Salesman
1969 · Movie · G · 90 min · ★ 7.2 · 90% critics
This documentary by Albert and David Maysles follows four door-to-door salesmen working for the Mid-American Bible Company. As tough times wear on them, they travel through small-town America pitching gold-leaf Bibles to an often indifferent crowd of lower-middle-class housewives and elderly couples.
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Streaming on HBO Max and The Criterion Channel — or rent from $2.99.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 1969
- Release date
- 1969-04-17
- Language
- English
- Rated
- G
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Critic score
- 90/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.2/10 (98 votes)
- Budget
- $105,000
About
You’ll likely enjoy this gritty, watchable slice of door-to-door selling and its emotional toll; Not for you if you need a dramatic story arc, dislike slow repetition, or prefer more uplifting fare like Gimme Shelter or Grey Gardens.
Pros: brutally realistic sales struggle; intriguing road-life rhythm; classic Maysles observation | Cons: often painfully slow; repetitive door-to-door pattern; some find it uninteresting
Themes
- bible
- salesman
- traveling salesman
- woman director
- door to door salesman
- direct cinema
- observational cinema
- holy bible
- the bible
Cast & crew
- PB
Paul Brennan
as Himself - 'The Badger'
- CM
Charles McDevitt
as Himself - 'The Gipper'
- JB
James Baker
as Himself - 'The Rabbit'
- RM
Raymond Martos
as Himself - 'The Bull'
- MF
Melbourne I. Feltman
- MM
Margaret McCarron
- KT
Kennie Turner
Directed by David Maysles, Albert Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin