREDRIC MARCH as Willie Loman is a faithful transfer of that work.

March is outstanding in his portrayal of a bitterly confused man who can't fathom why his life went so wrong, and CAMERON MITCHELL and KEVIN McCARTHY do outstanding work as the sons who are disillusioned by their father's failure. But the most memorable performance, in my estimation, comes from MILDRED DUNNOCK, who would go on to play similarly bitter women in her future roles on screen. But here she is poignant in what has to be one of the best character roles she ever had.

Surprisingly, the film is little seen today, seldom revived and largely forgotten. BRIAN DENNEHY did have success in a recent Broadway version and DUSTIN Hoffman has performed the role on TV. But the Fredric March version deserves to be seen, however heavy-handed the material is.

It's an exhausting experience, a story of one man's failure in life's journey, but dramatically very effective and it still has a lot to say.

How the Fredric March version stacks up against the Lee J. Cobb and Dustin Hoffman versions

[msacharo · 7/10 · 27 February 2011]

The main question is, how does the Fredric March version stack up against the Lee J. Cobb version. The answer is very well; it's probably a dead heat. Lee J. Cobb's performance has long been legendary, but March's was a little more emotionally authentic and agonizing.

Some critics objected that his Willy made the man seem insane and that insanity would rule out tragedy as the genre of the play/film. But King Lear went mad in the course of the play, and Strindberg's The Father involves madness in the protagonist. There is no point denying the evidence of the play itself in order to satisfy a theoretical rule that, at the same time, is violated in other plays. And the main evidence is that Willy got so involved with his memories that some of them became hallucinatory, especially in the office scene after he was let go from his job. Yes, there were numerous flashbacks in the play, but other scenes from the past took place in his mind and at times he became disoriented, talking loudly to absent characters such as his brother.

I found the Dustin Hoffman version not on the same level as the Fredric March or Lee J. Cobb version. Hoffman pushed method acting too much and was too young to portray a man in his early sixties.

I saw the Fredric March version in 1951 or 1952. Because of Arthur Miller's defiance of HUAC, the American Legion picketed the film and it was rarely if ever screened after that, until it was reissued as a DVD quite recently.

The Original

[wtmack · 28 June 2004]

For reasons unknown to me, this version of the film has been unavailable for years. When I finally was able to view it recently, I thought it was excellent, and that Frederic March was the ideal Willy Loman. Played on Broadway by Lee J. Cobb, George C. Scott and Brian Dennehy, powerful men with powerful presences, the role has the potential to make Willy's downfall extremely dramatic, a testament to how far the mighty can fall. But in Frederic March, we better see his inherent weakness, and believe his corruption. We're not tricked into believing that his life's work was ever worthwhile, that it just fell on hard times. Instead, we see that his life was a lie from the beginning, which is what I believe the play intends.

Dustin Hoffman, another great actor, also famously played the role on Broadway and in the TV version of that production, widely available on video and therefore perhaps the version most viewers are familiar with. His interpretation was quirky and unreal, a character actor playing the lead in a modern take on a Greek tragedy, and it didn't work for me. But no matter how you feel about the play and the role, if you can catch this Frederic March version, do so; you won't regret it.

Miller seems to have been pleased

[ecjones1951 · 7/10 · 17 August 2007]

In his autobiography, "Timebends," playwright Arthur Miller says he was pleased with this version of "Salesman" and felt that Fredric March was effective as Willy. I would love to make that determination for myself. I have always been a big fan of March, and the rest of the cast all seem ideal choices for their roles. I don't believe it is in TCM's library. I think it deserves a DVD release, as does the 1966 (German?) version of "The Crucible."

I check on the DVD availability of this version of "Salesman" every now and then, as well as the 1949 version of "The Great Gatsby" with Alan Ladd, along with some other films that are (surprisingly) not on DVD, such as "Last Year At Marienbad" and "Sundays and Cybele." Good things come to those who wait.

