History Creator / HowardHughes

* ''Film/TheRacket'' (producer)
* ''Film/TwoArabianKnights'' (producer)
* ''Film/TheMatingCall'' (producer)
* ''Film/HellsAngels'' (producer/director, though the dialogue scenes were done by an uncredited Creator/JamesWhale)
* ''Film/{{The Front Page|1931}}'' (producer)
* ''Film/{{Scarface|1932}}'' (producer)
* ''The Outlaw'' (producer/director)
* ''Film/AngelFace'' (producer)
* ''Film/TheConqueror'' (producer)

* ''Melvin and Howard'' by Creator/JonathanDemme with Creator/JasonRobards as Hughes

! Selected Filmography

! Films about Hughes

* ''Rules Don't Apply'', a 2016 film directed by Creator/WarrenBeatty who also plays Hughes.

!! Tropes associated with Hughes in Fiction and his own films

Howard Robard Hughes (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American [[RenaissanceMan business tycoon, entrepreneur, investor, aviator, aerospace engineer, inventor, filmmaker, and philanthropist]].

He is perhaps the most legendary tycoon of the 20th Century, simply for the drastic contrast between his public profile at the height of his fame in the '30s and '40s and the absolute recluse he became at the time of his death. Once known for his good looks and playboy reputation, along with an assortment of gorgeous movie star girlfriends, when his body was found, he was unrecognizable, his fingernails having grown enormously, his hair being uncut and his appearance haggard and shabby, his arms were filled with broken-off hypodermic needles. His body had to be identified by fingerprints. The circumstances of his death, the unusual levels of control he kept on his staff, and the revelations of his eccentricities and mental illnesses made Hughes a source of enduring fascination and conspiracy theory to this very day.

* ''Melvin and Howard'' by Creator/JonathanDemme with Creator/JasoRobards as Hughes

Hughes had two major careers, one in aviation and one in filmmaking. They overlapped briefly when he directed ''Film/HellsAngels'', a UsefulNotes/WorldWarI combat film with impressive footage of aerial combat. As an aviation pioneer in the 1930s, he set many records for flight times. But in the 1940s, he became notorious for his rather impractical plane designs on government contracts, many of them proving to be AwesomeButImpractical in terms of being unsafe and expensive to enter mass production. The famous Spruce Goose (a name which Hughes hated, preferring its official designation "H-4 Hercules")[[note]]He had a point in that the plane was made of birch[[/note]] was the definitive example. The Spruce Goose was commissioned to be made of non-strategic materials, intended to transport a mammoth number of troops and materiel across the Atlantic, safe from German submarines. It is the largest flying boat ever built and still boasts the longest wingspan of any plane. It also took so long to build that the war ended by the time it was complete, rendering its purpose meaningless. In the same period, Hughes also took a test-flight of another design, the XF-11 which crashed in Beverly Hills. Hughes barely survived the incident, and it is believed that the cocktail of drugs that he took in this time accelerated his mental breakdown. That his hearing had also severely damaged through other accidents, to the point where he was at least partially deaf and had great difficulties leading conversations with more than one person at the time, is also believed to have contributed.

This was also a period where Hughes started withdrawing from public life, returning briefly in the '70s, when a biography by Clifford Irving was denounced by Hughes as a hoax at a teleconference. Since his death, Hughes became a HistoricalDomainCharacter, the subject of many films and books. Likewise, most eccentric tycoons in comics and fiction are usually heavily based on Hughes: see HowardHughesHomage.

* ''Melvin and Howard'' by Creator/JonathanDemme

He is perhaps the most legendary tycoon of the 20th Century, simply for the drastic contrast between his public profile at the height of his fame in the '30s and '40s and the absolute recluse he became at the time of his death. Once known for his good looks and playboy reputation, along with an assortment of gorgeous movie star girlfriends, when his body was found, he was unrecognizable, his fingernails having grown enormously, his hair being uncut and his appearance haggard and shabby, his arms were filled with broken-off hypodermic needles. His body had to be identified by fingerprints. The circumstances of his death, the unusual levels of control he kept on his staff, and the revelations of his eccentricities and mental illnesses made Hughes a source of enduring fascination and UsefulNotes/ConspiracyTheory to this very day.

