The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a 1948 western drama film directed by John Huston. The film stars Humphrey Bogart, Tim Holt, and Walter Huston. It is based on B. Traven’s 1927 novel of the same name.
Director: John Huston
Production Company: Warner Bros.
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt, Bruce Bennett
US Box Office: $5,737,500 ($137,300,000 Adjusted for Inflation)
Film Format: Black & White
Genre: Drama, Western
Release Date: January 24, 1948
Plot Summary: Fred Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) and Bob Curtin (Tim Holt) are two out-of-work drifters in the city of Tampico, Mexico. The two meet Howard (Walter Huston), an elderly former prospector, and convince him to help them search for gold in the remote mountains. The three have to deal with dangerous animals, rough living conditions, marauding Mexican bandits, and their own greed.
Production: In 1941, Warner Bros bought the rights to B. Traven’s novel The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. John Huston, who had enjoyed the book and thought that it would make a great film, was chosen to direct it after his debut film, The Maltese Falcon. However, the project was put on hold after the United States joined World War II because Huston went to Europe to serve the Allied Forces by making documentaries. After the war ended, Huston wrote the script, and consulted with the Traven, the book’s extremely reclusive author about suggestions he had for the film. John Huston decided to cast his father, actor Walter Huston, in the role of Howard the old prospector. John did this to honor Walter, who had been a major influence on his life. Walter initially didn’t want the role (because he was mostly known as a leading man, not a supporting actor), but he later agreed with his son’s choice. Humphrey Bogart was cast in the main role of Dobbs. Bogart had a great respect for Walter Huston, and gladly worked with him, even though he knew that Walter would probably upstage his performance.
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre was one of the first American films to have been filmed outside of the United States (though parts were also filmed at Warner Bros’ Studio). Some scenes were filmed in the Mexican states Durango and Michoacán, and the city scenes were shot on location in Tampico. The film crew encountered some difficulty in Tampico because a local newspaper falsely claimed that the film would portray Mexico negatively (the newspaper attacked the film because Huston didn’t pay them bribe money). Huston’s Mexican associates reached out to the President of Mexico over the situation, who forced the newspaper to retract the story. One day on set John Huston and Bogart got into a fight because Bogart complained that he wanted John to hurry up and finish the film so he could attend a boat race back in the US, though the two resolved their conflict. With its on location shooting, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre became very expensive, costing $2.5 million, which irritated Warner Bros.
Fun Facts and Trivia: The young Mexican boy who sells a lottery ticket to Dobbs is played by child actor Robert Blake, who later became famous for his role in detective television series Baretta. Early on in the film, John Huston makes a cameo appearance as the American in the white suit who Dobbs begs for money. Silent film star Jack Holt, the father of Tim Holt (Curtin), also makes a cameo appearance near the beginning of the film. Even though The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is set in 1925, contemporary 1940s cars and buses can be seen in Tampico. Even though Howard is fluent in Spanish, Walter Huston didn’t know the language. John Huston had a Mexican actor record Walter’s Spanish lines, which Walter memorized and recited well enough that he sounded fluent.
Reception: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre was relatively popular with audiences when it was first released. Despite its high budget, the film made enough money at the worldwide box office to be profitable. However, it was not as successful as Huston’s and Bogart’s next film Key Largo (1948). The film also received positive reviews from critics. The New York Film Critics Circle awarded it with their Best Film of 1948 award.
In modern times, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre has received vast critical acclaim. The film’s acting performances and dark themes make it very popular with modern critics. In its 1997 list of the Top 100 American films, the AFI ranked Sierra Madre as number 30. In the 2007 list, it was ranked number 38. They also ranked it number 67 on their list of the most thrilling American movies. Director Sam Raimi considers The Treasure of the Sierra Madre to be his favorite film.
Oscars: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre was nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Picture (Henry Blanke), Best Director (John Huston), Best Supporting Actor (Walter Huston), and Best Screenplay (John Huston). John Huston received two Oscars, for directing and writing. Walter Huston also won Best Supporting Actor. In his acceptance speech Walter stated, “Many, many years ago, I brought up a boy and I said to him, ‘Son, if you ever become a writer, try to write a good part for your old man sometime’. Well, by cracky, that’s what he did!” John Huston has stated that he thought Walter gave the finest performance that he ever directed in a film.
Why You Should See It: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is currently one of the most beloved and well remembered films of the 1940s for modern film buffs. Bogart and Walter Huston both give great stand out performances, and the film has a very engaging pace. It is also uniquely dark for a Western-adventure film of that era, and is almost more akin to Film Noir. The film is essential viewing for fans of Bogart and John Huston. The film’s location shooting is another factor that makes Sierra Madre stand out.