The Amazing Howard Hughes (1977) (TV)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

William A. Graham

Writers:

Noah Dietrich (book)
John Gay (writer)

Release Date:

13 April 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Plot:

Tommy Lee Jones plays a driven man who amassed wealth and recognition as a Hollywood mover and shaker, aviation giant and man of mystery.

Plot Keywords:

Billionaire | Eccentric | Recluse | Pilot | Director

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Tommy Lee Jones	...	Howard Hughes
Ed Flanders	...	Noah Dietrich
James Hampton	...	Wilbur Peterson
Tovah Feldshuh	...	Katharine Hepburn
Lee Purcell	...	Billie Dove
Jim Antonio	...	George
Sorrell Booke	...	Fiorello LaGuardia
Marty Brill	...	Lewis Milestone
Marla Carlis	...	Jane Russell
Lee de Broux	...	Jimmy (as Lee Jones-de Broux)
Roy Engel	...	Production Manager
Arthur Franz	...	Barnes
Denise Galik	...	Shirley Whitehead (as Denise Gal)
Howard Hesseman	...	Jenks
Tannis G. Montgomery	...	Mrs. Hughes (as Tannis Montgomery)

Runtime:

215 min | USA:123 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Australia:PG

Company:

EMI Television

Trivia:

When Hughes shows his stunt pilots on the set of Hell's Angels that he can make a tight turn, he goes up himself to show them but crashes. The crash footage is actually taken from Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies (1973).

Goofs:

Factual errors: What is supposed to be the Hughes XF-11 aircraft is actually a WWII P-38 fighter (however, this is understandable since the real XF-11 would have been unavailable for the movie).

Movie Connections:

References Two Arabian Knights (1927)

Driven by vision

that just about sums up this compelling portrayal of Howard Hughes. William Graham's direction presents a ruthless, cold, and single-minded world of Hughes the entrepreneur. However, for all Hughes' shortcomings when relating to others, Graham allows Tommy Lee Jones to reveal the multi-billionaire had a heart of gold. Whereas people surrounding Hughes saw the coldness he projected, often to their own personal cost, Hughes would repay kindness in ways they never dreamt of.

Such was the enigmatic nature of Hughes and his story has been told countless times by book or film the exact truth is never likely to be known as to the reasoning behind his complex and often contradictory actions. In his lifetime Hughes made fortunes in many ways, although the fact that his massive wealth was initially inherited is not glossed over. Nor are some of the more bizarre practises Hughes utilised - such as hiring people to sit by a telephone that would never ring; or the highly imaginative pointed sacking of a film director by sending the unfortunate man on a location hunt only to remove the entire film set, cast, crew, props, the lot, during the director's absence!!

This work is well acted by Jones and the supporting cast. If you are looking to find out for the first time about one of the world's richest ever men then this is a good place to start as any. Effectively, this turns a celluloid biography. You'll be fascinated by Hughes' pragmatic working methods but after seeing this its doubtful you'll come away liking the man. Graham's careful direction shows its not hard to see why once someone has accrued such vast wealth (to the point where money almost has no meaning) it becomes harder and harder to trust the people around you. On that basis its possible to see where Hughes' personal life fell apart, how he failed in love, and even to feel a tad of sympathy for him!