Salesman (1969) Four dogged door-to-door Bible salesmen travel from Boston to Florida on a seemingly futile quest to sell luxury editions of the Good Book to working-class Catholics. [1:31:18]

132

Door to door sales like this is so weird, I can't believe it was ever a thing.

"I got your name from someone at your church"

"Oh well in that case come right in and sit down and give me a long sales pitch about a 50 dollar bible!"

60

u/MountainMantologist Jul 09 '23

My parents sold encyclopedias door to door in the summer to pay for college. My dad made enough to cover tuition, rent, and living expenses for the year.

40

u/Ima_Fuck_Yo_Butt Jul 09 '23

What the fuck.

I work my ass off all year and can barely afford to survive.

59

u/sharkykid Jul 09 '23

The year is 1914. His dad sells encyclopedias for a summer and makes $11 from one sale

It's enough for tuition, room and board, money to support his 4 person family, and for him to retire at 17

35

u/venetian_lemon Jul 09 '23

He then stubs his toe on a rusty nail in the local tavern, causing him to die of gangrene at the ripe old age of 29. Surviving him was a total of seventeen children.

12

u/TappedIn2111 Jul 09 '23

And about 47 full encyclopaedias.

8

u/adisharr Jul 09 '23

I could only afford volume V so if you want to discuss Vesuvius, volcanos, vivisection, vas deferens or the Vietnam War I'm in.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 18 '23

i’m crying from 😂😂

1

u/LostCube Jul 09 '23

Things weren't as disproportionately expensive then

1

u/FasterAndFuriouser Jul 09 '23

If hard work alone was highly valued, the brick layers would have all the money. You can work hard and smart, or you can work hard and stupid.

19

u/Fastbird33 Jul 08 '23

You’d think “the word of god” shouldnt need to be bought.

36

u/darkflash26 Jul 09 '23

im willing to bet $5 if you went to a church right now and asked for a free bible, they would give you one.

17

u/nixcamic Jul 09 '23

Lots of churches will 100% give you a Bible for free. Even crazy prosperity doctrine mega churches.

Source: was at an event at a local prosperity doctrine mega church and they gave me a Bible.

5

u/darkflash26 Jul 09 '23

every church service theres bibles at every seat. theres extras in the back.

pretty sure they almost want you to take one if you want one.

-5

u/insaneintheblain Jul 09 '23

It's almost like it's optional, like a choice or something

1

u/Tchrspest Jul 09 '23

I don't think that was in question.

19

u/Thewalrus515 Jul 09 '23

Eh, I want a full sized copy of the Talmud, written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and English, for study purposes. It’s over 3000 dollars for one.

A genuine copy of the Guru Granth Sahib is nearly unobtainable. Only second rate paperback versions that aren’t translated very well are available. The real ones are printed in only one printer in India, and when they are no longer considered fit to be read, they are burned.

It is sometimes very difficult to obtain the word of god. That’s just how it is.

0

u/Fastbird33 Jul 09 '23

What I mean is if someone wanted to spread to word they would want to give it away

13

u/Thewalrus515 Jul 09 '23

That’s a very Christian and Muslim view of faith.

6

u/Arrasor Jul 09 '23

I'm interested in hearing the reasoning behind putting a materialistic barrier to god teachings.

9

u/sue_me_please Jul 09 '23

Power. There's value in having other people truly believe the things you tell them to believe, while they're unable to verify it themselves.

19

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '23

Christians spent a significant period of time killing people who wanted to translate the bible into the languages people actually spoke. The priests did not want them to have it in anything other than the dead language only they and a few educated people could read.

3

u/faghaghag Jul 09 '23

there used be to huge thick shrouds around the altars, so the congregation only heard muffled Latin. So cult.

-7

u/Signager Jul 09 '23

What are you talking about?

8

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '23

Tyndale was garroted and burned, Wycliffe escaped by dying before the church got to him but his colleagues were burned and his bones were dug up and thrown in the Swift. Just possession of a bible in any language other than latin apart from greek and hebrew was enough to get you killed.

2

u/insaneintheblain Jul 09 '23

Ah, the wars they will be fought again
The holy dove, she will be caught again
Bought and sold, and bought again
The dove is never free

-5

u/Thewalrus515 Jul 09 '23

If you think Jews or Sikhs don’t actually read their holy texts, you’re so naive that it’s embarrassing.

6

u/sue_me_please Jul 09 '23

Cool, show me where I said any of that.

-8

u/Thewalrus515 Jul 09 '23

You said the reason there is a barrier is power, because if people don’t read the text they can’t know it’s bullshit, that’s what you’re implying.

I gave the example of Sikhs and Jews, which are the groups you’re saying aren’t reading their texts by responding in the thread where I specifically list religious texts used by Jews and Sikhs.

Ergo, you’re saying Jews and Sikhs don’t read their texts because they are too expensive.

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-1

u/sn0wbanana Jul 09 '23

Well, technically, Only ~⁵⁰% of any faith.

Misogynistic sex cult leaders and other single celled organisms such as Jared "No-big-brother-ever-whipped my-shitbiscuit-into-a-ditch-but-hoo-boy-did-they-need-le-to" are almost without fail the only congregant that hasn't read their own texts, sometimes ones they themselves had written[citation needed] yes?] yes]You and what citation army?]

No man has ever read an instruction manual. That's just physics famalam

1

u/faghaghag Jul 09 '23

Religions 'care' about self-perpetuation first, actual humans or truth a very distant second. It opens the door wide to parasitic hustlers like these guys.

-1

u/Thewalrus515 Jul 09 '23

Effort. If you’ve ever wondered why Jews, a few obscure Christian groups, and Sikhs seem to be more progressive and genuine about their faith, it’s because the actual effort it requires to take part filters out the people who are there to be seen.

The evangelical Christians that are pieces of trash generally go to mega churches that require no education or real investment to attend. A typical “service” at one of these churches is an hour of life affirming christian rock and maybe twenty minutes of generic sermons that may not even include any actual work out of the Bible.

If you contrast that kind of evangelical with a Unitarian or Quaker, you get a totally different kind of person. One who is genuine about their faith and tries to live by those laws. They had to do real work and that work leads to humility and dedication.

-2

u/faghaghag Jul 09 '23

and the sermons will be about if you do XYZ for Jeebuss, he will GIVE YOU ALL YORE PRAYERS AND YOU CAN HEBBUM, idiot lizard-brain babyfood

0

u/faghaghag Jul 09 '23

FTFY: CULT view of "faith"

13

u/heh_meh___ Jul 08 '23

This is America! If it isn’t overpriced, it’s socialism!

1

u/Squigglefits Jul 09 '23

It costs about as much as a quarter ounce of mushrooms and gas money to the forest.

2

u/Twokindsofpeople Jul 09 '23

Door to door sales will never die. The conversion rate is so much higher than any other kind of marketing.

0

u/your_fathers_beard Jul 09 '23

Well I guess I'm glad I live in a part of the country where it doesn't really exist then. If someone just showed up at my place and said they got my name and info from somewhere, I'd probably let them in for a minute, but just interrogate them on how they got my info and how I was going to remove it from whatever sales directory they have before kicking them the fuck out.

4

u/Endovelicus Jul 08 '23

It's still a thing. Never went away. It may never go away.

2

u/funk-it-all Jul 09 '23

What's even weirder is having a film crew shooting a documentary of it

1

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '23

[deleted]

-8

u/LearnDifferenceBot Jul 09 '23

"no" to

*too

Learn the difference here.

^{Greetings, I am a language corrector bot. To make me ignore further mistakes from you in the future, reply !optout to this comment.}

1

u/giggitygoo123 Jul 09 '23

It still exists. Ive seen a few listed on indeed

89

u/supposedlymonday Jul 08 '23

This is great, but it’s no Globesman

55

u/EyeHopeYouBleed Jul 08 '23

I worked props on the first 2 seasons of Doc Now. Finding the globes we used took quite awhile because we had to get vintage globes that still had the USSR on them. Still have a good few of the Atlas stickers we put on them.

16

u/Bowl2007 Jul 08 '23

The first two seasons were the best! The Jazz fan episode was one of the best with everyone just hating him and liking the villain despite the evidence.

7

u/EyeHopeYouBleed Jul 08 '23

Is that the one with the sign twirler?

3

u/Bowl2007 Jul 08 '23

Yes

12

u/EyeHopeYouBleed Jul 09 '23

The production got the police called during the shoot of that episode. We shot the scene where that guy gets gunned down at like 1 in the morning deep in the valley on lankershim blvd. When we were shooting blank rounds for multiple takes neighbors thought they were real gunshots and called the police.

9

u/boygriv Jul 08 '23

What about the one that said "Bermuba"? Is that still out there somewhere?

6

u/EyeHopeYouBleed Jul 09 '23

Last I saw it was when we were packing up all of the assets for the show. It was in a plastic flip top somewhere in the San Fernando valley never to be seen again i suppose.

13

u/marblesbykeys Jul 08 '23

I can’t believe how many scenes match up lol. Damn that show was funny.

9

u/biznash Jul 08 '23

Globesman is the best! Ok Dronez was better but it’s still golden.

12

u/supposedlymonday Jul 09 '23

Co-Op: The Musical

6

u/biznash Jul 09 '23

“And the brown and the beige, and the brown and the beige!” 😝

57

u/hurtadjr193 Jul 08 '23

Just as Jesus traveled from Shadrach to Meshach to Abednego, we travel from trailer park to trailer park, spreading the good news.

Do you live around here?

I live right here in this van with my kitty.

I see.

Have you read the Bible?

Maybe I have, maybe I haven't. What's it to you?

Can you read, my son?

Well, that depends. Can you go f*ck yourself?

12

u/TheillestASH Jul 09 '23

The true word of the bubble man

4

u/Nose_to_the_Wind Jul 09 '23

Shit books, Randers.

