As an exposé of the business aspects of religion and how squeezing money out of believers becomes the priority instead of spiritual teaching, this documentary really delivers, and it does so dispassionately, showing the salesmen out on calls and then regrouping back at the hotel each night. However, I have to say, it was a little unpleasant to watch and that affected my score a bit. These guys could be selling anything in theory, but the fact that they introduce themselves as being from the church, prey on people's faith, and put the screws to the poor and the elderly is disgusting. I dislike high pressure salespeople to begin with, and this seems particularly insidious - $50 in 1967 (when it was filmed) is $390 in 2020, certainly a major purchase. Can you imagine asking men in suits into your home because they're "from the church" and have your name, and then politely listen to a sales pitch that gets personal and is constantly trying to back you into a corner?
The salesmen have nicknames for each other like "The Badger" and "The Bull," and I thought some of their poor victims may have well been named "The Sheep" - but mercifully many stand up to them, often because they simply can't afford it. I certainly didn't care for the salesmen so seeing them calling their wives, jumping in the pool, driving around lost, and getting despondent over lower sales in Florida wasn't all that interesting to me, though seeing them curse and gamble showed they're not exactly holy men. Perhaps I would have liked it more if the directors had asked some tough questions of these guys or their bosses, or followed up in some of the families stuck with payments due. It does provide a window into Bible salesmen and it's worth seeing for that.
The salesmen have nicknames for each other like "The Badger" and "The Bull," and I thought some of their poor victims may have well been named "The Sheep" - but mercifully many stand up to them, often because they simply can't afford it. I certainly didn't care for the salesmen so seeing them calling their wives, jumping in the pool, driving around lost, and getting despondent over lower sales in Florida wasn't all that interesting to me, though seeing them curse and gamble showed they're not exactly holy men. Perhaps I would have liked it more if the directors had asked some tough questions of these guys or their bosses, or followed up in some of the families stuck with payments due. It does provide a window into Bible salesmen and it's worth seeing for that.