THE TREASURE OF THE
SIERRA MADRE
(Two-Disc Special Edition)
In
Humphrey Bogart’s cannon of film roles, THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA
MADRE ($27) is certainly one of his most atypical and one of his
greatest. In THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, Bogart portrays Fred
C. Dobbs, a down on his luck American looking for work in Mexico. Dobbs
eventually hooks up with fellow American Bob Curtin (Tim Holt), and while
the duo manages to find short-term employment, they are almost cheated out
of the salaries by a crooked businessman. After taking the money they are
owed, Dobbs and Curtain decide to team up with an old prospector named
Howard (Walter Huston) to go in search of gold in the nearby mountains.
Although
neither Dobbs nor Curtain have any experience in prospecting, Howard more
than makes up for his new partner’s shortcomings, eventually leading
them to a rich vein of gold high up in the mountains. After months of
working their find, the three manage to pull more than a tidy sum of gold
out of the ground, but the harsh conditions and the new found wealth begin
to take their toll on Dobbs, who begins to get greedy and then shows signs
of paranoia. Further complicating matters is the arrival of another
prospector, looking to grab a share of the gold and a band of Mexican
bandits that would kill them all just to steal their shoes. The cast of THE
TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE also features Bruce Bennett, Barton
MacLane, Alfonso Bedoya and a very young Robert Blake.
The
is no denying that THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE is one of the
finest motion pictures ever made- ranking in the number 30 spot on the AFI
list of the 100 Greatest American Movies Of All Time. This gritty and
realistic film was very different from the kinds of movies that were
generally being turned out by the major studios in 1948. John Huston took
home Academy Awards for both his writing and direction of THE TREASURE
OF THE SIERRA MADRE and his insistence on the realism of location
shooting, instead of using the back lot, is one of the reasons that this
movie is an enduring classic. Another is Bogart’s powerful performance
and the fact that he took on a part that is completely unlike his leading
man roles, not to mention the ultimate fate of his character. As good as
Bogart is in THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, his performance
still manages to be overshadowed by that of Walter Huston, who managed to
snag a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work on the film.
Warner
Home Video has made THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE available on
DVD in a terrific looking black and white transfer that frames the film in
its proper 1.37:1 full screen aspect ratio. For the most part, the
presentation appears pristine, although there are a few brief instances
where the film displays some scratches, blemishes and other anomalies
directly related to age. The image is usually very crisp and highly
defined with that wonderfully stark quality that can only be captured on
black and white film stock. Blacks appear deep and inky, while the whites
are clean and completely stable. Contrast proves to be excellent, as does
the film’s grayscale, which offers a great deal of nuance. Additionally,
the truly fine black and white image produces a nice sense of
dimensionality. A grain structure becomes noticeable at various times
throughout the presentation, although it is never excessive. Digital
compression artifacts are nicely camouflaged.
THE
TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE comes with a rather solid Dolby Digital
monaural soundtrack. Almost all traces of background hiss and surface
noise have been cleaned up in the mastering process, leaving a fine
sounding fifty-five years old track. Additionally, Max Steiner’s score
manages a nice sense of musicality, despite the age-related limitations in
fidelity. Dialogue is always completely understandable and the voices
produce as much character as these vintage recordings will allow. No other
language tracks are provided, but English, French and Spanish subtitles
have been encoded onto the DVD.
Music
underscores the basic interactive menus, which allow one access to the
standard scene selection and set up features, as well as a very nice array
of supplements that have been spread across both discs of this Special
Edition release. Disc One includes a running audio commentary with author
Eric Lax, who discusses Bogart in far greater detail than he does the
movie itself. Also included on disc one is another Warner Night At
The Movies, this time, recreating the experience of going to the
cinema in 1948. Hosted by Leonard Maltin, this Warner Night At The
Movies offers a trailer, newsreel, short subject, cartoon and the
feature presentation itself. A Bogart Trailer Gallery, plus
cast & crew listing, in addition to an awards listing close out the
first disc.
On
disc two, one will find the bulk of supplemental programming. John
Huston: The Man, The Movies, The Maverick is a two-hour
biographical program hosted by Robert Mitchum that profiles the
writer/director/actor’s life and career. Discovering Treasure: The
Story Of The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre runs fifty minutes and
looks at the making of this cinematic classic. The Lux Radio Theater
Broadcast – 04/18/1949 features a performance of THE TREASURE
OF THE SIERRA MADRE starring Humphrey Bogart and Walter Huston. Disc
two also includes the classic Looney Tunes cartoon 8 Ball Bunny,
which has its own spoof of Bogart’s character from the film. Finally,
the Treasure Trove Galleries offer up storyboards,
production stills and publicity materials.
THE
TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE is a true motion picture classic that has
been given an excellent presentation by the fine folks at Warner Home
Video. Not only does the movie look and sound terrific, Warner has put
together another package of terrific supplements. If you are a movie buff,
Bogart devotee or a fan of either John or Walter Huston, then picking up THE
TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE on DVD is a no brainer. Absolutely
recommended.
