Death of a Salesman established its author Arthur Miller as a major playwright and chronicler of the failure of the American dream. The salesman, Willy Loman, is a an everyman, with flaws and prejudices that all nationalities and people in all walks of life can recognise. They can identify with him as he struggles to come to terms with this failure and alienation from his family. Miller himself termed the play 'the tragedy of a common man'. In this classic recording from 1951, Hollywood actor Thomas Mitchell is supported by the original Broadway cast, including Arthur Kennedy and Mildred Dunnock.