Indeed, even if you have to wait seven years. The Fredric March version of "Salesman" made its way to YouTube in October, 2014. The print is not very good, but the movie is fine. March is wonderful, even if he does start out the movie at something of a fevered pitch rather than working up to it, as another reviewer says. The two sons, Biff and Happy, are such ne'er do wells and so dishonest that they are thoroughly unsympathetic. Kevin McCarthy and Cameron Mitchell play them to perfection. Mildred Dunnock's Linda may be the best performance in the movie. She mediates, observes, cajoles, admonishes, plays on sympathies, comforts and encourages. It's amazing how many dimensions there really are to this character, and Dunnock finds and plays them all beautifully. "Death of a Salesman" is so stagebound that it's hard to find ways to open it up for the screen, so why bother? The story and performers draw audiences in to "Salesman," and because the subject matter is so unremittingly bleak and despairing, the acting has to be of a very high caliber to sustain interest. This is a feat the 1951 movie version pulls off handsomely.

A Long Lost Gem

[milquetoast29 · 10/10 · 4 October 2000]

This all but lost 1951 version of Arthur Miller's American masterpiece was nominated for several prestigious Academy Awards in 1952, including Best Picture. That it has never been officially released on video is a shame, for, quite simply, Fredric March's go around as Willy Loman is a absolute treasure. The supporting cast are uniformly excellent; the mood and tone are consistently melancholy; the sets are spare, even stagy; and, most important, the pace is as brisk as this play will allow. Please search out this one out on TV-- you will not be disappointed.

If you have issues with your father, bring extra Kleenex

[HotToastyRag · 6/10 · 17 July 2018]

Just as Now, Voyager is the movie to watch if you have Mommy issues, Death of a Salesman is the movie to watch if you have Daddy issues. Seriously, if your father put pressure on you, made you feel like you were a disappointment, talked big when he was merely ordinary, or struggled with his own feelings of failure, you'll either flock to or stay far away from this movie. It will absolutely make you cry, and if your dad was any sort of salesman, just tear open that extra bottle of Kleenex now.

Fredric March plays the highly coveted role in the first film adaptation of Arthur Miller's famously dramatic play. He, his son Kevin McCarthy, and his wife Mildred Dunnock were nominated for Oscars in 1952, but nobody took home the gold. Freddie is scarily realistic and gives a truly heartbreaking performance. He plays a sixty-something salesman afraid that at the end of the day, he won't have mattered to anyone. He reflects on the failures of his life and struggles with hating himself, forgiving himself, placing all the expectations he couldn't meet onto his son Kevin. He vacillates between eternally hopeful and eternally depressed.

Mildred Dunnock could have taken her part and run with it, but for some reason, she decided to give a Beulah Bondi impression and bank on her frail stature to convince the audience she was frail on the inside. She didn't seem like she'd been a salesman's wife her entire life, or that she was as tired as her family kept saying she was. Kevin McCarthy was fantastic, though. He channeled Arthur Kennedy and delivered his lines with realism, passion, and pain.

Just as Carrie Fisher's issues weren't worked out by writing Postcards from the Edge, I highly doubt Arthur Miller's issues weren't worked out by writing this obvious tribute to the father he didn't like. This movie is extremely heavy, so if you like to bury your feelings about your dad, stay away: this one will probe your heart. It reminds me very much of Fences, so if you liked that modern tribute to a flawed father, you'll probably like this one.

He's liked ,but he's not WELL liked!

[dbdumonteil · 8/10 · 22 August 2016]

Like many people ,I had seen the Schlondorff version starring Hoffman first,and I did like it.

This one should not be overlooked though :Arthur Miller's play,with its ceaseless to and fro between present and past , imaginary world and reality was not easy to transfer to the screen,and Laslo Benedek's directing is quite estimable:the scenes in the present are dark and make the house look like a tomb (notably when Willy comes back home) whereas the past which seems so bright is filmed in plain day light (the scene when young Biff and Happy polish the car );the subway is a good place to locate the events when willy has been fired;ditto for the final scene ,with all these 'living' night lights.The one thing which is passed over in silence is the boys' attitude after the funeral:Happy is "staying right in this city and gonna beat this racket,(...) and gonna win for him" whereas Biff "knows who he is" and that he perhaps will not never be able to settle down and take orders from somebody .

