# Alfonso Bedoya

Benito Alfonso Bedoya y Díaz de Guzmán (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. 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. He ran away from school and worked as a railroad section worker, dishwasher, waiter, and cotton picker.

## 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. His last movie, The Big Country, was released in 1958 after his death.

### "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!" 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. 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.
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.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1935 | Todo un hombre | | |
| 1937 | Los chicos de la prensa | | |
| 1937 | La llaga | | |
| 1937 | Almas rebeldes | | |
| 1937 | Adiós Nicanor | Servidor del Gavilan | Uncredited |
| 1937 | La madrina del Diablo | Cantinero | |
| 1938 | Ojos tapatios | | |
| 1938 | La Adelita | Villista | |
| 1938 | Los bandidos de Río Frío | Espiridión | |
| 1938 | While Mexico Sleeps | | |
| 1938 | Pescadores de perlas | Simón | |
| 1938 | La golondrina | | Uncredited |
| 1939 | El capitán aventurero | Mesonero | Uncredited |
| 1939 | La China Hilaria | Isidro | |
| 1940 | Los olvidados de Dios | El Tejón | |
| 1940 | El gavilán | Pistoler | |
| 1940 | Los de abajo | El manteca | |
| 1940 | El charro Negro | Comandante de policía | |
| 1941 | El Zorro de Jalisco | Esbirro de Ernesto | Uncredited |
| 1941 | Rancho Alegre | | |
| 1941 | Hasta que llovió en Sayula | | |
| 1941 | El capitán Centellas | | |
| 1941 | El rápido de las 9.15 | Tripulación del tren | Uncredited |
| 1941 | The Unknown Policeman | Greñas | Uncredited |
| 1942 | La epopeya del camino | | Uncredited |
| 1942 | La abuelita | Un obrero | |
| 1942 | Virgen de medianoche | | |
| 1942 | Simón Bolívar | Conspirador Padilla | Uncredited |
| 1942 | The Three Musketeers | Gorila en cabaret | |
| 1942 | La Vírgen morena | Popoca | Uncredited |
| 1942 | I'm a Real Mexican | | |
| 1942 | El baisano Jalil | Empleado de Jalil | Uncredited |
| 1943 | Dulce madre mía | | |
| 1943 | María Eugenia | | Uncredited |
| 1943 | Wild Flower | Teniente de Rogelio | |
| 1943 | El jorobado | | |
| 1943 | Doña Bárbara | Peasant | |
| 1943 | Cuando habla el corazón | El Yaqui | |
| 1943 | The Rebel | Bandido | Uncredited |
| 1944 | The Headless Woman | | |
| 1944 | Mis hijos | Borracho cantina | Uncredited |
| 1944 | Me ha besado un hombre | | |
| 1945 | Me he de comer esa tuna | El Alacrán | |
| 1945 | Las Abandonadas | Gertrudis López, assistante | |
| 1945 | Club verde | | |
| 1945 | 'Como México no hay dos'! | | |
| 1945 | El jagüey de las ruinas | | |
| 1945 | Sendas del destino | | |
| 1945 | Hasta que perdió Jalisco | Amigo de Jorge | |
| 1945 | Canaima | Cholo Parima (Pantoja) | |
| 1945 | Rosalinda | Cecina | |
| 1946 | It's Not Enough to Be a Charro | Peón | Uncredited |
| 1946 | La hija del payaso | | |
| 1947 | Bells of San Fernando | Guard at the Pass | Uncredited |
| 1947 | The Tiger of Jalisco | Bandido | |
| 1947 | If I'm to Be Killed Tomorrow | El Nagual | |
| 1947 | Gran Casino | El Rayado | |
| 1947 | Albur de amor | | |
| 1947 | The Pearl | Godfather | |
| 1948 | The Treasure of the Sierra Madre | Gold Hat | |
| 1948 | El último chinaco | Sabas | |
| 1948 | Angel in Exile | Ysidro Álvarez | |
| 1948 | Angel on the Amazon | Paulo | |
| 1949 | Streets of Laredo | Charley Calico | |
| 1949 | La casa embrujada | Vendedor de palomas | |
| 1949 | Border Incident | Cuchillo | |
| 1950 | Fortunes of Captain Blood | Carmilio | |
| 1950 | The Black Rose | Lu Chung | |
| 1950 | Furia roja | Ignacio 'El Nacho' López | |
| 1951 | Stronghold | | |
| 1951 | Man in the Saddle | Cultus Charley | |
| 1952 | California Conquest | José Martínez | |
| 1952 | Por ellas aunque mal paguen | Don Lupe | |
| 1953 | Sombrero | Don Innocente | |
| 1953 | The Stranger Wore a Gun | Degas | |
| 1954 | Border River | Capt. Vargas | |
| 1954 | Ricochet Romance | Alfredo Gonzáles | |
| 1954 | The Black Pirates | Garza | |
| 1955 | Ten Wanted Men | Hermando | |
| 1956 | La doncella de piedra | Chuachuaima | |
| 1958 | The Big Country | Ramón Gutierrez | (final film role) |