Original subtitles

HOWARD'S MOTHER: Q-U-A-R-

A-N-T-

I-N-E.

HOWARD: Quarantine.

Q-U-A-R-

A-N-T-

I-N-E.

Quarantine.

-You know the cholera? -Yes, Mother.

You've seen the signs on the houses where the coloreds live?

Yes, Mother.

-You know the typhus? -I do, Mother.

You know what they can do to you?

Yes, Mother.

You are not safe.

(AIRPLANE ENGINE BUZZING)

FRANK: You may be directing this movie, Howard,

but what you are asking, we can't do it.

HOWARD: Don't tell me I can't do it. Don't tell me it can't be done.

The gyro forces are too much here.

You send these planes into simultaneous barrel rolls

-and they won't make it. -It's the goddamn climax

of the picture, Frank. All right? You make it work.

Look, decrease the vertical trajectory if you have to.

A Le Rhone rotary won't stall at 60 degrees. I've done it.

Howard, we're still short two cameras. We need to cut that sequence

-down to... -We're not cutting anything, all right?

I'll get those extra cameras. Set up for rehearsals in five.

Mr. Hughes. I'm Noah Dietrich. Your office said I might find you here.

Dietrich. You're a man on the come.

I read your résumé and talked to your references.

You know what I'm looking for?

As I understand it, you're looking for a second-in-command at Hughes Tools,

someone to oversee the financial aspects of the business.

Yeah. I'm looking for somebody to run it and do a damn good job.

Look, there's only one thing you've got to know.

My folks, they're gone now. So it's my money.

Now, what I choose to do with that money may seem crazy

to those sons of bitches in Houston, and I'm sure as hell it does.

But it all makes good sense to me. You got that?

-Got it. -Good.

Now you made what, $5,200 a year on your last job?

I'll pay you $10,000.

I guess I'll be working twice as hard.

You'll be working four times as hard. I just got you at half price, Mr. Dietrich.

-Welcome aboard. -Thank you.

You're my voice now. Make them understand that.

Look, some of those fine folks down there still call me "Junior."

-You tell them it's "Mr. Hughes" now. -You bet.

-So when do we go to Houston? -We don't. Cholera epidemic in 1913.

Two thousand dead. Whole place is nothing but pestilential swamp.

Typhus, malaria, cholera, yellow fever. You name it, they got it.

Do you see that, Mr. Dietrich?

You are looking at the largest private air force in the entire world.

What do you think of that now?

It's your money.

Start them up!

(MEN WHISTLING)

(BAND PLAYING I'LL BUILD A STAIRWAY TO PARADISE)

(SINGING) I'll build a stairway to Paradise

With a new step every day!

I'm gonna get there at any price

Stand aside, I'm on my way!

I've got the blues

And up above it's so fair

Shoes, go on and carry me there!

I'll build a stairway to Paradise

With a new step every day

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

I'll build a stairway to Paradise

MAYER: I just saw the rough cut of the new Tod Browning movie,

London After Midnight.

Lon Chaney is incredible. It's his best performance in a long time.

And it's going to be a big hit. The cards are great.

Hello, Mr. Mayer.

I don't know if you remember me. My name is Howard Hughes.

I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time.

-Oh, yeah, Howard Hughes. -Yeah.

-The airplane picture, right? -Exactly.

-Yeah, I remember. -Hell's Angels. You heard of it. Good.

Yes.

Listen, I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time.

I need a few cameras.

Yeah?

-Yeah. Two to be exact. -Mmm-hmm.

I already bought every camera I could find,

but we're shooting our big dogfight sequence this week,

and I need two more, desperately.

Do you think MGM could help me out?

-With what? -Cameras.

Oh, with the actual camera...

Well, we're not usually in the practice of helping out the competition.

Oh.

So how many cameras do you have now?

Twenty-four.

(COUGHING)

You... (LAUGHING) Wait a minute.

