1966

Death of a Salesman
CBS Special
Alex Segal, director
James H. Clark, associate director

Perhaps the quintessential American play, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman is the tragedy of Willy Loman, a longtime salesman who has been fired at the age of 63 by his young boss, then realizes that his two well-liked sons have turned out to be mediocrities at best. The meaninglessness of his glad-handing life and foolish wishful thinking eventually shroud him in a grim, suicidal mood. Lee J. Cobb and Mildred Dunnock repeated their 1949 Broadway triumphs as Willy and his long-suffering wife, Linda, and received Emmy nominations. The show won Emmy Awards as the outstanding dramatic program and for Segal best drama directing. George Segal and James Farentino played the sons.