Editing Howard Hughes (section)

===Film===
* In [[The Carpetbaggers (film)|''The Carpetbaggers'']] (1964), the main character Jonas Cord (played by [[George Peppard]]) is loosely based on Howard Hughes.
* The [[James Bond]] film [[Diamonds Are Forever (film)|''Diamonds Are Forever'']] (1971) features a tall, Texan, reclusive billionaire character named Willard Whyte (played by [[Jimmy Dean]]) who operates his business empire from the penthouse of a Las Vegas hotel. Although he appears only late in the film, his habitual seclusion and his control of a major aerospace contracting firm are key elements of the film's plot. Several sequences were actually filmed on location at [[The Landmark Hotel and Casino]], which was owned by Hughes at the time.
* ''[[The Amazing Howard Hughes]]'' is a 1977 American made-for-television biographical film which aired as a [[mini-series]] on the [[CBS]] network, made a year after Hughes' death and based on Noah Dietrich's book ''Howard: The Amazing Mr. Hughes''. [[Tommy Lee Jones]] plays Hughes.
* ''[[Melvin and Howard]]'' (1980), directed by [[Jonathan Demme]] and starring [[Jason Robards]] as Howard Hughes and [[Paul Le Mat]] as [[Melvin Dummar]]. The film won [[Academy Awards]] for [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]] ([[Bo Goldman]]) and [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]] ([[Mary Steenburgen]]). The film focuses on Melvin Dummar's claims of meeting Hughes in the Nevada desert and subsequent estate battles over his inclusion in Hughes' will. Critic [[Pauline Kael]] called the film "an almost flawless act of sympathetic imagination".<ref>Shannon, Jeff. [http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/movies.php?id=952 "Melvin and Howard (1980) – Movie Preview."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927212545/http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/movies.php?id=952 |date=September 27, 2007 }} ''RopeofSilicon,'' 2008. Retrieved: August 5, 2008.</ref>
*The film ''[[Creepshow]]'' from 1982 has a segment titled "They're Creeping Up on You!". The reclusive, paranoid, tycoon Upson Pratt, played by [[E. G. Marshall]] appears to be loosely based upon Hughes. {{original research inline|date=September 2024}}
*In ''[[Tucker: The Man and His Dream]]'', (1988), Hughes (played by [[Dean Stockwell]]) figures in the plot by telling Preston Tucker to source steel and engines for Tucker's automobiles from a helicopter manufacturer in New York. Scene occurs in a hangar with the Hercules. 
* In [[The Rocketeer (film)|''The Rocketeer'']], a 1991 American [[Period piece|period]] [[superhero film]] from [[Walt Disney Pictures]], the title character attracts the attention of Howard Hughes (played by [[Terry O'Quinn]]) and the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]], who are hunting for a missing [[jet pack]], as well as [[Nazism|Nazi]] operatives. 
* "Howard Hughes Documentary", broadcast in 1992 as an episode of the ''Time Machine'' documentary series, was introduced by [[Peter Graves]], later released by A&E Home Video.<ref>"Howard Hughes Documentary." ''Amazon.'' Retrieved: August 22, 2011.</ref>
* In ''[[Conspiracy Theory (film)|Conspiracy Theory]]'' (1997), the character Jerry Fletcher (played by [[Mel Gibson]]) mentions one of his theories to a street vendor by saying, "Did you know that the whole [[Vietnam War]] was fought over a bet that Howard Hughes lost to Aristotle Onassis?" referring to his (Fletcher's) thoughts on the politics of that conflict.
* In [[The Aviator (2004 film)|''The Aviator'']] (2004), directed by [[Martin Scorsese]], Hughes is portrayed by [[Leonardo DiCaprio]]. The film focuses on Hughes' personal life from the making of [[Hell's Angels (film)|''Hell's Angels'']] through his successful flight of the Hercules or [[Hughes H-4 Hercules|''Spruce Goose'']]. Critically [[The Aviator (2004 film)#Reception|acclaimed]], it was nominated for 11 [[Academy Awards]], winning five for [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]; [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]]; [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]]; [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction]]; and [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Actress in a Supporting Role]] for [[Cate Blanchett]]. 
* ''Howard Hughes: The Real Aviator'' documentary was broadcast in 2004 and went on to win the Grand Festival Award for Best Documentary at the 2004 Berkeley Video & Film Festival.<ref>"Howard Hughes: The Real Aviator." {{ISBN|9780738930756}}.</ref>
* In the 2005 animated film ''[[Robots (2005 film)|Robots]]'', the character Mr Bigweld (voiced by [[Mel Brooks]]), a reclusive inventor and owner of Bigweld Industries, is loosely based on Howard Hughes.
* ''The American Aviator: The Howard Hughes Story'' was broadcast in 2006 on the [[Biography Channel]]. It was later released to home media as a DVD with a copy of the full-length film ''[[The Outlaw]]'' starring [[Jane Russell]].<ref>[http://www.visionfilms.net/catalog/documentaries/biographies/american_aviator.php ''The American Aviator: The Howard Hughes Story.''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003224436/http://www.visionfilms.net/catalog/documentaries/biographies/american_aviator.php |date=October 3, 2011 }} Vision Films. Retrieved: August 22, 2011.</ref>
* ''[[Captain America: The First Avenger]]'' (2011), the character Howard Stark (played by [[Dominic Cooper]]), a wealthy inventor of futuristic technology, clearly embodying Hughes' persona and enthusiasm. His subsequent appearances in the TV series ''[[Agent Carter (TV series)|Agent Carter]]'' further this persona, as well as depicting him as sharing the real Hughes' reputation as a womanizer. [[Stan Lee]] has noted that Howard's son Tony Stark ([[Iron Man]]), who shared several of these traits himself, was based on Hughes.<ref name="IMDVD">{{cite video|title=The Invincible Iron Man|medium=Ultimate 2-Disc Edition ''[[Iron Man (2008 film)|Iron Man]]'' DVD|publisher=[[Paramount Pictures]]|date=2008}}</ref>
* ''[[Rules Don't Apply]]'' (2016), written and directed by [[Warren Beatty]], features Beatty as Hughes from 1958 through 1964.
* In the ''[[Dark Knight Trilogy]]'', director [[Christopher Nolan]]'s characterization of [[Bruce Wayne (Dark Knight trilogy)|Bruce Wayne]] is heavily inspired by Hughes' perceived lifestyle – from a playboy in ''[[Batman Begins]]'' to a recluse in ''[[The Dark Knight Rises]]''. Nolan is reported to have integrated his original material intended for a [[development hell|shelved]] Hughes biopic into the trilogy.<ref>{{cite news|first=Kevin|last=Jagernauth|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2012/12/editor-lee-smith-says-bruce-wayne-in-the-dark-knight-rises-inspired-by-nolans-aborted-howard-hughes-movie-103237/|title=Editor Lee Smith Says Bruce Wayne In 'The Dark Knight Rises' Inspired By Nolan's Aborted Howard Hughes Movie|work=[[Indiewire]]|location=Los Angeles, California|date=December 6, 2012|access-date=December 6, 2012}}</ref>
* In ''[[The Hoax]]'' (2006) - in what would cause a fantastic media frenzy - Clifford Irving sells his bogus biography of Howard Hughes to a premiere publishing house in the early 1970s.<ref>{{Citation |title=The Hoax (2006) - Plot - IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462338/plotsummary/ |access-date=May 27, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref>