Death of a Salesman Page #4

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Great many deals pending.

Maybe he left you

some of his money.

Naa, he had seven sons.

Just one opportunity

I had with that man...

There are several rich properties

I'm looking at in Alaska.

If I'd gone to Alaska

with him that time...

everything would've been

totally different.

Ah, you'd've froze to death up there.

What're you talking about?

Opportunity is tremendous in Alaska, William.

I'm surprised you're not up there.

Sure, tremendous.

Eh?

Only man I ever met

who knew the answers.

Who?

How are you all?

Fine, fine.

Pretty sharp tonight... eh?

Is Mother living with you?

No... no, she died a long time ago.

Who died?

Too bad... would've liked

to see the old girl.

Fine specimen of a lady, Mother.

I said... Who died?

What are you talking about?

William, it's half past eight!

I told you I haven't much time.

I have to catch a train.

Wait!

That's my build!

I put the ace...

If you don't know how

to play the game

I'm not gonna throw

my money away on you!

It was my ace, for Petes sake!

The next time I'll bring my own deck.

With five aces.

I don't play that kind of a game.

You ought to be

ashamed of yourself.

Yeah.

Ignoramus!

Ben!

Ben!

Ben! I've been waiting

for you so long!

What's the answer?

How did you do it?

How'd you become

rich and respected?

Oh, there's a story in that.

Tell me... I was only 3 or 4 years old

when you left home.

Three years and eleven months.

What a memory, Ben!

I have many enterprises, William,

and I have never kept books.

Ben!

Why... how do you do my dear?

Where've you been

all these years?

We've talked so much about you...

Ben... how'd you do it?

How'd you get started?

Well I started for Alaska.

Due to my youth, I had a very faulty view

of geography, William.

I discovered after a few days

that I was heading due south...

So instead of Alaska,

I ended up in Africa.

The Gold Coast?

Principally diamond mines.

Diamond mines!

I'm sorry William...

I must leave you.

I have an appointment in Ketchikan

Tuesday week.

No, Ben! Wait!

No Ben, wait... Boys! Boys!

This is your Uncle Ben. Great man.

Here are my boys, Ben.

When I was 17,

I walked into the jungle.

When I was 21, I walked out...

and by George, I was rich.

See what I was talkin' about?

The greatest things can happen!

That's just the way

I'm bringin' them up Ben...

Rugged... well-liked... all 'round!

Oh yeah?

Hit that, boy... hard as you can.

Come on! Get to me!

Go ahead, show him!

OK!

Good boy!

How's that, Ben, eh?

Give him a right, Biff...

Give him a right!

Never fight fair with a stranger, boy.

You'll never get out

of the jungle that way.

It was an honor and a pleasure

to meet you, Linda.

Have a nice trip.

Ben... I don't want you to get

the wrong impression about this boy...

He's got a great deal on the ball.

Biff...

Go over where they're building

the new apartment house

and pick up some 2x4s.

We're gonna rebuild

the entire garage roof.

Watch this Ben.

Yes sir, on the double, Hap!

And good luck William with your...

What DO you do?

Selling.

Well, there's a living in it I suppose.

Too bad you're not

more enterprising, William.

There's a fortune to be made.

Where?... Where, Ben?

Africa... Alaska... the world

is full of everything.

I got the piece, Pop!

Nervy boy! Good.

Oh, nerves of iron, that Biff...

You should've seen the lumber

they brought home last week!

You shouldn't have let them do it...

One day there'll be trouble.

I'll stop by on my way

back to Africa.

Oh... Ben... wait!

Ben... my boys...

There's so much

I have to ask you.

They'd go into the jaws of hell

for me, see... but I...

William...

You're being first-rate

with your boys.

Outstanding, manly chaps!

Ben, that's good to hear!

Because sometimes I'm afraid I'm not

teaching them the right kind of...

Ben... how should I teach them?

William, when I walked into the jungle,

I was seventeen.

When I walked out I was twenty-one

and, by George, I was rich!

"Was rich"!...

That's the spirit I want to

imbue them with!

To walk into a jungle!

I was right!

Willy.

I was right!

Don't you want to come inside?

Did you get something to eat?

It's very late dear...

Come to bed.

Whatever happened to

that diamond watch fob?

Remember? When Ben came

from Africa that time?

Didn't he give me a watch fob

with a diamond in it?

You pawned it, years ago. To pay for

Biffs correspondence course.

Gee, that was a beautiful thing.

Are you coming in?

I need some air.

It'd break your neck to see

a star around here.

That was a beautiful thing.

That diamond.

What's he doing out there?

It'll pass by morning.

Shouldn't we do anything?

My dear, you should do

a lot of things.

But there's nothing to do,

so go to sleep.

I never heard him so loud.

Come around more often...

and you'll hear him.

He's not like this

all the time, is he?

When you come home

he's always the worst.

When I come home?

When you write you're coming,

he's all smiles...

He talks about the future...

He's just wonderful.

The closer you seem to come,

the more shaky he gets.

Why are you so hateful

to one another...

Why is that?

I'm not hateful, Mom.

You no sooner get in the door

than you're fighting!

Are you home to stay now?

I don't know.

Mom... I can't take hold.

I just can't take hold

of some kind of a life.

Biff, a man's not a bird...

to come and go

with the spring-time.

Your hair got so gray, Mom.

Oh, it's been gray since

you were in high school.

I just stopped dyeing it,

that's all.

Well dye it again, will ya?

I don't want my pal lookin' old.

You're such a boy!

You think you can go away

for a year and...

Biff, You've got to get it

through your head

that one day you're gonna

knock on this door

and there'll be strange people here...

What are you talkin' about, Mom?

You're not even sixty yet.

But what about your father?

Well, I meant him too.

He admires Pop.

Biff, if you don't have any

feeling for him...

then you can't have any

feeling for me.

Sure I can, Mom.

No. You can't just come

to see me...

Because I love him!

He's the dearest man

in the world to me...

and I won't have anyone making him feel

unwanted and low and blue.

You've got to make up your mind.

There's no leeway anymore.

Either he's your father

and you pay him that respect...

or else you're not

to come here anymore.

Aren't you gonna

clean out the garage?

You have to football practice,

remember?

What's the matter with him?

Don't... don't go near him!

He's got no character.

Charley wouldn't do this.

Acting like a lunatic.

Not in his own house...

Spewing out that vomit

from his mind.

Then make Charley your father.

You can't do that, can you?

I don't say he's a great man.

Willy Loman never made

a lot of money.

His name was never

in the papers.

He's not the finest character

that ever was.

But he's a human being...

and a terrible thing

is happening.

So attention must be paid.

He's not to be allowed

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