As a filmmaker, Hughes' most important film was Creator/HowardHawks' ''Film/{{Scarface|1932}}'' which he produced. His reputation after that is significantly more ambiguous. His 1943 Western ''The Outlaw'' caused a scandal for its [[MsFanservice lewd sexualization]] of actress Creator/JaneRussell, earning the disapproval of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode. Hughes was insistent that the [[MaleGaze camera focus on Russell's large chest]] and went the extra step to design a bra, using aviation design principles, to [[BuxomIsBetter better accentuate her bust]]. (Russell later said that the bra was so uncomfortable that she couldn't wear it, so she just padded her own.) He also took over Creator/RKOPictures in the '40s and during his time, he came into conflict with several filmmakers, Creator/PrestonSturges (who was briefly Hughes' friend), Max Ophuls, Creator/JosefVonSternberg among others. He also became a rabid anti-communist, producing the notorious ''The Woman on Pier 13'', better known as ''I Married a Communist''. His eccentric business practices became the stuff of Hollywood legend, including: meetings at 3:00 in the morning at a gas station several miles outside of Los Angeles, whimsical changes ordered to the editing of a film, and the constant hiring, firing, and rehiring of directors (the 1950 film ''Vendetta'' had four directors and Hughes later contributed some pick-ups, because why not). This later culminated in a bunch of tacky '50s spectacles that led to RKO, one of the most creative and enterprising of the Big 7 studios, to be reduced to a shell of its former self, described by one historian as a "systematic seven-year rape". The most notorious is ''Film/TheConqueror'' starring Creator/JohnWayne as UsefulNotes/GenghisKhan, in which Hughes' irresponsible production led to the film being made near a nuclear testing site in Nevada. Exposure on the set is believed to have caused the cancer-related deaths of many of the cast members.

[[caption-width-right:350:Hughes in front of his Boeing 100.]]

Hughes had two major careers, one in aviation and one in film-making. They overlapped briefly when he directed ''Film/HellsAngels'', a UsefulNotes/WorldWarI combat film with impressive footage of aerial combat. As an aviation pioneer in the 1930s, he set many records for flight times. But in the 1940s, he became notorious for his rather impractical plane designs on government contracts, many of them proving to be AwesomeButImpractical in terms of being unsafe and expensive to enter mass production. The famous Spruce Goose (a name which Hughes hated, preferring its official designation "H-4 Hercules")[[note]]He had a point in that the plane was made of birch[[/note]] was the definitive example. The Spruce Goose was commissioned to be made of non-strategic materials, intended to transport a mammoth number of troops and materiel across the Atlantic, safe from German submarines. It is the largest flying boat ever built and still boasts the longest wingspan of any plane. It also took so long to build that the war ended by the time it was complete, rendering its purpose meaningless. In the same period, Hughes also took a test-flight of another design, the XF-11 which crashed in Beverly Hills. Hughes barely survived the incident, and it is believed that the cocktail of drugs that he took in this time accelerated his mental breakdown. That his hearing had also severely damaged through other accidents, to the point where he was at least partially deaf and had great difficulties leading conversations with more than one person at the time, is also believed to have contributed.

As a filmmaker, Hughes' most important film was Creator/HowardHawks' ''Film/{{Scarface|1932}}'' which he produced. His reputation after that is significantly more ambiguous. His 1943 Western ''The Outlaw'' caused a scandal for its [[MsFanservice lewd sexualization]] of actress Jane Russell, earning the disapproval of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode. Hughes was insistent that the [[MaleGaze camera focus on Russell's large chest]] and went the extra step to design a bra, using aviation design principles, to [[BuxomIsBetter better accentuate her bust]]. (Russell later said that the bra was so uncomfortable that she couldn't wear it, so she just padded her own.) He also took over Creator/RKOPictures in the '40s and during his time, he came into conflict with several filmmakers, Creator/PrestonSturges (who was briefly Hughes' friend), Max Ophuls, Creator/JosefVonSternberg among others. He also became a rabid anti-communist, producing the notorious ''The Woman on Pier 13'', better known as ''I Married a Communist''. His eccentric business practices became the stuff of Hollywood legend, including: meetings at 3:00 in the morning at a gas station several miles outside of Los Angeles, whimsical changes ordered to the editing of a film, and the constant hiring, firing, and rehiring of directors (the 1950 film ''Vendetta'' had four directors and Hughes later contributed some pick-ups, because why not). This later culminated in a bunch of tacky '50s spectacles that led to RKO, one of the most creative and enterprising of the Big 7 studios, to be reduced to a shell of its former self, described by one historian as a "systematic seven-year rape". The most notorious is ''Film/TheConqueror'' starring Creator/JohnWayne as UsefulNotes/GenghisKhan, in which Hughes' irresponsible production led to the film being made near a nuclear testing site in Nevada. Exposure on the set is believed to have caused the cancer-related deaths of many of the cast members.

