The film follows the script of the 1949 play with only minor differences and originally premiered on CBS on September 15, 1985. Kaufman Astoria Studios - 3412 36th Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New Yorkĭeath of a Salesman is a 1985 American made-for-television film adaptation of the 1949 play of the same name by Arthur Miller, directed by Volker Schlöndorff, starring Dustin Hoffman, Kate Reid, John Malkovich, Stephen Lang and Charles Durning.