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 let Huston choose his first subject. Huston kept the screenplay close to the novel, keeping much of Hammett's dialogue, and directing it in an uncluttered style, much like the book's narrative. He did unusual preparation for his first directing job by sketching out each shot beforehand, including camera positions, lighting, and compositional scale, for such things as closeups. He especially benefited by selecting a superior cast, giving Humphrey Bogart the lead role. Bogart was happy to take the role, as he liked working with Huston. In addition, the supporting cast included other noted actors: Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet