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Melvin and Howard (1980)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Bo Goldman (written by)
Release Date:
19 September 1980 (USA)
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Tagline:
A true story? more
Plot:
The story of hard-luck Melvin Dummar, who claimed to have received a will naming him an heir to the fortune of Howard Hughes. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars.
Another 14 wins
&
4 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Producer Ned Tanen Dead At 77
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 6 January 2009, 1:31 AM, PST)
Jason Robards Dies
(From WENN. 28 December 2000)
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 6 January 2009, 1:31 AM, PST)
Jason Robards Dies
(From WENN. 28 December 2000)
User Comments:
No Special Effects, No Mega-Buck Stars, Just a Great Film
more (26 total)
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 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
95 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
One of the extras in the wedding scene was named Jonathan Demme (no relation to the director of the film).
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Goofs:
Continuity: 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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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Night Court: Melvin and Harold (#7.18)" (1990)
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Soundtrack:
Hard Way to Go
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (26 total)
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In this day of $100 million plus movies with special effects that drown out the dialog and stars with out-sized egos and paychecks to match, a film like Jonathan Demme's minor masterwork, "Melvin and Howard," would be lucky to get a video distributor. Even a quarter century ago on its initial release, the film was largely ignored by audiences despite glowing reviews, Academy Awards, and critics kudos. However, those who make the effort to seek out this wonderful fable will be rewarded. Based on a story that may or may not have been true, "Melvin and Howard" spins the tale of an easy going hard luck kinda guy named Melvin Dummar who gives a lift to an old man he finds asleep in the desert. The man says that he is Howard Hughes, and, years later, when Hughes dies, Melvin finds a will that has been left on his filling station desk that names him as one of the heirs to the Hughes fortune. Since we know the ending before the film starts, the pleasures lie in the quirky characters and situations that screenwriter Bo Goldman and a terrific cast have created. Despite the circus that surrounded the question of the will's validity, Melvin was content just knowing that, during their drive, Howard Hughes had sung a song that Melvin had written. His evident joy in that simple event was a rare personal quality even in 1980. There are a lot of other unpretentious, yet memorable, moments in this outstanding film.