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“I know what gold does to men’s souls.”<ref>John Huston, ''The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'', (1948), DVD, directed by John Huston (Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video, 2010). B. Traven wrote the novel in 1927 yet the film did not debut until 1948. John Huston began writing the screen adaptation in November 1941. A month later, he became a member of the U.S. Armed forces. He worked under the direction of Frank Capra and was mandated to produce patriotic films for the U.S. In 1947, Huston, Humphrey Bogart (who starred in the film) and other Hollywood heavyweights went to Washington D.C. to protest the House Un-American Activities Committee’s “black-listing” of film producers, directors, and actors who were accused of being communist supporters. For more detailed information regarding the politics and activism of Huston and Bogart see, A.M. Sperber and Eric Lax, ''Bogart'' (New York: William Morrow, 1997).</ref>These sage words were spoken by Howard; a crusty old prospector who was far wiser than his ragged appearance suggested. This character in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre was speaking the words of B. Traven and John Huston; author and screenwriter respectively. Alone, this line from the movie speaks to the theme of greed, but once we delve further into the dialogue and symbolism employed by Huston and his cast, we will discover that the message addresses significant political and economic issues. ''The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'' supports Marxist ideology by denouncing capitalism through the use of explicit dialogue, tacit symbolism, and the psychological deterioration of Fred C. Dobbs.