Salesman(1969 film)

Salesmanis a 1969direct cinemadocumentary film,directed by brothersAlbert and David MayslesandCharlotte Zwerin,about door-to-doorBiblesalesmen.

Salesman
Theatrical release poster byHenry Wolf
Directed by	Albert Maysles David Maysles Charlotte Zwerin
Written by	Albert Maysles David Maysles
Produced by	Albert Maysles David Maysles
Cinematography	Albert Maysles
Edited by	David Maysles Ellen Hovde Charlotte Zwerin
Distributed by	Maysles Films
Release date	April 17, 1969(1969-04-17)(United States)
Running time	91 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Synopsis

The documentary follows four salesmen as they travel acrossNew Englandand southeastFlorida,trying to sell large, expensive Bibles door-to-door in low-income neighborhoods, and attend a sales meeting inChicago.The film focuses in particular on salesman Paul Brennan, a middle-agedIrish-AmericanCatholicfromJamaica Plain,Boston,who struggles to maintain his sales.

Cast

• Paul Brennan, "TheBadger"
• Charles McDevitt, "The Gipper"
• James Baker, "TheRabbit"
• Raymond Martos, "TheBull"
• Kennie Turner, Bible Sales Manager
• Melbourne I. Feltman, Theological Consultant (1905-1982)
• Margaret McCarron, Motel Maid

Production

The Maysles brothers wanted to be the first to make a nonfiction feature film (which turned out to beSalesman) after learning thatTruman Capotehad made the claim that his newly released bookIn Cold Bloodwas a nonfiction novel. The film was made on a low budget; just under seven minutes into the film, one of the two cameras used can be seen in the shot, which was not unusual for a documentary film. The handheld microphone used to record the film's sound is visible in other shots, also not unusual in a documentary setting.

The Maysles brothers self-fundedSalesman,costing approximately $100,000.The brothers paid each salesman $100, along with their expenses.During production, the crew consisted of Albert Maysles shooting and lighting and David Maysles doing sound. Albert Maysles never prompted anyone for the film, except when he asked Brennan to describe his fellow salesmen. In determining whom and what they would film, the Maysles brothers consulted the salesmen's schedules. Throughout production, the Maysles brothers sent footage to Zwerin, who viewed it and provided feedback. When post-production began, David Maysles and Zwerin tried to structure a story about the four salesmen, but found they did not have the material. Instead, they realized that they were dealing with a story about Brennan.

The Maysles brothers had themselves been door-to-door salesmen in the past, selling everything from cosmetics to encyclopedias. While filming, they became part of the pitch, telling those who let the salesmen and the camera crew into their homes that they were now part of "a human interest story."

Elements of popular culture that appear as backdrops to the main story include the song "If I Were a Rich Man"fromFiddler on the Roof;a recorded orchestral performance ofthe Beatles' song "Yesterday";The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson;the theme music of the television seriesBen Casey;and televisedboxingmatches.

As stated in the closing credits,

The filming team of Albert and David Maysles went home to Boston to take another look at the kind of people they grew up with. The idea for the film was researched and developed by David Maysles[,] who found the salesmen. The photography was by Albert Maysles. The film was edited by David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin.

Salesmanwas filmed in January 1967 (perhaps also late December 1966) and bears a copyright date of 1968.

Distribution

The Maysles brothers faced challenges in showing the completed film.As they tried to arrange distribution, they were told that the content was too depressing and realistic for the public.The brothers self-distributed through their production company, Maysles Films, and they booked theaters for screenings. The first theatrical screening occurred on April 17, 1969, at the 68th Street Playhouse in New York City.

Reception

At the time of the documentary's initial release, the film critic forNew York Times,Vincent Canby,praised both its content and structure in his April 18, 1969 review:

"Salesman", which opened yesterday at the 68th Street Playhouse, is a documentary feature about four door-to-door Bible salesmen who move horizontally through the capitalistic dream. It's such a fine, pure picture of a small section of American life that I can't imagine its ever seeming irrelevant, either as a social document or as one of the best examples of what's calledcinema véritéor direct cinema... It is fact, photographed and recorded with extraordinarily mobile camera and sound equipment, and then edited and carefully shaped into a kind of cinematic mural of faces, words, motel rooms, parlors, kitchens, streets, television images, radio music—even weather.

Documentary filmmakerJames Blueonce said of Albert Maysles that "his cinema is one in which ethics and aesthetics are interdependent, where beauty starts with honesty, where a cut or a change in camera angle can become not only a possible aesthetic error, but also a 'sin' against truth."Gene Siskelof theChicago TribuneincludedSalesmanon his list of the ten best films of 1970.In late 1970, however,Pauline KaelofThe New Yorkerexpressed her problems with the film in her negative review of the Maysles' subsequent documentaryGimme Shelter.She insists in that same review thatSalesmanis not truly direct cinema and alleges that the production was "set up" and that its principal characters are effectively acting. Kael even accuses the Maysles of "recruit[ing] Paul Brennan, who was in the roofing and siding business, to play a bible salesman."In response, the Maysles threatened to sueThe New Yorkerforlibeland rebutted Kael's claims in anopen lettersent to the magazine. SinceThe New Yorker's policy at the time prohibited the publication of such correspondence, the letter did not appear in print until 1996, when it was included in the appendix to the anthologyImagining Reality: The Faber Book of Documentary.The letter, which is signed by all three of the film's credited directors, states in part:

Miss Kael seems to be implying that we, as filmmakers, are responsible for the events we film by suggesting that we set them up or helped to stage them. In referring to our previous film,Salesman,Miss Kael says "the Maysles brothers recruited Paul Brennan, who was in the roof-and-siding business, to play a Bible salesman." Paul Brennan had been selling Bibles for eight years prior to the making of our film and was selling Bibles when we met him. No actors were used inSalesman.The men were asked to simply go on doing what they normally did while we filmed.... We don't know where Miss Kael got her facts. We do know that her researcher phoned Paul Brennan, one of the Bible salesmen, and told him thatThe New Yorkerwas interested in doing an article about him. He made it quite clear to her that he was a Bible salesman and not a roof-and-siding salesman when we made the film about him. Aside from his own statement, this could easily have been checked out by contacting his employers, the Mid-American Bible Company.

— Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin

Legacy

In 1992,Salesmanwas selected for the United StatesNational Film Registryby theLibrary of Congressas being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The film was preserved by theAcademy Film Archivein 2018.

"Globesman"(2016) was a parody ofSalesmanin the fourth episode of the second season ofDocumentary Now!.

See also

• List of American films of 1969
• Direct cinema

External links

• SalesmanatIMDb
• Salesmanofficial website, MayslesFilms.com
• Salesmanat DVD Beaver (includes images)
• Trailer on Vimeo
• Salesmanan essay byToby Millerat theCriterion Collection