This is really a work of art; one that is completely unstudied and authentic. It sure made me think of my dad, as it did many others here of their dads. What a brutal way to make a living. What with coming out of the Depression and WWII, some people just couldn't afford a professional education or training and found themselves confronting that eternal door and the strangers behind it. Sales just ripped up my dad, who was the kindest and most fun and honest guy in the world. Certainly being in sales shortened his life (he died at 65 of a heart attack). My dad had to keep pitching to feed his kids and his ambitious, critical, second-guessing wife, my mother, who was all over him when he made a sale, and full of contempt when he failed. The pressure, now that I think of it, was deadly. My dad sold siding, and then attic and basement remodeling to the thrifty, wary households of postwar Minneapolis. For a while he did well, after the war, but when the "do it yourself" market came in, sales dried up and we went all the way down to having our home foreclosed and nowhere to live: the family charity case. My dad, who had the "gift of gab" and was a very creative guy --- he had flown a B-24 in WWII -- just saw his spirit snuffed out and crushed. It's amazing how failure builds more failure in sales. It's relentless. The elusive customers, once they know they have the upper hand, can quite torment the salesman, bargaining down to where he makes no money, or stringing him along and then abruptly ending the encounter --- or giving the sale to a competitor.. One of my most painful memories happened when I was 16: Dad had picked me up from school --- he was trying to selll carpets at the time. I came with him, and his hands started shaking so uncontrollably he could not hold the carpet samples. Those people here who called salesmen "scum:" don't understand much; lacking empathy, they seize the most superficial label without seeing the human anguish beneath. My dad even became a derelict for a time, spurned by his rich brothers. When I became successful myself (not in sales, you may be sure), I had nothing to do with those people who had looked down on my dad. They know why.

"Salesman" is one of the finest documentaries ever filmed. The protagonists, struggling Bible salesmen in the late 1960's, are some of the most desperate, tortured human beings I've seen, on-screen or off. Their blind dedication to making money, and their mistaken, but dogged belief that selling Bibles door to door can make them rich, is played out with shocking candor. There are moments in this film where the audience is confronted with the bleak, shattered faces of these salesmen in their private moments. I've never seen a documentary film where the plot and characters are so like a "written" film. I'm not sure if I've ever seen more compelling performances on film. This is very tough to watch at moments, but is ultimately so rewarding, I *must* recommend it.

... try peddling bibles. Man, it's almost painful at times to watch the 'Badger's' sales calls. Killer documentary. Watch it!

This was a perfect documentary of a by-gone era. Sales is an artform, and when done correctly, it is almost magical, as this movie shows. I found it humorous at points, all the bible salesman gambling after a day of hard selling, the cigarettes, so much of it was so fun to see. If you haven't seen this film, you should watch it, if you are interested in sales, you must watch it. The cameraman seemed almost invisible, as no one even seemed to take note of him, just recording the intensity that is and was door to door sales.

Incredile documentary. I would love to see a discussion of this film by David Mamet and James Foley.

I remember seeing thus doc on PBS years ago...Couldn't believe it when I saw it listed here on HULU. It's actually better than I remembered. I think I was more judgmental of the salesmen after my earlier viewing, now I feel rather sorry for them and even some compassion for their line of work. It's the same feeling I had for the characters in Tin Men, which I believe is Barry Levinson's greatest film. And seeing these salesmen puffing on one cigarette after another, driving their white convertibles, clutching their leads and knocking on doors, brings to life a certain amount of grittiness rarely seen in today's films. What does surprise me is how relaxed all the participants are in front of the camera. It's as if no one is even aware there is a camera around, and this holds true for both the sales crew and the prospective customers. I would have guessed people were stiffer in the pre-video tape world...Wrong again.Paulie obviously has been "channeled" by both Jack Lemmon (Glengary Glen Ross) and John Mahoney (Tin Men)...And of course Gil from The Simpson's. Watching his sad demise is fascinating... Worn out, run down, and frustrated by his lack of success, he still masks it with Irish blarney and humor. A real character study.As the boss of the sales crew says, "The money is out there, go out there and get it." That's about as straight to-the-point as you can get...And that's the true essence of this film.