John Huston has the unique distinction of directing both his father Walter and his daughter Anjelica in Oscar-winning performances (in "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" and "Prizzi's Honor", respectively), making the Hustons the first family to have three generations of Academy Award winners. He also directed her in "Sinful Davey" in 1969. In addition, he also directed 13 other actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Sydney Greenstreet, Claire Trevor, Sam Jaffe, Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, José Ferrer, Colette Marchand, Deborah Kerr, Grayson Hall, Susan Tyrrell, Albert Finney, Jack Nicholson and William Hickey. In 1960, Huston was honored with a star on the Hollywood
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