The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is John Huston’s baby. He adapted the novel for the screen, directed it, enjoyed a cameo, and cast his father in the leading role. For his hard work, he was rewarded with a darling photo opportunity the following Oscars ceremony when he and his father received matching statuettes. It really was impossible not to give Walter Huston the Oscar that year, since he was the sentimental favorite, his leading role had been relegated to the supporting category so as to not compete with Hamlet, and he was acting under his son’s direction. Still, if you’re at all familiar with Walter’s breadth of work, you’ll be saddened that he got his Oscar for this movie.
Walter stars as an old-timer who tells two down-and-out bums, Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt, about his experience with gold digging. Although the two declare they’d never get greedy if they struck gold, Walter says he’s seen how riches changes a man. As the three shake hands and agree to hunt the mountains for gold, Walter’s eye twinkles, as if he knows something the others don’t. Humphrey proves his twinkle right when he shows his true colors and turns into a greedy, violent, paranoid villain. When you watch this movie, get ready to hate Humphrey Bogart; it might be a good idea to have The African Queen ready to restore your good feelings. He plays such a terrible person in this movie, with a combination of stupidity and selfishness that makes him painfully real.
John Huston’s careful eye shines as he frames his shots with clever use of lighting and depth, and as he keeps up a sense of suspense during a film with a running time of over two hours. I don’t really know why the two famous clips from this film are Walter’s shuffling dance and “We don’t need to show you any stinkin’ badges!” when there were plenty of other good scenes to immortalize, like the unexpected and exhaustive fistfight in the beginning of the film.
Huston fans, either one, will probably feel the need to watch this classic, and while it is entertaining, it’s not for everyone. It shows the evil in the heart of man, and besides Walter’s twinkling eye and boisterous laugh, the rest of the movie is very dark.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Walter Huston movies here!
Walter stars as an old-timer who tells two down-and-out bums, Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt, about his experience with gold digging. Although the two declare they’d never get greedy if they struck gold, Walter says he’s seen how riches changes a man. As the three shake hands and agree to hunt the mountains for gold, Walter’s eye twinkles, as if he knows something the others don’t. Humphrey proves his twinkle right when he shows his true colors and turns into a greedy, violent, paranoid villain. When you watch this movie, get ready to hate Humphrey Bogart; it might be a good idea to have The African Queen ready to restore your good feelings. He plays such a terrible person in this movie, with a combination of stupidity and selfishness that makes him painfully real.
John Huston’s careful eye shines as he frames his shots with clever use of lighting and depth, and as he keeps up a sense of suspense during a film with a running time of over two hours. I don’t really know why the two famous clips from this film are Walter’s shuffling dance and “We don’t need to show you any stinkin’ badges!” when there were plenty of other good scenes to immortalize, like the unexpected and exhaustive fistfight in the beginning of the film.
Huston fans, either one, will probably feel the need to watch this classic, and while it is entertaining, it’s not for everyone. It shows the evil in the heart of man, and besides Walter’s twinkling eye and boisterous laugh, the rest of the movie is very dark.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Walter Huston movies here!