* ''Film/TuckerTheManAndHisDream'' by Creator/FrancisFordCoppola features Dean Stockwell as Hughes appearing in a small but memorable cameo where he voices encouragement for Tucker, displays his Spruce Goose, and gives him advice on where he can get the steel he needs to build the contractually obligated number of cars and suggests a new engine to replace Tucker's now unviable original choice.

* EccentricMillionaire: He was the TropeCodifier in popular consciousness. His real-life paranoia and weird activities still leads to snarky jokes about urine collected in bottles in popular culture.

As a filmmaker, Hughes' most important film was Creator/HowardHawks' ''Film/{{Scarface|1932}}'' which he produced. His reputation after that is significantly more ambiguous. His 1943 Western ''The Outlaw'' caused a scandal for its [[MsFanservice lewd sexualization]] of actress Jane Russell, earning the disapproval of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode. Hughes was insistent that the [[MaleGaze camera focus on Russell's large chest]] and went the extra step to design a bra, using aviation design principles, to [[BuxomIsBetter better accentuate her bust]]. (Russell later said that the bra was so uncomfortable that she couldn't wear it, so she just padded her own). He also took over Creator/RKOPictures in the '40s and during his time, he came into conflict with several filmmakers, Creator/PrestonSturges (who was briefly Hughes' friend), Max Ophuls, Creator/JosefVonSternberg among others. He also became a rabid anti-communist, producing the notorious ''The Woman on Pier 13'', better known as ''I Married a Communist''. His eccentric business practices became the stuff of Hollywood legend, including: meetings at 3:00 in the morning at a gas station several miles outside of Los Angeles, whimsical changes ordered to the editing of a film, and the constant hiring, firing, and rehiring of directors (the 1950 film ''Vendetta'' had four directors and Hughes later contributed some pick-ups, because why not). This later culminated in a bunch of tacky '50s spectacles that led to RKO, one of the most creative and enterprising of the Big 7 studios, to be reduced to a shell of its former self, described by one historian as a "systematic seven-year rape". The most notorious is ''Film/TheConqueror'' starring Creator/JohnWayne as UsefulNotes/GenghisKhan, in which Hughes' irresponsible production led to the film being made near a nuclear testing site in Nevada. Exposure on the set is believed to have caused the cancer-related deaths of many of the cast members.

* ''Caught'', 1949 FilmNoir by Creator/MaxOphuls with Creator/RobertRyan playing a NoCelebritiesWereHarmed version called [[PunnyName Smith Ohlrig]][[note]]Hughes first made his money in oil-drilling equipment[[/note]], intended by Ophuls as a TakeThat over his treatment by Hughes on the film ''Vendetta''.

Howard Robard Hughes (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American [[RenaissanceMan business tycoon, entrepreneur, investor, aviator, aerospace engineer, inventor, filmmaker and philanthropist]].

He is perhaps the most legendary tycoon of the 20th Century, simply for the drastic contrast between his public profile at the height of his fame in the 30s and 40s and the absolute recluse he became at the time of his death. Once known for his good-looks and playboy reputation, along with an assortment of gorgeous movie star girlfriends, when his body was found, he was unrecognizable, his fingernails having grown enormously, his hair being uncut and his appearance haggard and shabby, his arms were filled with broken-off hypodermic needles. His body had to be identified by fingerprints. The circumstances of his death, the unusual levels of control he kept on his staff and the revelations of his eccentricities and mental illnesses made Hughes a source of enduring fascination and UsefulNotes/ConspiracyTheory to this very day.

