The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) | |
| Director(s) | John Huston |
| Producer(s) | Henry Blanke, Jack L. Warner (executive) |
| Top Genres | Action, Adventure, Drama, Western |
| Top Topics | Book-Based, Gunfighters, Wild West |
Featured Cast:
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Overview:
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) was a Adventure - Drama Film directed by John Huston and produced by Henry Blanke and Jack L. Warner.
The film was based on the novel of the same name written by B. Traven published in 1927.
SYNOPSIS
Many consider this to be John Huston's finest moment, though he supplied many to choose from. It is in any case a classic tale of greed and its corrosive effect on the human soul. Two drifters on the bum in Mexico (Bogart and Holt) see their fortunes rise after working for some pocket money and Bogart wins a lottery. They take their new means and team up with an old prospector they meet in a flophouse (Walter Huston) to venture into the mountains to dig for gold. Bogart declares that he won't fall prey to Huston's warning about riches turning men's heads, wanting only his fair share. Their luck seems to hold after surviving a bandit attack and hitting a strike, but as the gold dust piles up, the wariness sets in. Bogart is magnificent as he slowly lets the greed and suspicion eat him alive, pulling a gun on his onetime partner and succumbing at last to the bandit's gun. Essential viewing for any classic-movie fan.
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
.The Treasure of the Sierra Madre was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1990.
Academy Awards 1948 --- Ceremony Number 21 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Supporting Actor | Walter Huston | Won |
| Best Director | John Huston | Won |
| Best Writing | John Huston | Won |
| Best Picture | Warner Bros. | Nominated |
BlogHub Articles:
Field Trip: Screening of "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" at AMC River East 21
By Stephen Reginald on Jan 12, 2018 From Classic Movie ManField Trip: Screening of "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" at AMC River East 21 Treasure of the Sierra Madre on the big screen Date: January 14 at River East 21, 322 East Illinois · Chicago, IL Time: 2:00 p.m. TCM Big Screen Classics Presents The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, A Sp... Read full article
Win Tickets to see ?TCM Big Screen Classics: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (70th Anniversary) (Giveaway runs December 14 ? December 30)
By Annmarie Gatti on Dec 13, 2017 From Classic Movie Hub BlogWin Tix to see ?The Treasure of the Sierra Madre? on the Big Screen! In Select Cinemas Nationwide Sunday, Jan 14 and Tuesday, Jan 16! ?Badges? We ain’t got no badges. We don’t need no badges. I don’t have to show you any stinking badges.” CMH is thrilled to announce the 3rd ... Read full article
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
By 4 Star Film Fan on Nov 17, 2015 From 4 Star Films?If you was to make a real strike, you couldn?t be dragged away.? Not even the threat of miserable death would keep you from trying to add ten thousand more.? Ten you?d want to get twenty-five, twenty-five you?d want to get fifty, fifty a hundred.? Like roulette. One more turn, you know.? Always one... Read full article
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
By Beatrice on Mar 21, 2015 From Flickers in TimeThe Treasure of the Sierra Madre Directed by John Huston Written by John Huston based on the novel by B. Traven 1948/USA Warner Bros. Repeat viewing/Warner Bros. DVD #223 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die John Huston’s tale of gold lust will never grow old. Fred C. Dobbs (Humphr... Read full article
Lux Radio Theater – The Treasure of the Sierra Madre – 1949
By Bogart Fan on Aug 24, 2014 From The Bogie Film BlogMy Review —Huston and Bogart are Awesome— Producer: William Keighley Honorary Bogie Radio Fix: out of 5 Bogies! The Lowdown Two down-on-their-luck men pool their resources with an old prospector to search for gold in Mexico. You can read my original write up on the film here. What I ... Read full article
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Quotes from
Howard: Say, answer me this one, will you? Why is gold worth some twenty bucks an ounce?
Flophouse Bum: I don't know. Because it's scarce.
Howard: A thousand men, say, go searchin' for gold. After six months, one of them's lucky: one out of a thousand. His find represents not only his own labor, but that of nine hundred and ninety-nine others to boot. That's six thousand months, five hundred years, scramblin' over a mountain, goin' hungry and thirsty. An ounce of gold, mister, is worth what it is because of the human labor that went into the findin' and the gettin' of it.
Flophouse Bum: I never thought of it just like that.
Howard: Well, there's no other explanation, mister. Gold itself ain't good for nothing except making jewelry with and gold teeth.
Howard: Aah, gold's a devilish sort of thing, anyway. You start out, you tell yourself you'll be satisfied with 25,000 handsome smackers worth of it. So help me, Lord, and cross my heart. Fine resolution. After months of sweatin' yourself dizzy, and growin' short on provisions, and findin' nothin', you finally come down to 15,000, then ten. Finally, you say, "Lord, let me just find $5,000 worth and I'll never ask for anythin' more the rest of my life."
Flophouse Bum: $5,000 is a lot of money.
Howard: Yeah, here in this joint it seems like a lot. But I tell you, if you was to make a real strike, you couldn't be dragged away. Not even the threat of miserable death would keep you from trying to add 10,000 more. Ten, you'd want to get twenty-five; twenty-five you'd want to get fifty; fifty, a hundred. Like roulette. One more turn, you know. Always one more.
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Facts about
Director John Huston had read the book "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" by B. Traven in 1936 and had always thought the material would make a great movie. Based on a 19th-century ballad by a German poet, Traven's book reminded Huston of his own adventures in the Mexican cavalry. When Huston became a director at Warner Bros., the smashing success of his initial effort, The Maltese Falcon, gave him the clout to ask to write and direct the project, for which Warner Bros. had previously secured the movie rights.
Walter Huston, father of director John Huston, won the Academy Award for best supporting actor. John won for best direction. This was the first father/son win.
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