The cast is sensational:Fredric March gives a tormented performance ,switching back and forth between the extremes:sometimes proud of his athlete three colleges will take,often humble and bent in the office,where his boss is more interested in his tape recorder than in his salesman's future ;Mildred Dunnock is the patient mom,who trusts her dear husband ,even when the future seems bleak and he loses his mind ;Cameron Mitchell is Happy ,his dad's optimistic side ,a lady killer who thinks everything will work out fine (too bad his part is reduced in the last scene).Kevin McCarthy (film debut) is my favorite and he thoroughly deserved his AA nomination (he lost to Karl Malden 's Mitch in " a street car named desire): I love the way he talks about Bernhard ("he is liked ,but he is not well liked" ) ;he can be hilarious -the brief moment when he apes his teacher's lisp- or deeply moving when he breaks crying in his dad's arms ("Pop! I'm dime in a dozen and so are you!")His performance is at least as mind-boggling as that of John Malkovich thirty years later.

After many years finally saw it again; slightly disappointed

[BenHur59 · 7/10 · 4 January 2021]

Fredric March was one of the greatest film actors ever. He played some roles in his career that were meant to be "over the top" in their delivery. Among these were Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Inherit the Wind and The Iceman Cometh. In "Iceman" he was brilliant, but few people have seen this performance. I do not think the character of Willy Loman was meant to be so "over the top" as March portrays him in this film. He is overly loud and manic here IMO, and it does not entirely work. Cobb originated the role on Broadway, and I liked his performance (when it was done for TV) better than this one. But, do see this one if you are a student of the play. Mildred Dunnock is always worth watching.

The Best DEATH OF A SALESMAN of Them All

[joe-pearce-1 · 10/10 · 19 May 2018]

I saw this film upon its release in 1951, and although only 12 at the time and surely unable to grasp some of the finer psychological points of the drama, I was a pretty 'old' 12 and was already an absolute devotee of fine acting on the screen, having gone to the movies in that pre-TV era 7 days a week from the age of 8 (my favorite actor was Claude Rains). I was mesmerized by Fredric March's performance then, and I still am now, even after seeing Lee J. Cobb, Brian Dennehy, Dustin Hoffman and a few others as Willy Loman. Every other version of the play I have seen seems to fall short in one way or another when compared to this one. There are some errors in other reviews that should be noted in passing: Two of them make reference to this as a TV movie, but it was a regular theatrical release and played the usual movie house circuit of the time. Another states that the film was picketed by the American Legion due to Miller's testimony before HUAC. I can't speak to the picketing, but I certainly don't recall any such thing, and Miller's problems with HUAC came several years after the film played the circuits. Lastly, to this day I do believe that March, Dunnock and McCarthy should have won Academy Awards for their performances. March was beaten out by Humphrey Bogart in "The African Queen", a worthy contender to be sure but one I clearly recall being given more on the basis of the unusual character (for him) played by Bogart. But it was the Year of "Streetcar Named Desire", and if Bogart had not won it, surely it would have gone to Marlon Brando. March had already won two of them and, outside Walter Brennan, no one had won three AAs up to 1951. Dunnock and McCarthy were certainly more impressive than the excellent Kim Hunter and Karl Malden in their respective films and supporting roles. As I said, this was the Year of "Streetcar Named Desire". March was one of the greatest American actors of the 20th century, and incredibly versatile, and of all the true 'star' Hollywood actors of his time, he and Paul Muni had by far the most illustrious stage careers concurrent with their film successes, something that meant a lot more then than it does now. Anyway, this is THE film version of this play, much in the same way that no other version of "Of Mice and Men" really holds up to the Meredith-Chaney version, no matter how hard subsequent versions try!