(INAUDIBLE)

-You have 24 cameras? -That's right.

-And you need two more? -Yeah.

-You don't think you got it with 24? -No. No, sir.

You know, I think we've got them all...

Don't we have them all... They're all used, right?

-All 26 of them. -I only need two, sir.

-Jesus Christ, sonny. -Howard.

Howard, let me give you a little advice.

-Why don't you take your oil money... -Drill bits.

All right, take your drill-bit money, and why don't you put it in the bank?

Uh-huh.

Because if you continue making the movie the way that you are,

there isn't gonna be a distributor who'll want to distribute it,

you're not going to find anybody who wants to see the movie,

and you're not going to have any more oil money.

Mmm.

So, welcome to Hollywood.

Yeah, well, I'll be sure to remember that, Mr. Mayer.

-Good luck. -All right.

MAYER: He needs 26 to make it work?

He's out of his mind.

(BAND PLAYING SHAKE THAT THING)

I looked down at my pants. It was a strange situation.

Boss.

Scram, Ioveboat. Let's go.

Another soda. You know what I mean.

Milk, please, in the bottle. With the cap still on.

Okay, Howard, what did His Highness say?

The son of a bitch won't part with a single goddamn camera.

-Can you believe it? -Howard,

why don't you try and make do with what you have? Huh?

What I have isn't enough, John. Not for how I see it.

My name depends on this picture.

If it doesn't work, I'm back to Houston with my tail between my legs,

making goddamn drill bits for the rest of my life.

Couldn't you find a way to do with the cameras you have?

I mean, jeez, you ought to hear about what's going on

with DeMiIIe over at Paramount.

He's shooting this Bible picture, right?

He's got to do a crucifixion, but he's doing it in Fresno.

-So all of a sudden there's... -Johnny! Johnny!

-...a bunch of goddamn tractors... -Johnny!

-You're a press agent. Are you not? -Yeah. Yeah.

And you're supposed to know all little ins and outs of Hollywood?

Yeah, absolutely.

-Do you? -Yeah, absolutely.

Then you leave the big ideas

-to me. -Well, yeah, of course, boss.

Cigar, cigarettes, Sen-Sen?

Shake that thing

Thelma, I thought you were over at the Brown Derby with Trixie.

-No, Theresa. -Margaret. Yeah.

Margaret, exactly. What happened to Margaret?

-She lost her shoes... -Thank God that's settled.

I'm sorry.

Thelma, this is Howard Hughes.

Howard and I were just discussing

how he wants me to pull a camera out of my ass.

Cigarette?

Oh, no, thanks. I don't smoke.

(EXCLAIMS) Boy, you are just hitting on all six cylinders, aren't you?

My God.

Would you do me a favor?

Would you just smile for me one time, just once?

Yeah, yeah. You see, you got a short upper lip.

Makes for a much nicer smile.

(LAUGHING)

See, I wonder what gives a beautiful woman like you pleasure.

Say you're just standing there, right?

And I just touch you, just like this,

through my fingertips. Do you like that?

Do you?

See, I want to learn what pleases you.

I want to learn everything about you.

Would you let me do that?

Would you give me that job?

I'm off in a half an hour.

-Well, I'm in room... -217.

217.

See you there.

(LAUGHING)

Johnny, get on the horn to Universal and Warners.

I need two more cameras by Saturday.

Rent them if you can. Steal them if you have to.

Absotively, boss. Absotively.

RADIO ANNOUNCER: Rumors coming from

a lonely airstrip out in Van Nuys.

Sources whisper that young Texas industrialist Howard Hughes

just won't stop pouring money into his war epic.

And do we mean epic! 137 pilots, 87 airplanes,

35 cameramen, 2,000 extras.

How long will it be

before this picture ends up costing as much as the real war?

God damn it.

Why the hell do they look so slow? This isn't what it was like up there.

They look like a bunch of goddamn models!

