Talk:Arthur Miller

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[edit] This article is a joke

... and not a good one at that: nothing about his friendship (on & off) with Elia Kazan (except the teaser about how he met Marilyn); nothing about the blacklist (oh, I guess that never happened then). Like too many articles in this so-called encyclopedia, this reads like some junior high student's book report. This man was a pillar of the American theater, for gawd's sake! Surely you can do better than this. +ILike2BeAnonymous 04:06, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

You're a registered user, why don't you do it? I would if I actually knew anything about him...--Farquaadhnchmn 19:24, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Miller & VD

I just got a news alert that he had died from a venereal disease. When the specifics become available... --cuiusquemodi 15:41, 11 Feb 2005 (UTC)

I heard it too and therefore looked up this article. It definitely needs work. --Maarten van Vliet 18:14, Feb 11, 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Cleanup?

I don't suppose whoever added the header would like to clarify precisely what needs cleaning up? --Dante Alighieri | Talk 23:43, Feb 11, 2005 (UTC)

It doesn't sound professionalish. I know, neither does professionalish, but I didn't put it in the article.Cameron Nedland 01:07, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] image

Could someone find an image that is of Arthur Miller by himself? Such an image should be the primary image atop this article. The image of him with Monroe should be secondary, and should appear deeper in the article. Kingturtle 00:42, 13 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Would something like the picture at http://www.enotalone.com/books/0060501782.html be fair use? RickK 00:51, Feb 13, 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Atheism

He is mentioned as an atheist here. Someone with more knowledge of the man should add a sentence or two confirming this. --The Famous Movie Director 02:59, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] atheist

Arthur Miller is in an interview of atheists called _Atheism Tapes_ shown on BBC4. During this interview he mentions that he has been an atheist since his teens.

[edit] Bibliography?

Is someone not going to make a bibliography on this? Skinnyweed 22:28, 27 February 2006 (UTC)

This would be absolutely necessary. Many of his later plays, for example Broken Glass or Resurrection Blues, are not even mentioned in this article. (And although at least the latter does have its own Wikipedia entry, that article does not really meet our standards, does it?) <KF> 18:23, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Trivia

The trivia section as it is (Philip Seymour Hoffman was in a High School production of a Miller play) seems incredibly out of place in this article. Hence, removing. --DaveR 15:31, 8 August 2006 (UTC)

Is it true he had 300 children? I find this difficult to believe, but I heard it on the radio and WE ALL KNOW HOW THAT IS. 216.178.50.97 23:52, 19 August 2007 (UTC) Figbah the Weight

300? That's more than a little inaccurate. 216.178.50.133 19:25, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] accuracy

I don't have time right now but I've seen conflicting information about the timing of Miller's play, The Ride Down Mt. Morgan.

http://www.sfplayhouse.org/ Says its "With The Ride Down Mount Morgan, Arthur Miller, the master of social commentary, struck again with his last full-length play before his death in 2005." It certainly was not his last play, but maybe it was his last full length play?

But then I see on this other site about the play that it showed in 1991? However, our article gives it a date of 1992. ?? http://www.broadwaybeat.com/russell/rusmrgn.htm. Can someone do a fact check. If not I will later.Giovanni33 17:18, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

As you might have seen, I have been doing an lot of work on the article, and will be getting to that part of Miller's life soon. In the mean time, all my research has shown that Mount Morgan was first staged in London, 1991. Thε Halo Θ 17:40, 3 October 2006 (UTC)
Ok, I changed the date then to 1991.Giovanni33 20:35, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Works

What about something general about his works and major themes? Would be appreciated. Afraid I can't do it myself. 84.129.160.61

I'm working on something like that now, but anyone feel free to start something like this in the mean time. Thε Halo Θ 17:34, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Link Problems

Would just like to point out that the link Broken Glass points to the album of a rock band. There seems to be no article on the actual play. Haven't had time to check every link on that page yet but perhaps someone with more time could do so just to check the accuracy. And can I also suggest a 'complete works' section which usually accompanies an author (and is especially important for such a well known author who has produced so many plays). (~~Shan.Shi~~)

Fixed the link, but, as you say, there is no article about the play (yet). I've also had a look over all the other play links, which seem fine. As for the complete works section, there is a template at the bottom of the page with Miller's works on it, a link of which can be found here for any corrections that might need to be made. Thε Halo Θ 12:22, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Ahhh, that's very good! If only I'd seen that sooner! i've just obtained and put up a list of his complete works on the actual page (I can't be certain that it's all of his works so if there are any errors then please change them as you wish). Since I'm pretty much of a noob (who hasn't got much time), I haven't been able to check all the links and haven't checked whether there are any existing pages which aren't linked, I'll get onto it if I have time but it would be appreciated if someone could help me with that. Um, also, if someone could reference the 'Complete works' section to the website: http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/amiller.htm then I'd also be very happy (as try as I might, I can never get the reference thing to work). Thanks. (~~Shan.Shi~~)