Best version of Death of a Salesman

[rossangela · 10/10 · 24 April 2008]

I am old enough to have seen the Federick March depiction of Willy Loman in the 1951 TV production of Death of a Salesman, but young enough to remember it well. It was fantastic, and no other actor has come close to March's superb rendition. All the other actors were perfect for their roles as well. I've also seen the Lee J. Cobb and the Dustin Hoffman versions, but they pale in comparison. Actually, as much as I like Hoffman, he was just not effective in this role. And Cobb didn't seem vulnerable enough. Another commenter said that Arthur Miller did not like this 1951 March-acted version, but I must disagree strongly with the Maestro of Drama. Sometimes artists just don't know...they create; we watch, observe, absorb. My partner is an artist (a painter) and although he is a genius, in regards to the creation of his work,his ideas of which ones are the strongest or most affective works just don't jive with the publics' or my perception. I think that's what must have been going on when Miller gave the opinion about this 1951 TV play. I would give up all my Woody Allen, Fellini and Scorsese DVDs for one copy of this masterpiece. Let me know if you find it in DVD or VHS(or 16mm!) It was one of the best things ever produced for TV --- EVER.

The problem with Linda

[jgreco7 · 3/10 · 24 February 2024]

What I see is a problem with the play itself, and its adaptation here by Stanley Roberts is no exception, where the character of Linda Loman (Mildred Dunnock), as Miller has outlined her, is more of a necessary device than a human being, albeit well played by Dunnock.

Of course, audiences usually pity her at the end when she delivers the closing irony, conferring on Willy the status of tragic antihero, but to pity her is also to condone her actions. In truth, all characters are devices, but for Miller she is really nothing more than an expedient--if not for Linda the play would not work. She must underpin his delusions, conspire with his dream of material wealth and notoriety, turn a blind eye to his suicidal tendencies. To me she seems at times vacuous, calling Willy "a little boat"--a cliché, too. Perhaps if she had assisted him in his suicide she would have been a more believable human being. However, Willy's story wouldn't be tragic without her existing as Miller intended. People like Linda do exist, of course--but real life does not necessitate their existence.

A play, like a movie, is not real life--it is a commentary on life, a contrivance to illustrate point of view, to deliver ideas, to elicit emotions. That's the joy of seeing plays performed, reading fiction, watching movies. Audiences are manipulated by good writing--when it's done well, they don't mind the manipulation.

Here is the play's flaw as I see it--I mind the manipulation. Miller's play--like that of any writer--exists in a time capsule. Sometimes a classic benefits from an updating, sometimes not. I don't think this play can be updated and still work, which is a problem. That's Miller's problem. I don't see Linda Loman as a "rock," or a "goddess"--she's an instrument for her husband's necessary, inevitable demise.

Fredric March impresses again!

[purplecrayon · 31 August 2002]

I recently have discovered Fredric March and have been watching several of his movies. Though I personally prefer his early films where he was the young and romantic hero, I found this movie to be a very good example of how broad his acting talent was. He was simply amazing as Willy Loman; he impressed me as being a truly desperate man at the end of his sanity. He should have been the one to win best actor during this year; instead it went to Humphrey Bogart for "The African Queen". Why, I don't know, for Fredric March's portrayal of Willie Loman was excellent. It brought tears to my eyes at the end,and I am not one to cry during a film; it takes something special for an actor to move me to tears.

The whole film had a darkness to it, it was very melancholy, depressing, desperate, hopeless...it is an emotionally exhausting film to watch. It does not leaving you sighing happily at the end. Still, I recommend you watch it for a wonderful performance by Fredric March.