(SIGHING)

HOWARD: Son of a bitch.

Howard?

Without something standing still behind the planes,

we've got no idea of how fast we're moving.

We got no sense of relative motion.

Call over to UCLA. Get me the best meteorologist they got.

You get him here in an hour, all right?

Hey. You want the good news or the bad news?

-The bad news, always. -All right.

We installed the 450 radial, but the struts won't take the vibration.

The minute we fire her up, the struts start cracking at the attach points.

-What's the good news? -There isn't any.

God damn it, Odie. If the 450's too big, we just gotta figure something else out.

We've done everything. We've rebuilt her from top to toe.

Now, if we drain the fuel tank for a couple of runs,

she might make 180 miles per hour.

I want minimum 200, all right?

Yeah, well, I want a date with Theda Bara,

but that ain't gonna happen either.

Now, don't be so sure.

So, if the struts won't sustain the engine we need,

we gotta get rid of the struts.

No, then the top wing falls off.

Then let it.

What?

Who says we need atop wing? Who says we need anything?

-A monoplane. -A cantilevered monoplane, right?

I mean, they're doing it in France. To hell with the top wing and the struts.

-Put in a 550 Wasp engine. -100 octane fuel.

That'd give us a top horsepower of what?

Seven hundred.

We squeeze that to 1,000 and we've got the fastest plane ever built.

(LAUGHING)

You know, I've just got to say,

we've already spent over $200,000 rebuilding this plane.

To hell with it.

Tear it up, Odie. Go on.

Well,

the cumulonimbus formations about which you speak,

that look like...

Giant breasts full of milk.

I want clouds, damn it.

Yes, clouds that look like "giant breasts full of milk"

cannot exactly be guaranteed for any particular location.

So you might have

to wait.

Then we'll wait.

Look, whatever they pay you at UCLA, I'm doubling it, all right?

You work for me now. Find some clouds.

Find some clouds.

Find me some clouds.

Welcome to Hell's Angels.

Thank you.

(FIREWORKS PLAYING)

We have been to Chatsworth, Santa Cruz, Encino, San Diego,

Riverside, Van Nuys, and Bakersfield.

It has been eight months! Where are my goddamn clouds?

FITZ: They move, Mr. Hughes!

Clouds move! That's what they do! They move!

You see that? It is costing me $5,271 a day

to keep those planes on the ground!

You find me some goddamn clouds.

Nice day.

Yeah, very funny.

Listen, I got a call from Houston.

They're getting real nervous about all this.

Stop showing them the damn bills, Noah.

That would be illegal, Howard.

Shit, no. Maybe it's a little bit naughty.

Hughes Tool is incorporated in Texas. They have to see the bills.

Incorporate a new division out here. All right? We'll call it Hughes Aircraft.

Odie, do we need these rivets on the cowling?

Yeah, or the reverse thrust would rip it off.

They're gonna give me drag. Do something about that, okay?

-Wind resistance on the rivets? -Yeah, I want her slippery.

Howard, there are serious tax consequences

to incorporating in California.

-Just take care of it, would you? -Mr. Hughes! Mr. Hughes!

Oakland!

We have clouds in Oakland!

-You mean it this time? -Yes.

God damn it, yes. I can promise you.

-Clouds in Oakland. -All right, all right.

Don't get all jittery now.

Oakland!

Oakland!

We're going to Oakland!

Oakland!

(FIREWORKS CONTINUES PLAYING)

(TOCCA TA AND FUGUE IN D-MINOR PLAYING)

Down and to the left!

That was perfect!

(YELLOW DOG BLUES PLAYING)

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

RADIO ANNOUNCER: Yes, young Howard Hughes has pulled it off.

After two years, Hell's Angels has finally finished filming.

There's gonna be one heck of a wrap party in Hollywood tonight.

The price tag, a staggering $2 million.

So if every human being in America buys a ticket,

heck, he might even make a profit.

