The Amazing Howard Hughes (TV 1977)

Howard Hughes is a driven man who amassed wealth and recognition as a Hollywood mover and shaker, aviation giant and man of mystery.

Director:

William A. Graham

Writers:

Noah Dietrich (book), John Gay,

Stars:

Tommy Lee Jones, Ed Flanders, James Hampton

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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)

Storyline

Howard Hughes is a driven man who amassed wealth and recognition as a Hollywood mover and shaker, aviation giant and man of mystery.

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Plot Keywords:

pilot | director | howard hughes | recluse | eccentric | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 April 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

A lenyűgöző Howard Hughes

Company Credits

Production Co:

EMI Television, Roger Gimbel Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

215 min 123 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

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.

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Goofs

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).

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Crazy Credits

After the closing credits there is a short News Of The Day newsreel about the Spruce Goose including footage of the real Howard Hughes

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Connections

Version of The Carpetbaggers (1964)

User Reviews

About the best film about the man....

While "The Amazing Howard Hughes" lacks the great CGI and beautiful polish of the later Hughes biopic "The Aviator", it is a terrific film--and better in some ways. Unlike "The Aviator", "The Amazing Howard Hughes" gives a much more complete account of the billionaire's life. While it fails to did in as much psychological depth as the later film and doesn't build the same sense of sadness, it is a very full portrait. While both films skip most of his childhood (and this is a shame), this made for TV movie goes from his early career through his final years--living as an insane recluse. In the process, Tommy Lee Jones did a wonderful job--looking and sounding much like the man he was portraying. Overall, a great look at the life of Hughes and one of the best made for TV films of the 1970s. And, not surprisingly, it helped to launch Jones' career to much greater heights. Well worth seeing.