Death of a Salesman Page #3

---

Tell you what, we get a, uh...

We get a rope and sling her around,

we climb up there with saws

and take her down.

Soon as you finish the car, boys,

I want to see you.

I got a surprise for you, boys.

- What do you got, Dad?

- No, no, you finish first.

Never leave a job till you finish.

You remember that.

Biff?

Up in Albany I saw a beautiful hammock.

I think I'll buy it next trip

and we'll hang it

between those two elms there, huh?

Wouldrt that be...

Huh?

Wouldrt that be something?

Just hanging... Just swinging there

under those branches?

Oh, boy, that would be something.

How's that, Pop? Professional?

Terrific. That's a terrific job, boys.

- Good work, Biff. - Where's the

surprise? - In the back seat of the car.

What is it? Tell me. What did you buy?

-Never mind, something I want you to have.

- What is it, Happy?

- It's a punching bag.

- It's got Gene Tunney's signature.

- How'd you know?

- The finest thing for the timing.

- I'm losing weight.

- Jumping rope is good, too.

- See the football I got?

- Where'd you get a new ball?

- Coach told me to practice passing.

- He gave you the ball?

- I borrowed it from the locker room.

- I want you to return that.

- I told you.

- I'm bringing it back.

- He's gotta practice with a ball.

Coach will congratulate you

on your initiative.

- He keeps congratulating my initiative.

- He likes you.

Somebody else took that ball,

there'd be an uproar.

What's the report, boys?

What's the report?

Where'd you go this time, Pop?

We were lonesome for you.

I'll tell you a secret, boys.

Don't breathe it to a soul.

Someday I'll have my own business

and I'll never have to leave home.

- Like Uncle Charley?

- Bigger than Uncle Charley.

Charley is not liked.

He's liked but he's not well liked.

- Where'd you go this time?

- I went to Providence. Met the mayor.

- The mayor of Providence?

- He was in the hotel lobby.

- What did he say?

- He said, "Good morning".

I said, "You got a fine state here".

He had coffee with me,

then I went to Waterbury.

Waterbury is a fine city, a big clock

city. The famous Waterbury clock.

Sold a nice bill there. And then Boston.

Boston was the cradle of the Revolution.

A fine city.

A couple other towns in Mass,

on to Portland, Bangor

and straight home.

- Love to go with you.

- As soon as summer comes.

- Promise?

- You, Hap and I, I'll show you.

One thing, boys, I have friends.

I can park my car on any street

and the cops protect it like their own.

This summer we'll take

our bathing suits...

- We'll carry your bags.

- That'd be something,

coming to the Boston stores

with you boys carrying my bags!

A sensation.

- You nervous about the game?

- Not if you're gonna be there.

What do they say

now that you're captain?

There's a crowd of girls around him

when classes change.

This Saturday, just for you,

I'm gonna break through for a touchdown.

- You are supposed to pass...

- I'm doing one play for Pop.

When I take off my helmet

that means I'm breaking out.

- Watch me cross that line.

- Wait till I tell this in Boston.

- Biff, where are you?

- Hey, look at Bernard!

What are you looking so anaemic about?

Gotta study, Uncle Willy.

He's got Regents next week.

Come on, let's box.

I heard Mr. Birnbaum say

if you don't start studying math

he's gonna flunk you and you won't

graduate. -You better study with him.

- Pop, you didn't see my sneakers.

- A beautiful job of printing.

Just because he prints University of

Virginia doesn't mean they gotta graduate him.

With scholarships to three universities

they're gonna flunk him?

- I heard Mr. Birnbaum say...

- Don't be a pest.

What an anaemic.

I'm waiting for you in my house, Biff.

Bernard is not well-liked, is he?

He's liked but he's not well-liked.

Bernard can get

the best marks in school,

but when he gets out to the business

world you'll be ahead of him.

That's why I thank Almighty God

you're both built like Adonises.

The man who makes an appearance

in the business world,

the man who creates personal interest,

is the man who gets ahead.

Be liked and you will never want, hm?

Take me, for instance. I never

have to wait in line to see a buyer.

Willy Loman is here,

that's all they have to know.

- I go straight through.

- Did you knock 'em dead?

Knocked them cold in Providence,

slaughtered in Boston.

- I'm losing weight, Pop.

- Hello, dear. - Sweetheart.

- How'd the Chevy run?

- Chevrolet's the greatest car ever.

Since when do you

let your mother carry wash?

Where to, Ma? -Just hang it on the

line. Biff, you gotta go to your friends.

- The cellar is filled with boys.

- When Pop comes home they can wait.

- Better go tell them what to do, Biff.

- Sweep out the furnace room.

- Good work, Biff. - The way they

obey him. - That's the training.

I was selling thousands,

but I had to come home.

The block will be at that game.

You sell anything?

I did 500 gross in Providence,

700 gross in Boston.

Wait, wait, I got a pencil.

That makes your commission 200...

My God!

- Two hundred and twelve dollars!

- I didn't figure it yet.

- How much did you do?

- A hundred eighty gross in Providence.

It comes to roughly 200 gross

on the whole trip.

See, three of the stores

were half closed for inventory.

I would have broke records.

It makes 70 dollars and some pennies.

Very good.

- What do we owe?

- Well...

- Sixteen dollars on the refrigerator.

- Why 16?

- The fan belt broke. It was $1.80.

- It's brand new.

Well, it's like the man says.

It's got to work itself in.

I hope we didn't get stuck

on that machine.

It's got the biggest ads of any of them!

It's a fine machine.

What else?

Well, there's $9.60

for the washing machine,

for the vacuum cleaner there's three and

a half due on the 15th, then the roof.

- You've got 21 dollars. - It don't

leak? - They did a wonderful job.

- You owe five for the carburettor.

- I'm not gonna pay that man.

That lousy, rotten Chevrolet, they ought

to prohibit the manufacture of that car.

Well, you owe him three and a half.

And odds and ends comes to

around 120 dollars by the 15th.

A hundred and twenty dollars?

If business don't pick up I don't know.

- Next week you'll do better.

- I'll knock them dead.

I'll go to Hartford.

I'm well-liked in Hartford.

You know what the trouble is, Linda?

People don't seem to take to me.

- Don't be so foolish.

- I know it when I walk in.

- They seem to laugh at me.

- Why would they laugh at you?

- Don't talk like that.

- They just pass me by.

- You're making 70 to 100 dollars a week.

- I gotta be at in 10, 12 hours a day.

Other men, I don't know why,

they do it easier.

I don't know why I can't stop myself.

I talk too much.

- Oh! - A man ought to come

in with a few words.

Charley, he's a man of few words

and they respect him.

You don't talk too much.

You're just lively.

Well, I figure, what the hell.

Life is short.

A couple of jokes...

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes