Melvin and Howard (1980)

The story of hard-luck Melvin Dummar, who claimed to have received a will naming him an heir to the fortune of Howard Hughes.

Director:

Jonathan Demme

Writer:

Bo Goldman

Stars:

Jason Robards, Paul Le Mat, Elizabeth Cheshire

Won 2 Oscars. Another 19 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Robards	...	Howard Hughes
Paul Le Mat	...	Melvin Dummar
Elizabeth Cheshire	...	Darcy Dummar
Mary Steenburgen	...	Lynda Dummar
Chip Taylor	...	Clark Taylor
Melvin E. Dummar	...	Bus Depot Counterman
Michael J. Pollard	...	Little Red
Denise Galik	...	Lucy
Gene Borkan	...	Go-Go Club Owner #1
Lesley Margret Burton	...	Go-Go Dancer
Wendy Lee Couch	...	Go-Go Dancer
Marguerite Baierski	...	Go-Go Dancer
Janice King	...	Go-Go Dancer
Deborah Ann Klein	...	Go-Go Dancer
Theodora Thomas	...	Go-Go Dancer

Storyline

This movie tells the possibly true story of Melvin Dummar. Melvin is a nice guy, but he is a total loser: unlucky, impractical and can't keep a job. One night, however, he helps an old man who has had a motorcycle accident in the desert. Melvin laughs when the old man says he is Howard Hughes, the eccentric multimillionaire. But when Howard Hughes dies, Melvin is mailed a will leaving him part of the estate!

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Plot Keywords:

desert | motorcycle | last will and testament | hoax | reno nevada | 

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Taglines:

A true story?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 September 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Melvin (and Howard)

Filming Locations:

Gabbs, Nevada, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the DVD sleeve notes, the film was "inspired by the true-life story of a Utah service station owner who appeared on Howard Hughes' will".

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Goofs

While the men are in the truck talking, a sandwich being eaten has the bite area alternately changing from one side of the bread between shots.

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Connections

Spoofs Let's Make a Deal (1963)

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Soundtracks

"Love Can't Hold a Ramblin' Man"
Performed by Danny Darst (as Daniel Dean Darst)

User Reviews

My brief review of the film

The most interesting parts of this film are the beginning and the end, because those are the parts in which Jason Robards plays a morose old man who may or may not be Howard Hughes. Robards' performance is very effective, and sadly it is under-used. The rest of the film concerns the life of Melvin, with very little to do with Howard, and Melvin is by far and away the lesser interesting character of the two. Nothing much happens during the main body of the film: all it shows is the unexciting life of one person. The soundtrack is often noisy, which makes it hard to hear what the characters are say, and Steenburgen goes over-the-top in a role that she very questionably won an Oscar for. Some have interpreted the film as some commentary or satire on American lifestyle and society, but I personally can find little evidence to support that theory, and therefore I only recommend this film to those who want to see one of Jason Robards' best performances.