Top Westerns: 3. The Treasure of Sierra Madre

1 month ago 09th Jul 09:55

Half way in our search for the top Western and we reach number three and The Treasure of Sierra Madre starring Humphrey Bogart and directed by John Huston.

By the 1920s the violence of the Mexican Revolution had largely subsided, although scattered gangs of bandits continued to terrorize the countryside.

The newly established post-revolution government relied on the effective, but ruthless, Federal Police, commonly known as the Federales, to patrol remote areas and dispose of the bandits.

Drifters Fred C Dobbs and Curtin share a cheap flophouse and meet Howard, a seemingly crazy old man who regales them with stories about prospecting for gold.

Dobbs and Curtin cobble together what cash they can get a hold of, and along with Howard, plan a prospecting expedition, but the trio run the risk of being killed by the Federal Police if their paths crossed.

Dobbs promises that anything they dig up will be split three ways, but Howard doesn't believe them. As the gold is mined the men become increasingly distrustful, and soon turn against one other.

Despite Bogart's popularity at this time the film was not a box office success upon release because the character of Dobbs was not as an appealing a role, for the audience, as his previous roles in Casablanca and The Big Sleep, for which he was most famous.

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