(PEOPLE LAUGHING)

First the clouds don't come, then the planes break down,

then the planes crash.

We've had everything but a damn plague of locusts on this thing.

I mean, you have to admit it.

Now, honestly, did you ever think you'd actually finish the damn thing?

Come with me.

Momma, darling, if I'm a success in this show,

well, we're gonna move from here.

Yes, we're gonna move up in the Bronx.

A lot of nice green grass up there and a whole lot of people you know.

There's the Ginsbergs, the Guttenbergs, and the Goldbergs.

A whole lot of Bergs. I don't know them all.

(AUDIENCE LAUGHING)

You see, this is what the people want. Silent pictures are yesterday's news.

So I figure we gotta re-shoot Hell's Angels for sound.

-How much of it? -All of it.

But before you even ask, I'll tell you.

An additional $1.7 million. We got that much?

No.

Well, we'll make it.

Take care of that, would you?

Now get this.

(SINGING) Blue skies smiling at me Me, me, me

Nothing but little blue skies do I see

(SOMEBODY STOLE MY GAL PLAYING)

RADIO ANNOUNCER: In the halls of 7000 Romaine,

it goes on day after day, month after month.

Howard Hughes is now editing some 25 miles of film.

Heck, I say, release it now and give the world its first 560-hour movie.

WOMAN: Pat, Mr. Hughes needs this reel in the projection room right now.

RADIO ANNOUNCER: Enough is enough, Mr. Hughes.

Are you ever gonna let us actually see this little epic of yours?

Hurry up!

(SOMEBODY STOLE MY GAL CONTINUES PLAYING)

-Who is it? -Noah.

Come on in.

I've been on the phone to Houston for three solid hours.

We're fixing every goddamn book we have.

Wait, wait, wait.

Yeah. Run Reel 10 again. I think we're duplicating a shot here.

And tell Jimmy I want 10 chocolate chip cookies, all right?

Medium chips, none too close to the outside.

Got it?

Do you remember that goddamn shot from Reel 10?

No. I don't remember anything from Reel 10.

I don't know what Reel 10 is.

I'm a businessman, Howard, and so are you.

Now, look, this has been a great ride.

We've had a hell of a lot of fun.

But you're losing $25,000 a day doing this.

Every day.

So, what are my options?

Well, this time, I don't know that you have any. (SIGHING)

I'm afraid you got to close it down.

Dig your way out.

I'm sorry, Howard.

I truly am.

(EXHALING)

PROJECTIONIST: Reel 10, Mr. Hughes.

(PROJECTOR WHIRRING)

Mortgage Toolco.

Every asset. (CLEARING THROAT)

You heard me.

If you do that, you could lose everything.

Well, I won't.

I won't.

All right.

I'll get into it.

Thanks, Noah.

(PEOPLE CHEERING)

ANNOUNCER 1: More than half a million good souls

lining the kerb of Hollywood Boulevard.

Look at the automobiles, ladies and gentlemen.

There are at least 45,000 cars here,

making it the greatest traffic jam ever seen.

ANNOUNCER 2: Howard Hughes must have quite a lump in his throat tonight.

Six months after the stock market crashes

and after the death of three of his pilots,

he's finally unveiling his $4 million baby doll.

ANNOUNCER 3: It's the most expensive movie ever made.

Nothing five-and-dime for our Mr. Hughes.

Nothing like tonight has ever been seen before,

and I can certainly say it will never be seen again.

ANNOUNCER 4: Five-hundred thousand people

are crowding the streets

to get a glimpse of the stars and celebrities.

Three companies of Marines were called

to assist the 250 special police

who are handling this enormous crowd.

ANNOUNCER 5: This is an industry town, my friends,

and nobody but nobody makes a movie outside a studio.

Sure, some Hollywood insiders over at the Brown Derby may be laughing…

ANNOUNCER 6: And now, ladies and gentlemen, I think…

Yes. Yes, I can just see Mr. Hughes' car arriving now.

