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The Amazing Howard Hughes

  • TV Movie
  • 1977
  • 3h 35m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
700
YOUR RATING
Tommy Lee Jones in The Amazing Howard Hughes (1977)
BiographyDrama

Howard Hughes is a driven man who amassed wealth and recognition as a Hollywood mover and shaker, aviation giant and man of mystery.Howard Hughes is a driven man who amassed wealth and recognition as a Hollywood mover and shaker, aviation giant and man of mystery.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
    • John Gay
    • Bob Thomas
  • Stars
    • Tommy Lee Jones
    • Ed Flanders
    • James Hampton
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    700
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • William A. Graham
    • Writers
      • Noah Dietrich
      • John Gay
      • Bob Thomas
    • Stars
      • Tommy Lee Jones
      • Ed Flanders
      • James Hampton
    • 12User reviews
    • 8Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Primetime Emmy
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Photos20

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    Top cast72

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    Tommy Lee Jones
    Tommy Lee Jones
    • Howard Hughes
    Ed Flanders
    Ed Flanders
    • Noah Dietrich
    James Hampton
    James Hampton
    • Wilbur Peterson
    Tovah Feldshuh
    Tovah Feldshuh
    • Katharine Hepburn
    Lee Purcell
    Lee Purcell
    • Billie Dove
    Jim Antonio
    Jim Antonio
    • George
    Sorrell Booke
    Sorrell Booke
    • Fiorello LaGuardia
    Marty Brill
    Marty Brill
    • Lewis Milestone
    Marla Carlis
    • Jane Russell
    Lee de Broux
    Lee de Broux
    • Jimmy
    • (as Lee Jones-de Broux)
    Roy Engel
    Roy Engel
    • Production Manager
    Arthur Franz
    Arthur Franz
    • Barnes
    Denise Galik
    Denise Galik
    • Shirley Whitehead
    • (as Denise Gal)
    Howard Hesseman
    Howard Hesseman
    • Jenks
    Tannis G. Montgomery
    Tannis G. Montgomery
    • Mrs. Hughes
    • (as Tannis Montgomery)
    Walter O. Miles
    • Gen. Hap Arnold
    Garry Walberg
    Garry Walberg
    • Henry J. Kaiser
    Carol Bagdasarian
    • Jean Peters
    • Director
      • William A. Graham
    • Writers
      • Noah Dietrich
      • John Gay
      • Bob Thomas
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews12

    6.6700
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    Featured reviews

    blueboot

    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 into 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!
    10pierrez-1

    Perfect Movie

    This film is outstanding on all levels covered all of Hughes' life which is surprising for a t.v. movie.

    Don't ever look for any movie t.v. or not to tell the full story of anyones life.This film was done at a time when there was actually(URGH)truth and balance in media.

    I saw this movie with the limited opinion that he was just some nut case and came away with the opinion that he was an extraordinary complicated man who let his ego get the better of him.

    There is a message in this film for all of us and that is not to ignore your problems or difficulties.

    I feel sorry for younger people who will never get the chance to see a biopic that would tell a persons story as accurately as they could.

    At least not one that was made in this country and certainly not one that was done by Americans.
    8richardchatten

    "Everybody has a price"

    Tommy Lee Jones put himself squarely on the map as a far more convincing Howard Hughes than Leonardo diCaprio in Martin Scorsese's hopelessly romantic and shamelessly inaccurate 'The Aviator' (with Tovah Feldshuh nothing like the caricature Cate Blanchett made of Katherine Hepburn), while America's number one weirdo's final descent into madness in which the world's richest man ended his days as a bearded, kleenex-wielding shuffling skeleton ironically suffering from malnutrition is also far better depicted.

    Hughes' most lasting contribution to film history was not actually the lousy movies he directed but as the back seat driver who wrecked RKO, a crime rarely even hinted at in the many films his antics inspired, but along with his reactionary politics should make his name live in infamy with all serious film buffs everywhere.
    10planktonrules

    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.
    8russellalancampbell

    Excellent Biopic

    This film has been and will continue to be compared to "The Aviator" - a film that frankly bored me. "The Amazing Howard Hughes" looked and felt real because it focused upon Hughes as a real life flesh and blood man and used few if any cinematic tricks. Tommy Lee Jones made a very credible Howard Hughes from his physique down to his accent.

    I am interested by the actual business dealings of Hughes and those around him rather than his marriages and affairs. Afterall, there have been many playboy millionaires in America's history but only one Howard Hughes. It wasn't the romances that made Hughes particularly interesting and this film didn't focus on them in the way "The Aviator" did. For me, this was a positive.

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Tommy Lee Jones bagged the lead role playing Howard Hughes for US $25,000 when Warren Beatty turned down a US $1 million offer. Beatty later produced and starred in his own Howard Hughes biopic picture which was L'Exception à la règle (2016).
    • 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).
    • Quotes

      Howard Hughes: I'll tell you the truth, Cruickshank, most people just bore me and I don't want to get involved with them.

    • 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
    • Alternate versions
      This production, according to 'The Biopic Story' website, '' . . . was originally a mini-series, screening over two nights with a running time of three hours and fifteen minutes. The version more readily available nowadays has a running time of less than two hours . . . with over 75 mins cut''.
    • Connections
      Features Le crépuscule des aigles (1966)

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • April 13, 1977 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Park Circus Official Site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Howard: The Amazing Mr. Hughes
    • Filming locations
      • USA
    • Production companies
      • Roger Gimbel Productions
      • EMI Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 3h 35m(215 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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