A naive man is appointed to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate. His plans promptly collide with political corruption, but he doesn't back down.
An insurance representative lets himself be talked by a seductive housewife into a murder/insurance fraud scheme that arouses the suspicion of an insurance investigator.
Director:
Billy Wilder
Stars:
Fred MacMurray,
Barbara Stanwyck,
Edward G. Robinson
Fred C. Dobbs and Bob Curtin, both down on their luck in Tampico, Mexico in 1925, meet up with a grizzled prospector named Howard and decide to join with him in search of gold in the wilds of central Mexico. Through enormous difficulties, they eventually succeed in finding gold, but bandits, the elements, and most especially greed threaten to turn their success into disaster.Written by
Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>
Though the daily rushes impressed Warner Bros., Jack L. Warner, he nearly went berserk with the weekly expenditures. After viewing one scene, Warner threw up his hands and shouted to producer Henry Blanke, "Yeah, they're looking for gold all right - mine!" During another screening of rushes, Warner watched Dobbs stumble along in the desert for water. Warner jumped up in the middle of the scene and shouted to a gaggle of executives, "If that s.o.b. doesn't find water soon I'll go broke!" Warner had reason to be upset. John Huston and Blanke led him to believe that the film would be an easy picture to make and that they would be in and out of Mexico in a matter of weeks. Because Warner was notorious for not actually reading scripts, he assumed the film was a B-movie Western. As the full extent of Huston's plans became apparent, Warner nearly blew a gasket. He was especially unhappy with the way the film ended, arguing that audiences wouldn't accept it. Ironically, Warner was correct, since the initial box office take was as impressive as fool's gold. But the film was a huge critical success and, in its many re-releases, it more than earned its original investment of $3 million. See more »
Goofs
During the reading of the dead man's letter Dobbs prepares a cigarette. He takes the tobacco pouch out of his pocket but doesn't take any tobacco out . rolls the paper and licks it. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Dobbs:
Say buddy, will you stake a fellow Am...
See more »
The only thing I have to add to the many well-written reviews here is this: it's astounding that Bogart wasn't nominated in the Academy Awards' Best Actor category. Sure, he had his share of nods in other years, but his portrayal of the complex Dobbs is unique. Watch this classic-for many reasons-and see if Bogie's performance isn't Oscar-worthy.
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The only thing I have to add to the many well-written reviews here is this: it's astounding that Bogart wasn't nominated in the Academy Awards' Best Actor category. Sure, he had his share of nods in other years, but his portrayal of the complex Dobbs is unique. Watch this classic-for many reasons-and see if Bogie's performance isn't Oscar-worthy.