I think that we should look at the Complete Works list again, especially after reading Wikipedia:Embedded list (Embedded lists are lists within articles). It seems to me that a list of some kind would work for this article, much like the list in the Salvidor Dali article, but having the Works of Arthur Miller template and the Complete Works list both in this article seems kind of like we're repeating ourselves. I'm going to remove the list for now, and then maybe we can replace it with a "Selected Works" list, giving some prose on why these plays were important, as suggested in Embedded List? Thε Halo Θ 11:56, 21 January 2007 (UTC)

Sure, the idea sounds fine. The Salvidor Dali list looks good. Perhaps we should start the list now and add to it as we go along. (~~Shan.Shi~~)

[edit] allegory, not parable

I changed parable to allegory, there is an important but subtle difference. A parable is more comparale to a fable, where an allegory is longer in length. per [1]. A Toyota's A Toyota 23:29, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

Your definition is a) incorrect and b) subjective. A parable usually has a moral message/lesson; whereas an allegory is an extended metaphor.

http://m-w.com/dictionary/allegory http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/parable

Can someone who knows which word is appropriate in this instance make the change?

[edit] Broken References

At the end of the second paragraph of "early career" I noticed a reference to "All My Sons" as if the play itself was "a communist", and it seems to have been the result of some sloppy editing. I added Miller's name back in, where I think it makes grammatical sense, but the following reference "[4]" is also broken... looking at the history of the page, I found a link to this URI had been deleted: |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/233032.stm Thus invalidating the reference. But when I follow the link, there is nothing in that article about Miller being a communist, much less it affecting the reception of his plays by critics. I may take a stab at restoring the reference, BUT PLEASE NOTE, the reference itself should be reviewed by someone who has more time to spend on Miller (I honestly don't know or care if he was a Communist), or the text referring to Miller as a communist should be deleted. Tzf 22:43, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

I'll second this, whilst not knowing enough about Miller myself to comment. I was reading this article without a particular knowledge of his personal life and found the whole sentence a little objectionable, regardless of his views. It doesn't seem to meet the standards of an encylcopedia to say, in an offhand manner, that someone was criticised for "being a Communist". What does this mean? He sympathised with the Soviet Union? He was a member of the Communist Party? He was mildly left-wing? If you throw in the fact that the referencing is broken/non-existent it becomes even more objectionable. This needs to be edited or removed in my view. Blankfrackis 04:57, 26 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Daniel Miller?

The role of Daniel Miller retrospectively on Arthur Miller is HUGE.

Anyone who has not must read this Vanity Fair article. PLEASE update the site.

http://www.vanityfair.com/fame/features/2007/09/miller200709?printable=true&currentPage=all —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.95.44.142 (talk) 14:40, 31 January 2008 (UTC)



No mention is made in this article of Daniel Miller. He was Arthur Miller's son who had Down Syndrome. Miller had him sent away to an institution right after birth and never really acknowledged him or formed a relationship with him. This has always been seen as a big black spot on his character and contradictory to his role as a moralist. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 172.165.71.201 (talk • contribs) 21:43, 24 April 2007 (UTC)

IMPORTANT!!! Please someone experienced correct the intro:

"He was a prominent black figure in American literature" thx...

If someone wants to add this info, a possible starting point might be [2] this article which has some details (not sure if it counts as a reputable source to add this sort of information about someone though) -- Sfnhltb 12:36, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] CORRECTION NEEDED PLEASE!!!!!

see intro and also in later section:

"Early life

Arthur Miller was born to moderately affluent Black-Jewish-American parents," —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.183.118.122 (talk • contribs) 12:46, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] "Enemy of the People" in works list

The article for the play states that it was written by Henrik Ibsen, not Arthur Miller. I've removed the play from the list of Miller works. Perkinsms 12:54, 30 May 2007 (UTC)

http://www.amazon.com/Enemy-People-Penguin-Plays/dp/0140481400 - He did write a play of the same name, based largely on Ibsens work - but it is a different work. so i will reinstate it Francium12 13:32, 13 October 2007 (UTC)

Also can someone change Marilyn Monroe's birth date as here on this page is says she died aged 5, it was 1926 when she was born. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.154.178.67 (talk) 21:24, 14 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Ethnicity

Is this amount of "detail" really necessary?

African/Indian/Chinese/Irish/English/Badian/Welsh/Russian-American

What does that mean, exactly? That he has a variety of ethnic backgrounds and influences? Isn't that what "American" means?

[edit] Cool Chris Cash

I suggest removing the reference to "Cool Chris Cash" from the "Early Life" section. MySpace is not a reliable source. 67.158.75.7 (talk) 13:21, 2 April 2008 (UTC)

This is as a reliable source as Wikipedia itself. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ryguy2303 (talk • contribs) 22:18, 2 April 2008 (UTC)

That's why Wikipedia itself also isn't considered a reliable source for referencing in Wikipedia articles. 67.158.75.7 (talk) 22:20, 3 April 2008 (UTC)