5

u/monstaber Jul 09 '23

Was wondering whether TPB or O Brother Where Art Thou would appear first in the comments. Fuckin' de-hee-HEEcent.

17

u/BC_Hawke Jul 09 '23

"Put that coffee down! Coffee's for closers only! ABC! Always Be Closing!"

Strong Glengarry Glen Ross vibes in this doc, especially during the speech at 5:08. Really interesting!

6

u/nlpnt Jul 09 '23

For years I thought "coffee is for closers" came from Fargo.

But then, if it had some random lady (Edie McClurg) would put the pot down and sheepishly apologize to be cut off with "-and customers, of course. Thank you for servicing your Cutlass Ciera Cruiser with us, Mrs. Green."

10

u/Paraperire Jul 09 '23

I love this film. Wonderful documentary. It's such a (road) trip.

8

u/holdonwhileipoop Jul 09 '23

I love this doc. It's such a train wreck, but can't look away.

6

u/hogswristwatch Jul 09 '23

Classic documentary. Really good. wished there was a follow up about the men 20 years later

15

u/NighthawK1911 Jul 09 '23

Funny how back then people can just go door to door selling random shit and still make enough money to survive.

Try that now and you'll get shot by a twitchy stand-your-ground idiot that get scared at anything and justify shooting anything.

2

u/Twokindsofpeople Jul 09 '23

Door to door is still thriving. Solar panels door to door are ubiquitous anywhere there's a lot of sun.

2

u/MonsterCookieCutter Jul 09 '23

Unless you’re in a civilized country that has outlawed door to door sales.

14

u/Setsuna85 Jul 09 '23

I both love and hate that this made me think of Trailer Park Boys 😭

12

u/MrNillows Jul 09 '23

“can you read, my son?”

12

u/MaybeCuckooNotAClock Jul 09 '23

It was honestly just kind of comforting to see that people of this era had the same financial insecurities we do now. And often were as weird/unusual in the company of someone they felt comfortable around as we do today.

I wish I could go back to then when smoking was prevalent pretty much everywhere, but I know I will be in the vast minority saying that. We smoked more, but got along better.

9

u/hereamiinthistincan Jul 09 '23

Just like in the movies, I used to be able to light a lady's cigarette to hit on her. Now what do I do ?

(I am amused by a minority that is vast.)

2

u/MaybeCuckooNotAClock Jul 09 '23

I dunno. I still smoke like a chimney. I’m not a woman, but some women still smoke. It’s a great point of being an imperfect person to spend time with someone similar

2

u/Zartregu Jul 09 '23

Relevant The Onion.

2

u/a_pope_on_a_rope Jul 09 '23

Thanks for this link! I just watched the whole doc and came away with an observation: everyone in this film seems sad (or at least aloof) about their existence. I grew up with Boston Catholics and I’ve always described them like people who would say “this is all I deserve” and let out a sigh. I feel sad for everyone in this film.

2

u/rextilleon Jul 10 '23

One of the Maysles greatest documentaries. It's really kind of non-fiction version of Death of a Salesman.

2

u/jeevesthechimp Jul 11 '23

Wonder if any of these bibles are out there on ebay.

6

u/YeeterOfTheRich Jul 09 '23

Someone tell me how it ends, did they make enough money that each man could support a wife and 3 kids and live in a modest suburb in a 3 bed home

7

u/UpVoteForKarma Jul 09 '23

Yes! What's better is that the small decision to buy a family home is now worth over 2 million dollars!

2

u/Twokindsofpeople Jul 09 '23

One of the most influential documentaries of all time and parodied more than any other.

1

u/ocooper08 Jul 09 '23

The W/ Bob and David parody where they sold Korans was also great.

-7

u/insaneintheblain Jul 09 '23

Christian or otherwise, one of the worthwhile things a person can do in their lifetime is read the Bible.

9

u/all-horror Jul 09 '23

You clearly haven’t read it cover to cover. It’s a smattering of shit that constantly repeats itself.

3

u/andythefifth Jul 09 '23

As an exchristian, I can agree whole heartedly.

It’s make believe. No different than Lord of the Rings or Scientology.

The only reason to read it, is to find out why Christianity is whack.

All religion is man-made. Prove me wrong.

2

u/McBlemmen Jul 09 '23

And talk about a preachy book...

-2

u/insaneintheblain Jul 09 '23

If that's what you see

1

u/bajiizus Jul 09 '23 edited Jul 09 '23

Will Ferrell and Tim Meadows?

1

u/[deleted] Jul 09 '23

This looks great 👍

1

u/Soxogram Jul 09 '23

Globesmen

1

u/Paintguin Jul 09 '23

Was this made by the same guy who made Titicut Follies?

20th Century Salesman (1969) Four dogged door-to-door Bible salesmen travel from Boston to Florida on a seemingly futile quest to sell luxury editions of the Good Book to working-class Catholics. [1:31:18]

You are about to leave Redlib

"Put that coffee down! Coffee's for closers only! ABC! Always Be Closing!"