The Definitive Willy Loman

[charmadu · 10/10 · 26 October 2020]

I recently saw the 2000 filmed version of Death of a Salesman with Brian Dennehy. It left me so unmoved I searched to find other versions on line. I had already seen the Dustin Hoffman version (hated it) and could only find snips and shards of Lee J. Cobb who I know Miller raved about. Suddenly, lo and behold I came upon a 1951 film on youtube starring Fredric March. I had NO IDEA he had ever played the part! (Interesting sideline: Miller supposedly offered him the role first but he turned it down.) I know that Miller hated this film, it tanked at the box office, and that March is not a physical behemoth of a man. None of this matters. Here is a Willy Loman I could actually empathize with - he is the only one I've seen who gives a 360 degree portrayal; you get the clearest sense of how his deteriorating mind is collapsing his house of cards. It makes no difference if you think Willy Loman has Alzheimer's or some other dementia, is schizoaffective or bipolar or "just needs a long rest". This is not a portrayal dominated by screaming and bellowing. This is some of the finest acting you will see on film. He lost the Oscar to Humphrey Bogart (robbery) but won the Golden Globe (along with Mildred Dunnock and Kevin McCarthy) and the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival for Best Actor. It's inspired me to expand my knowledge of March's films beyond the handful I've seen. Do yourself a favor and watch this performance!

If not the very best 'Salesman', still quite worth seeing

[runamokprods · 9/10 · 18 January 2012]

If the lead actor is good, this play is so powerful, it's almost production proof. I've seen it many times, in different media and interpretations, and never fail to be moved and disturbed by it. And usually the subtle differences from production to production are enough to see new elements of the characters and story.

In some ways this is my least favorite filmed 'Salesman'-- the slightly dated acting sometimes feels a bit theatrical (possibly also because the actors were almost all in the play on Broadway, and there's a bit of 'playing to the back row' in the work).

But at the same time these are very good actors, so even if they're theatrical at moments they can still be quite moving. I really liked Fredric March; he looked and felt 'right' if not quite as complex as some Willys I've seen. And Kevin McCarthy is very good as Biff, except for the most emotional moments, where you can feel him 'push' a little.

There are also some lovely little visual touches, that help balance the stage bound feeling. The ending didn't get me quite as much as usual, mostly because I believe some dialogue was re-ordered for this film version in a way that made it a touch less stark and powerful.

It also bothered me that Willy seems more obviously crazy from the start.

But for all that carping, this is still a wonderful film of a story that always makes me think about my own father, all the fathers of that generation, and even our own modern mid-life crises, not really all that different from Willy's. The questions are still the same; what did my life mean? Will anyone remember me? How did reality stray so far from my dreams?

Brilliant play, brilliant performance by central character

[movieHIT88 · 9/10 · 24 May 2020]

Fredric March, absolutely brilliant as Willy Loman. What an outstandingly written piece/play. Torturing and very sad to watch. So real, so true, how many men's working lives end this way, used up and thrown away and the devastating effect it has on his mind, his family and his friends. Men's egos are so entwined with their identity. Almost a perfect film

Review of Death of Salesman

[carmenkats · 10/10 · 6 November 2012]

I saw Death of a Salesman with Fredric March many,many years ago on TV and was immensely impressed by him, even though I was fairly young at the time. I have been such a fan of Mr. March ever since. He, in my estimation, was always such a class act! Every movie I have seen him in has always been most touching.

I'm extremely disappointed that this film is not on DVD. I had great difficulty even finding it listed anywhere. TCM does not have this movie in their archives. Because TCM shows almost exclusively movies from a by-gone era,I was extremely disappointed to find that this movie, for some reason, does not meet their criteria.

I would love to see this movie again and ultimately have a copy of it and anyone that can advise me where or even if this is possible, I would be greatly appreciative. I would gladly campaign to have it put on DVD but do not have a clue how to do it.

Schmaltzier than Hoffman, in an entertaining manner

[petelush · 11 September 2000]

This is the version people of my generation grew up on; it played on TV in the 50's, and being black and white non-widescreen and uncensorable, what we saw was what was filmed. Frederick March hammmed it up a bit, but in retrospect the play itself is hammmy (emotion-charged). It has been said Arthur Miller disliked the film, particularly the realistic representation of Willie's reveries and imaginings. Kevin McCarthy did a fine job as Biff. I loyally refused for years to watch Dustin Hoffman's version, but when I finally gave in I enjoyed his substantially different interpretation. But if he differed from March, then it follows March differs from him. In short, a whole other way of enjoying the greatest American soap opera ever penned.

