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)

MUCH better than (bleeech!) The Aviator!

There's just no comparison between this excellent made-for-TV movie and the awful soap opera Aviator. And talk about casting... HRH was a long, tall (over 6') Texan with a southern drawl. So who does Scorsese pick? A short, blond, blue-eyed kid - di Caprio. On the other hand, Tommy Lee Jones was right on. Looked like Hughes, sounded like Hughes, etc, etc. Oh, and Ed Flanders was MUCH more believable in the role of Noah Dietrich than John Reilly.

Both NetFlix and Blockbuster.com have it. If you prefer a chic flick with lots of romance and stories that focus about the women in his life, then Aviator wins. But if you really want to know about HRH, the Las Vegas acquisitions, the Glomar Explorer, etc, then The Amazing Howard Hughes is a far better choice.