The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (film) consensus reads, "Remade but never duplicated, this darkly humorous morality tale represents John Huston at his finest." John Huston won the Academy Award for Best Director and Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1948 for his work on "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre". Walter Huston, John Huston's father, also won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in this film, the first father-son win. The film was nominated for the Best Picture award, but lost to Laurence Olivier's film adaptation of "Hamlet". In 1990, this film was selected for preservation in the United States National
John Huston what Huston calls "a left-handed form of human endeavor." Huston achieved that effect by giving "deep attention" to the plot, involving a large jewelry theft, by examining the minute, step by step details and difficulties each of the characters had of carrying it out. In doing so, some critics felt that Huston had achieved an almost "documentary" style. His assistant director Albert Band explains further: Film critic Andrew Sarris considered it to be "Huston's best film", and the film that made Marilyn Monroe a recognized actress. Sarris also notes the similar themes in many of Huston's films, as exemplified by