Focusing on his early years (from the 1930 production of Hell's Angels (1930), to the 1947 test flight of the Spruce Goose, when he was forty-two), this is the story of how young Howard Hughes transformed a small fortune into a massive one. The son of the Texan inventor of an amazing drill bit who died when he was eighteen, leaving him with seventy-five percent of the "Hughes Tool Co.", Howard Hughes quickly moved to Los Angeles to become a Hollywood movie producer, where he helped launch the career of Jean Harlow and other starlets, and producing such classics as Hell's Angels (1930), The Front Page (1931), Flying Leathernecks (1951), and Scarface: The Shame of the Nation (1932), eventually owning R.K.O. Pictures. Hughes' legend came not from focusing on just Hollywood, however, as he simultaneously branched into industry after industry, including aviation in 1932 (including TWA Airlines), and during World War II, defense, leading to the creation of the Spruce Goose, a flying boat of immense size. After World War II, Hughes' expansions continued, with an electronics company that was integral to the evolution of the satellite, and Hughes' several Las Vegas casinos (though this movie may be ending before he moves there). This movie also focuses on Hughes' romances with Hollywood stars like Katharine Hepburn and Ava Gardner.
Awards
Oscar Actress in a Supporting Role 2005 (Cate Blanchett)
Oscar Film Editing 2005 (Thelma Schoonmaker)
Oscar Costume Design 2005 (Sandy Powell)
Oscar Cinematography 2005 (Robert Richardson)
Oscar Art Direction 2005
Nominated for Best Picture 2005
Nominated for Actor in a Leading Role 2005 (Leonardo Dicaprio)
Nominated for Actor in a Supporting Role 2005 (Alan Alda)
Nominated for Directing 2005 (Martin Scorsese)
Nominated for Writing (Original Screenplay) 2005
Nominated for Sound Mixing 2005
