The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

  • 100% of critics liked it
    (42 reviews)

  • 90% of users liked it
    (23,504 ratings)

John Huston's 1948 treasure-hunt classic begins as drifter Fred C. Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart), down and out in Tampico, Mexico, impulsively spends his last bit of dough on a lottery ticket. Later on, Dobbs and fellow indigent Curtin (Tim Holt) seek shelter in a cheap flophouse and meet Howard… More

Unrated,
Directed By
Written By
John Huston
Genres
Western, Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics
In Theaters
Jan 7, 1948 Wide
WARNER BROTHERS PICTURES

Critic Reviews

  • , TIME Magazine

    Treasure of Sierra Madre is one of the best things Hollywood has done since it learned to talk; and the movie can take a place, without blushing, among the best ever made.

  • Don Druker, Chicago Reader

    John Huston has rarely been in better form than in this 1948 study of gold fever and worse obsessions among an unlikely trio of prospectors...

  • Stephen Garrett, Time Out

    There's a quite enjoyable yarn buried under the hollow laughter.

  • Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

    The movie has never really been about gold but about character, and Bogart fearlessly makes Fred C. Dobbs into a pathetic, frightened, selfish man -- so sick we would be tempted to pity him, if he were not so undeserving of pity.

  • Bosley Crowther, New York Times

    Greed, a despicable passion out of which other base ferments may spawn, is seldom treated in the movies with the frank and ironic contempt that is vividly manifested toward it in Treasure of Sierra Madre.

Read all 19 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Kase V


    A classic tale of greed and gold, John Huston proves to be at the top of his form with 'Treasure of the Sierra Madre'. Thanks largely to the great performances of its three leads and a brilliant script, the film easily stands the test of time and proves to be potent and… More

  • Tony G


    Watch John Huston's masterpiece "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" and recognize so many areas of brilliance that later inspired a multitude of films thereafter. One of the best films depicting greed and paranoia ever, "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" is a… More

  • Jonathan H


    Having had his day as an idolized star and romantic leading man, Humphrey Bogart came to a crossroads in his career and decided to get down to the serious business of acting. For eighteen years it had usually been Bogart playing Bogart in various shadings, but once "Bogey"… More

  • Bathsheba M


    Seeing this movie in 2012 makes me, perhaps, a little more critical than I would have been 60 years ago or whenever it was made. And maybe it was a pioneering piece in terms of what we know about human nature, but in 2012 we know that greed is a huge motivator, that greed begets… More

  • Thomas B


    One of Bogart's best performances and an amazing western by John Huston. Full review later.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

Currently unavailable on Flixster

Also available on

UltraViolet Retailers

Other Retailers

Subscription Services

Not Available
Not Available
Not Available

Cast

See more (23)