THEATER IN AMERICA: A MEMORY OF TWO MONDAYS (TV)
Summary
One in this series of dramatic arts productions. This installment presents a performance of Arthur Miller's "A Memory of Two Mondays," introduced by Miller. In an introduction filmed by documentarian Albert Maysles, Miller explains the setting of the play: a warehouse in depression-era New York. The play, he states, comes from his own experience. The scene opens as Bert, a young employee, arrives at the auto-parts warehouse on a Monday morning. Bert plans to save enough money to attend college. The other employees soon arrive for work: Raymond, the warehouse manager, who constantly urges the employees to work; Agnes and Patricia, the two office girls, the former older and sensitive, the latter gay and carousing; Gus, a gruff-and-grumble long-time employee who likes to raise a bit of hell; Jim, Gus's staid and affable companion; Kenneth, a ditty-singing, poetry-reciting recent Irish immigrant; Larry, the warehouse clerk who, although he has just bought a car, worries about money to support his growing family; Frank, the delivery boy who arranges his assignments to coincide with visits to his many girlfriends; the young and inseparable William and Jerry, who live to get in fights, chase girls, and drink their weekends away; and Tom, a drunk who is on the brink of losing his job. Tom, the last employee to enter, arrives inebriated and seemingly unconscious on his feet. The others work to waken Tom from his stupor because owner Mr. Eagle is due to visit the warehouse. No one, even Raymond, who consistently tells him he needs to shape up, wants to see Tom fired. The situation gets tense when Mr. Eagle arrives, with the men trying to cover for Tom's drunkenness. Tom revives in time but is still called to Mr. Eagle's office. In the next moment, Gus receives a call, informing him that his wife has died. As Gus prepares to leave for home, Tom returns, shaken, telling the others he has received one more chance. After the excitement, Kenneth convinces Bert to help him clean the windows of the warehouse so that they will be cheered by the prospects outdoors. As the two work, a few windows each day, the play segues from summer to winter. Each young man soliloquizes on the monotonous life in the warehouse, Bert lamenting the way in which time marches on there and Kenneth complaining about his inadequate room and board. The next scene, another Monday, opens to a warehouse more dismal than before. Kenneth has taken up drinking, and Tom arrives -- now clean and sober -- ready to tell Kenneth that he has all the signs of being a drunk. Gus and Jim arrive, but Gus is drunk and still depressed and guilty over the loss of his wife. Kenneth next realizes that cleaning the windows has only allowed them to see a whorehouse newly opened next door. Gus, still depressed and recklessly spending the insurance money from his wife's death, dies. Bert, however, has saved enough for college and starts saying his goodbyes. He leaves to the strains of one of Kenneth's sad Irish tunes, wondering how he had the luck to get out.
The acquisition and cataloging of The Arthur Miller Collection was made possibly by The Laura Pels Foundation.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS WNET New York, NY
- DATE: January 27, 1971 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:28:30
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:58712
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Arthur Miller Collection, The; Drama; She Made It Collection (Jacqueline Babbin)
- SERIES RUN: WNET (New York, NY) - TV series, 1974-1979
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Jac Venza … Executive Producer
- Jacqueline Babbin … Producer
- Robert E. Leamy … Associate Producer
- Paul Bogart … Director
- Albert Maysles … Director
- Arthur Miller … Based on the play by
- Don Elliott … Music by
- John Mehegan … Music (Misc.), Music performed by
- Kristoffer Tabori … Cast, Bert
- Van Patten, Dick … Cast, Raymond
- Estelle Parsons … Cast, Agnes
- Catherine Burns … Cast, Patricia
- Jack Warden … Cast, Gus
- Barnard Hughes … Cast, Jim
- Dan Hamilton … Cast, Kenneth
- George Grizzard … Cast, Larry
- Tony LoBianco … Cast, Frank
- Earl Hindman … Cast, William
- Harvey Keitel … Cast, Jerry
- J.D. Cannon … Cast, Tom
- Tom Rosqui … Cast, Unemployed Man
- Jerry Stiller … Cast, Mechanic
- Donald Buka … Cast, Mr. Eagle