Hughes had two major careers, one in aviation and one in film-making. They overlapped briefly when he directed ''Film/HellsAngels'', a UsefulNotes/WorldWarI combat film with impressive footage of aerial combat. As as an aviation pioneer in the 1930s he set many records for flight times. But in the 1940s he became notorious for his rather impractical plane designs on government contracts, many of them proving to be AwesomeButImpractical in terms of being unsafe and expensive to enter mass production. The famous Spruce Goose (a name which Hughes hated, preferring its official designation "H-4 Hercules")[[note]]He had a point in that the plane was made of birch[[/note]] was the definitive example. The Spruce Goose was commissioned to be made of non-strategic materials, intended to transport a mammoth number of troops and materiel across the Atlantic, safe from German submarines. It is the largest flying boat ever built and still boasts the longest wingspan of any plane. It also took so long to build that the war ended by the time it was complete, rendering its purpose meaningless. In the same period, Hughes also took a test-flight of another design, the XF-11 which crashed in Beverly Hills. Hughes barely survived the incident, and it is believed that the cocktail of drugs that he took in this time accelerated his mental breakdown. That his hearing had also severely damaged through other accidents, to the point where he was at least partially deaf and had great difficulties leading conversations with more than one person at the time, is also believed to have contributed.

As a film-maker, Hughes' most important film was Creator/HowardHawks' ''Film/{{Scarface 1932}}'' which he produced. His reputation after that is significantly more ambiguous. His 1943 Western ''The Outlaw'' caused a scandal for its [[MsFanservice lewd sexualization]] of actress Jane Russell, earning the disapproval of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode. Hughes was insistent that the [[MaleGaze camera focus on Russell's large chest]] and went the extra step to design a bra, using aviation design principles, to [[BuxomIsBetter better accentuate her bust]]. (Russell later said that the bra was so uncomfortable that she couldn't wear it, so she just padded her own). He also took over Creator/RKOPictures in the 40s and during his time, he came into conflict with several film-makers, Creator/PrestonSturges (who was briefly Hughes' friend), Max Ophuls, Creator/JosefVonSternberg among others. He also became a rabid anti-communist, producing the notorious ''The Woman on Pier 13'', better known as ''I Married a Communist''. His eccentric business practices became the stuff of Hollywood legend, including: meetings at 3:00 in the morning at a gas station several miles outside of Los Angeles, whimsical changes ordered to the editing of a film, and the constant hiring, firing and rehiring of directors (the 1950 film ''Vendetta'' had four directors and Hughes later contributed some pick-ups, because why not). This later culminated in a bunch of tacky 50s spectacles that led to RKO, one of the most creative and enterprising of the Big 7 studios, to be reduced to a shell of its former self, described by one historian as a "systematic seven-year rape". The most notorious is ''Film/TheConqueror'' starring Creator/JohnWayne as UsefulNotes/GenghisKhan, in which Hughes' irresponsible production led to the film being made near a nuclear testing site in Nevada. Exposure on the set is believed to have caused the cancer-related deaths of many of the cast members.

This was also a period where Hughes started withdrawing from public life, returning briefly in the 70s, when a biography by Clifford Irving was denounced by Hughes as a hoax at a teleconference. Since his death, Hughes became a HistoricalDomainCharacter, the subject of many films and books. Likewise most eccentric tycoons in comics and fiction are usually heavily based on Hughes: see HowardHughesHomage.

* ''Film/TuckerTheManAndHisDream'' by Creator/FrancisFordCoppola features Dean Stockwell as Hughes appearing in a small but memorable cameo where he voices encouragement for Tucker, displays his Spruce Goose and gives him advice on where he can get the steel he needs to build the contractually obligated number of cars and suggests a new engine to replace Tucker's now unviable original choice.

* CaptainErsatz: [[HowardHughesHomage To the point where he has an entire trope dedicated to him]]

* DirtyCommunists: Being a vehement anti-communist, he helped create the trope in his 40s and 50s productions.

* RichReclusesRealm: The most famous real-life example. During his decline into seclusion, moved into the Desert Inn in Las Vegas, began using the eighth floor as his business headquarters, and eventually bought the entire hotel. From there, he expanded his influence across the city, buying casinos and hotels in attempt to remake Las Vegas into something more to his liking. And throughout all of this, Hughes remained cloistered in his rooms, with his business dealings conducted entirely by a panel of chosen representatives.

* ''Melvin and Howard'' by Jonathan Demme