Ep 29 Book to Movie: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre by B. Traven
In this episode, Matt Kelland and I reflect on the B. Traven novel, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, originally published in German in 1927. It was translated into English and published by Hill & Wang in 1935. John Huston was enamored with the story and wanted to adapt it late in the 1930s, but the Second World War interrupted his plans. However, after the war, Huston used his success with The Maltese Falcon to secure the green light to direct the film version of the novel. He both adapted the novel and directed the film on location in Mexico (one of the first Hollywood productions to do so).
The story (in both novel and film) is set in the decade just after the First World War in Mexico. It follows the story of three men who come together to make their fortune in prospecting for gold at a secret mine. B. Traven, whose background and biography are vague, used the main adventure story as the spine of his novel and used it to comment on Capitolism, Religion, Mexican culture, the poor, and the Mexican government, often telling stories within stories.
The film, on the other hand, was stripped of most of the commentary and focused on the adventure story as Hollywood was of the “if you have a message, use Western Union” frame of mind.
The film starred Humphrey Bogart and Walter Huston, John Huston’s father. It was a huge hit and has become a classic film treasured by famous filmmakers and audiences all over the world. John won two Academy Awards (adaptation and directing), and his father, Walther, won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Full show notes and links can be found at my main podcast site: Paperbackshow.com
