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View Full Version : For Movie Buffs: Treasure of the Sierra Madre article


Zeno
01-07-2003, 12:31 AM
I like movies but not to the extent that some obviously do that infest this illustrious forum. I did; however, come across a very good and interesting article about the above named movie. The article is called, "In Search of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" by Robert Emmett Ginna, Jr. and appears in the Autumn 2002 issue of The American Scholar. It covers some of the history of the movie, the illusive B. Traven (who wrote the book the movie is based on) and anecdotes about production and John Huston.

Here is one anecdote that was particularly amusing:

[Huston surely relished much of the rough-and-tumble on location. In his papers is a description of his negotiations with a man providing horses and riders for production:

"How much?" [asks Huston]
"Oh, twenty pesos a day."
"Good riders"
"What Mexican isn't"
"How much for tricks?"
"No extra charge."
"I said, 'My company would be willing to pay up to forty pesos for trick riders.'"
"He said, 'For that amount they will let you shoot them in the arms and legs. Not to kill, you understand?' He waved a warning finger at me. "No killing. We can't have any of that.'" ]

A very enlightened negotiator this man was. Anyway, it is a very good read. As far as I know The American Scholar is not available online. But any respectable library should have a copy. Unless, of course, you live in Montana. You would then have to send out, on a library loan, all the way to say - Idaho - to get this magazine.
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-Zeno