Why so rare with a creepy Frederic March

[happytrigger-64-390517 · 8/10 · 14 April 2021]

From a great title by Arthur Miller, Frederic March plays a man getting aged and sometimes losing his mind. And this is the major point of this movie, how March is able to alternate sane and insane moments, even sometimes at the same time, helped by Planer's photography. The entire casting is great, especially Kevin Mac Carthy (this is his first movie). But why this great title is still unavailable?

The sad story of a failure...and his lifetime of regrets.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 12 December 2022]

I have seen several versions of "Death of a Salesman" and although this first one is very good, it is slightly abridged (the original play runs longer). Additionally, the playwright's complaint that this version makes the leading character, Willy Loman (Fredric March), look like he's insane is valid...and so the film has a few flaws.

The story is about the disintegration of a working man. He clearly is experiencing a nervous breakdown and after years of acting as if he's a big and important man, he's come to realize that he's a real nothing...with no job, no retirement, sons who are irresponsible and a wife he does not love. While you MIGHT feel sorry for Willy at first, through the course of the film you begin to realize that he's living in a hell he created for himself. And, after a while, he cannot keep lying to himself and others...he is an abject failure. What he does next is pretty much a foregone conclusion.

To some, this might be seen as a story decrying the evils of an unfeeling capitalist system. The studio sure worried that this might be the case and they created a short film to be shown before the feature...saying, essentially, that the market system and being a salesman is great. While this certainly wasn't necessary, it was during the height of the Cold War and the Red Scare so it makes sense. To me, the story is not necessarily such an attack...and more an attack on a small man whose life is a lie. After decades of pretending he's a big man, ultimately he must face the reality of his broken life.

So let's talk about the aspect of the film Arthur Miller disliked about his play being made into a movie. The movie is filmed like a play and often Willy has flashbacks when he thinks of the past and his mistakes. But the problem is that he talks to the people in these flashbacks and everyone around him sees and hears him at the present time...and they think he's lost his mind. Having March yelling out loud when he reminisces did make him look like he was schizophrenic...not a man in the midst of a mid-life crisis...which he was. I agree with his complaint...the flashback scenes could have been handled better.

Despite a few complaints, you can't fault the story itself. Miller's play is brilliant and it can't help but be sad and very compelling. As for March, he's one of my favorite actors, though I think Lee J. Cobb did the part a little bit better....as Cobb was amazing at playing a blowhard (both here and in "12 Angry Men"). Overall, well worth seeing but a slightly flawed filmization of the play.

Frederick March is not Willy Loman

[engprof · 1 January 2007]

Those of us who have read, studied, and taught Miller's play for a number of years understand that Frederick March is not now nor was he ever Willy Loman.

First of all, Miller goes to great pains to describe Willy as a large man, a physical presence on the scene, overwhelming not only Linda, but Biff and Happy as well. His tirades demand the thrust not of a Napoleon but of a Goliath. Thus, in terms of sheer physical presence, Cobb, Scott, and Dennehy are much more in keeping with Miller's original intention.

Secondly, Hoffman, though physically incorrect, gives one of the great performances of his career. Linda's comment about Willy to her sons that "a terrible thing is happening to him," that "he must not be allowed to fall into his grave like a dog...so attention must finally be paid to such a person" is the heart and soul of Hoffman's performance.

Miller's play is a modern take on Greek tragedy--and March just doesn't get it. That fact that Hoffman's performance doesn't work for some says more about them than it does about Hoffman's brilliant work and his intelligent understanding of the terrible things that are happening to Willy.

It is too bad that the Dennehy version of the play is not available. Having seen the New York stage production, I am even more a Dennehy fan than I was after I had seen him in Brecht's "Galileo" at the Goodman Theater in Chicago.