Alfonso Bedoya Explained

Alfonso Bedoya
Birth Date:April 16, 1904
Birth Place:Vícam, Mexico
Death Date:December 15, 1957 (aged 53)
Death Place:Mexico City, Mexico
Other Names:Alfonso Bedolla
Alfonso 'El Indio' Bedoya
Years Active:19351957

Benito Alfonso Bedoya y Díaz de Guzmán[1] (April 16, 1904 – December 15, 1957) was a Mexican actor who frequently appeared in U.S. films. He is best known for his role in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, where he played a bandit leader and delivered the "stinking badges" line, which has been called one of the greatest movie quotes in history by the American Film Institute.

Early life

Bedoya was born in the small town of Vícam, Sonora, Mexico, of Yaqui Indian heritage, to Norberto Bedoya Perea and Ignacia Díaz de Guzmán.[2] [3] He had a nomadic childhood upbringing in Mexico, traveling throughout the country with his parents and 19 siblings. At 14, he emigrated to the United States and was educated in Houston, Texas.[4] [5] He ran away from school and worked as a railroad section worker, dishwasher, waiter, and cotton picker.[4]

Film career

Bedoya found work as a character actor in the US and Mexican film industries in the 1930s to 1940s. During that time, he worked in over 175 Mexican films.[6] His last movie, The Big Country, was released in 1958 after his death.[7]

"Stinking badges"

Bedoya is best remembered for his role in John Huston's 1948 adventure film The Treasure of the Sierra Madre as "Gold Hat", the bandit leader. Bedoya's role includes the famous outburst: "Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges. I don't have to show you any stinkin' badges!"[8] The line was ranked number 36 on AFI's 100 Greatest Movie Quotes list, and it has been widely referenced and parodied in TV, film, music, and literature.[9] Treasure of Sierra Madre was also ranked number 30 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies.

Personal life

Bedoya married Gertrude Elizabeth Larky Karas on March 8, 1950, in Mexico City.[10]

Bedoya completed filming The Big Country in November 1957, in California, and returned to Mexico City on December 8. Eight days later, after a night of partying with manicurist María Lucía Solana Martínez, Bedoya, 53, died of a heart attack in a Mexico City motel room.[1]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1935Todo un hombre
1937Los chicos de la prensa
1937La llaga
1937Almas rebeldes
1937Adiós Nicanor Servidor del Gavilan Uncredited
1937La madrina del Diablo Cantinero
1938Ojos tapatios
1938La Adelita Villista
1938Los bandidos de Río Frío Espiridión
1938While Mexico Sleeps
1938Pescadores de perlas Simón
1938La golondrina Uncredited
1939El capitán aventurero Mesonero Uncredited
1939La China Hilaria Isidro
1940Los olvidados de Dios El Tejón
1940El gavilán Pistoler
1940Los de abajo El manteca
1940El charro Negro Comandante de policía
1941El Zorro de Jalisco Esbirro de Ernesto Uncredited
1941Rancho Alegre
1941Hasta que llovió en Sayula
1941El capitán Centellas
1941El rápido de las 9.15 Tripulación del tren Uncredited
1941The Unknown Policeman Greñas Uncredited
1942La epopeya del camino Uncredited
1942La abuelita Un obrero
1942Virgen de medianoche
1942Simón Bolívar Conspirador Padilla Uncredited
1942The Three Musketeers Gorila en cabaret
1942La Vírgen morena Popoca Uncredited
1942I'm a Real Mexican
1942El baisano Jalil Empleado de Jalil Uncredited
1943Dulce madre mía
1943María Eugenia Uncredited
1943Wild Flower Teniente de Rogelio
1943El jorobado
1943Doña Bárbara Peasant
1943Cuando habla el corazón El Yaqui
1943El rebelde (Romance de antaño) Bandido Uncredited
1944The Headless Woman
1944Mis hijos Borracho cantina Uncredited
1944Me ha besado un hombre
1945Me he de comer esa tuna El Alacrán
1945Las Abandonadas Gertrudis López, assistante
1945Club verde
1945Como México no hay dos'!
1945El jagüey de las ruinas
1945Sendas del destino
1945Hasta que perdió Jalisco Amigo de Jorge
1945Canaima Cholo Parima (Pantoja)
1945Rosalinda Cecina
1946No basta ser charro Peón Uncredited
1946La hija del payaso
1947Bells of San Fernando Guard at the Pass Uncredited
1947The Tiger of Jalisco Bandido
1947Si me han de matar mañana El Nagual
1947Gran Casino El Rayado
1947Albur de amor
1947The Pearl Godfather
1948The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Gold Hat
1948El último chinaco Sabas
1948Angel in Exile Ysidro Álvarez
1948Angel on the Amazon Paulo
1949Streets of Laredo Charley Calico
1949La casa embrujada Vendedor de palomas
1949Border Incident Cuchillo
1950Fortunes of Captain Blood Carmilio
1950The Black Rose Lu Chung
1950Furia roja Ignacio 'El Nacho' López
1951Stronghold
1951Man in the Saddle Cultus Charley
1952California Conquest José Martínez
1952Por ellas aunque mal paguen Don Lupe
1953Sombrero Don Innocente
1953The Stranger Wore a Gun Degas
1954Border River Capt. Vargas
1954Ricochet Romance Alfredo Gonzáles
1954The Black Pirates Garza
1955Ten Wanted Men Hermando
1956La doncella de piedra Chuachuaima
1958The Big Country Ramón Gutierrez (final film role)

Notes and References

  1. San Antonio Light, Dec. 17, 1957, p. 20
  2. Web site: Diario del Yaqui . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150213013231/http://www.diariodelyaqui.mx/secciones/quehacer-cultural/77353-villanos-del-cine-un-yaqui-maloso-alfonso-indio-bedoya . 2015-02-13 .
  3. Mexico. State of Distrito Federal Civil Registration. Registro Civil del Estado de Distrito Federal, México
  4. Washington Court House Record-Herald, March 18, 1950, p. 4
  5. Web site: 2010. Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948). 2010-04-21. www.classicfilmguide.com.
  6. Web site: Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948) . 2010-04-21 . Hal Erickson . 2010 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20131230232129/http://video.barnesandnoble.com/search/biography.asp?CTR=575286 . 2013-12-30 . dead .
  7. Web site: Alfonso Bedoya Movies . 2010-04-21 . Hal Erickson . 2010 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120315050117/http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/personDetails/4404 . 2012-03-15 .
  8. Web site: Hal Erickson. 2010. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948). dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110905131156/http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/35991. 2011-09-05. 2010-04-21. Blockbuster.
  9. Web site: 2010. AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes. 2010-04-27. USA Today.
  10. Mexico. Civil Registration. Registro Civil del Distrito Federal, México