“The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1948) written & directed by John Huston; starring Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston and Tim Holt / Z-View
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Director: John Huston
Screenplay: John Huston; based on THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE by B. Traven
Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt, Bruce Bennett, Barton MacLane, Jay Silverheels and Robert Blake.
Tagline: They Sold Their Souls for… “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”
The Plot…
1925. Mexico. Fred C. Dobbs is down on his luck. He’s had to resort to begging since jobs are few and far between.
Fred’s luck changes when he’s hired to be part of the construction crew on a job that should set him right. Fred meets Bob Curtin, another American on the crew. They become friends. When the job is finished, Fred and Bob go to collect their pay… only to find their boss skipped out with their money.
That night in a flophouse, the boys meet an old miner named Howard. Howard talks about his adventures mining for gold. How beautiful life is when you hit a vein. How he knows there’s gold in the hills just waiting to be taken. How gold changes a man. Makes him greedy and suspicious. Willing to turn on a friend. Fred and Bob both say that’d never happen to them. Howard laughs. He’s seen what gold will do to a friendship.
When Fred and Bob get a little grubstake they go to Howard. They want to form a three-man partnership and become gold miners. Howard says, he’s old. The terrain could kill a man and if it doesn’t the bandits that roam the hills would. Fred and Bob won’t take no for an answer. Howard says he’s up for one last adventure.
Fred, Bob and Howard head into the mountain range. Howard was right. The terrain and bandits are deadly… but the biggest danger is what happens to friends when they strike gold.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre was nominated for five 1949 Academy Awards and won four…
- Nominee for Best Picture
- Winner for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Walter Huston
- Winner for Best Director – John Huston
- Winner for Best Writing, Screenplay – John Huston
Walter Huston won for Best Supporting Actor and John Huston won for Best Screenplay. This was the first father/son Academy Award win.
Bruno Traven, who wrote the novel THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE was a recluse and B. Traven was his penname. Traven signed contracts, approved the screenplay and director, all by mail. He was offered $1,000 a week to go to the set as a technical advisor. He refused but suggested his friend, Hal Croves, to go in his place. Croves was paid $150 a week. Some on the set believed Hal Croves was Bruno Traven.
Screenwriter/Director John Huston shows up in a cameo as the American Bogart repeatedly hits up for money.
Robert Blake appears uncredited as the young boy who sells Bogart the lottery ticket.
Tim Holt is excellent as are Bogart and of course, Huston.
The Treasure of Sierra Madre is a classic.
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) rates 5 of 5 stars.
