Treasure Of The Sierra Madre – Bogart’s Paranoia

I think that Dobbsie (Bogart)  is shown not to be particularly scheming at the outset – At most he’s only ornery. Deep inside is his latent insanity that is hidden by his daily routine among other city dwellers, and inactivated by his poverty. But out in the unstructured country – and with riches to be had – his insanity safely emerges. It is the same scenario as Lord of The Flies, and Apocalypse Now [and almost like The Thing or Alien]: Man’s true nature emeges when away from civilization. The same thing happens in a blackout – When the lights go out, some folks go nuts.

Walter Huston is portrayed as a wise old codger, so he would’ve seen Dobbs as a schemer at first. He even cautions the other two about what could happen.  It is Houston that introduces the ideas of greed and mistrust that he weaves into his bedtime stories, which the other two saps are all ears to. If Howard would have kept his mouth shut, maybe Dobbs wouldn’t have gotten some of those ideas.

Nobody makes a fool of Fred C Dobbs.

Treasure was my favorite film for years.

- “Badges!? We ain’t got no badges. We don’t need no badges! I don’t have to show you any stinking badges!!”