In
Humphrey Bogart’s cannon of film roles, THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA
MADRE ($27) is certainly one of his most atypical and one of his
greatest. In THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, Bogart portrays Fred
C. Dobbs, a down on his luck American looking for work in Mexico. Dobbs
eventually hooks up with fellow American Bob Curtin (Tim Holt), and while
the duo manages to find short-term employment, they are almost cheated out
of the salaries by a crooked businessman. After taking the money they are
owed, Dobbs and Curtain decide to team up with an old prospector named
Howard (Walter Huston) to go in search of gold in the nearby mountains.
Although
neither Dobbs nor Curtain have any experience in prospecting, Howard more
than makes up for his new partner’s shortcomings, eventually leading
them to a rich vein of gold high up in the mountains. After months of
working their find, the three manage to pull more than a tidy sum of gold
out of the ground, but the harsh conditions and the new found wealth begin
to take their toll on Dobbs, who begins to get greedy and then shows signs
of paranoia. Further complicating matters is the arrival of another
prospector, looking to grab a share of the gold and a band of Mexican
bandits that would kill them all just to steal their shoes. The cast of THE
TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE also features Bruce Bennett, Barton
MacLane, Alfonso Bedoya and a very young Robert Blake.
The
is no denying that THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE is one of the
finest motion pictures ever made- ranking in the number 30 spot on the AFI
list of the 100 Greatest American Movies Of All Time. This gritty and
realistic film was very different from the kinds of movies that were
generally being turned out by the major studios in 1948. John Huston took
home Academy Awards for both his writing and direction of THE TREASURE
OF THE SIERRA MADRE and his insistence on the realism of location
shooting, instead of using the back lot, is one of the reasons that this
movie is an enduring classic. Another is Bogart’s powerful performance
and the fact that he took on a part that is completely unlike his leading
man roles, not to mention the ultimate fate of his character. As good as
Bogart is in THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, his performance
still manages to be overshadowed by that of Walter Huston, who managed to
snag a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work on the film.
Warner
Home Video has made THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE available on
DVD in a terrific looking black and white transfer that frames the film in
its proper 1.37:1 full screen aspect ratio. For the most part, the
presentation appears pristine, although there are a few brief instances
where the film displays some scratches, blemishes and other anomalies
directly related to age. The image is usually very crisp and highly
defined with that wonderfully stark quality that can only be captured on
black and white film stock. Blacks appear deep and inky, while the whites
are clean and completely stable. Contrast proves to be excellent, as does
the film’s grayscale, which offers a great deal of nuance. Additionally,
the truly fine black and white image produces a nice sense of
dimensionality. A grain structure becomes noticeable at various times
throughout the presentation, although it is never excessive. Digital
compression artifacts are nicely camouflaged.
THE
TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE comes with a rather solid Dolby Digital
monaural soundtrack. Almost all traces of background hiss and surface
noise have been cleaned up in the mastering process, leaving a fine
sounding fifty-five years old track. Additionally, Max Steiner’s score
manages a nice sense of musicality, despite the age-related limitations in
fidelity. Dialogue is always completely understandable and the voices
produce as much character as these vintage recordings will allow. No other
language tracks are provided, but English, French and Spanish subtitles
have been encoded onto the DVD.
Music
underscores the basic interactive menus, which allow one access to the
standard scene selection and set up features, as well as a very nice array
of supplements that have been spread across both discs of this Special
Edition release. Disc One includes a running audio commentary with author
Eric Lax, who discusses Bogart in far greater detail than he does the
movie itself. Also included on disc one is another Warner Night At
The Movies, this time, recreating the experience of going to the
cinema in 1948. Hosted by Leonard Maltin, this Warner Night At The
Movies offers a trailer, newsreel, short subject, cartoon and the
feature presentation itself. A Bogart Trailer Gallery, plus
cast & crew listing, in addition to an awards listing close out the
first disc.
On
disc two, one will find the bulk of supplemental programming. John
Huston: The Man, The Movies, The Maverick is a two-hour
biographical program hosted by Robert Mitchum that profiles the
writer/director/actor’s life and career. Discovering Treasure: The
Story Of The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre runs fifty minutes and
looks at the making of this cinematic classic. The Lux Radio Theater
Broadcast – 04/18/1949 features a performance of THE TREASURE
OF THE SIERRA MADRE starring Humphrey Bogart and Walter Huston. Disc
two also includes the classic Looney Tunes cartoon 8 Ball Bunny,
which has its own spoof of Bogart’s character from the film. Finally,
the Treasure Trove Galleries offer up storyboards,
production stills and publicity materials.
THE
TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE is a true motion picture classic that has
been given an excellent presentation by the fine folks at Warner Home
Video. Not only does the movie look and sound terrific, Warner has put
together another package of terrific supplements. If you are a movie buff,
Bogart devotee or a fan of either John or Walter Huston, then picking up THE
TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE on DVD is a no brainer. Absolutely
recommended.