Mr. Hughes escorts the lovely starlet Jean Harlow tonight.

He discovered her for this picture,

and we think her platinum-blond locks and hot-jazz-baby-doll style

are going to make her a big star.

(EXCLAIMING)

-Mr. Hughes! -This way, boss.

Mr. Hughes, how about a word?

Big night for you, Mr. Hughes.

Big night for you tonight.

Very big. Very big.

Tell us what it was like making this fabulous picture.

Yes.

Yeah…

So, four million clams from your own pocket.

Nervous how the flick will fly?

Big night. You enjoy the show.

Yes, well, let me present

the feminine star of this spectacle, Hell's Angels,

-Miss Jean Harlow. -Thank you.

I would like to use this occasion to publicly thank Mr. Hughes

for the opportunity he gave me. Thank you.

-Thank you. -Thank you.

Oh, now I'd like to ask Roscoe Arbuckle to introduce his pet lion cub, Gilmore.

What the hell's the matter with you? Can't you remember my name?

I'm sorry. Roscoe Turner. And this would be Gilmore.

(HELL'S ANGELS THEME PLAYING)

(GUNFIRE ON SCREEN)

Fire!

-We've got him! -We've got him!

Murder! That's what this dirty rotten politician war is!

Murder! You know as well as I do!

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

(AUDIENCE CHEERING)

(GIGGLES)

Stand up, slim, take a bow.

(PEOPLE WHISTLING)

And reel 4 played way too long. Too many coughs.

Get Harry and the team out of the party.

Get them over to the office. I wanna cut a few shots tonight. Oh.

Find Glenn Odekirk.

Somebody write this down. Flush rivets. You got that?

-Flush rivets. -Flush rivets.

Lickety split, boss.

MAN: There he is. There he is.

(CROWD CHEERING LOUDLY)

REVIEWER 1: Variety says, "This one won't miss."

REVIEWER 2: New York Herald Tribune, "Thrilling."

REVIEWER 3: "Magnificently photographed."

REVIEWER 4: "Awesome beyond description."

REVIEWER 5: "Scenes that have never been approached."

REVIEWER 6: "The most extraordinary output

"ever to emerge from the motion picture studios."

REVIEWER 7: "Not for a long time have I seen anything as enthralling."

REVIEWER 8: "A sensational success."

REVIEWER 9: "It cost $4 million and it has four million thrills."

REVIEWER 10: "Majestically produced."

(THANKS PLAYING)

And thanks for unforgettable nights

I never can replace

And memories that linger like a haunting tune

It is better to have loved you, dear, and lost

Than never to have loved at all

Yes, it's better, for no matter what the cost

I held the world in sway An emperor for a day

And thanks again

For taking me on the road to paradise

We lost our way But still I must convey my thanks

(WOMEN CHATTERING)

HOWARD: I read in the magazines that you play golf.

On occasion.

Well, how about nine holes?

Now, Mr. Hughes?

If it would be convenient, Miss Hepburn.

(AVALON PLAYING)

You're not extending enough on your follow-through.

Follow-through is everything in golf, just like life. (LAUGHING)

Don't you find?

Saw your Scarface picture.

-Violent. Realistic.

Movies are movies, Howard, not life.

Now, the stage... The stage is real.

Real flesh-and-blood human beings right out there in front of you, buster.

Can't look away. Can't munch popcorn. That would be rude.

-Do you like the theatre? -No.

Oh. I adore the theatre. Only alive onstage.

I'II teach you. We'll see some Ibsen

if the Republicans haven't outlawed him by now. (LAUGHS)

You're not a Republican, are you? Couldn't abide that.

-How did you vote in '32? -Well, I didn't.

You must. It's your sacred franchise.

Heard you were wooing Ginger Rogers. What about that?

She's just a friend.

(SCOFFS) Men can't be friends with women, Howard.

They must possess them or leave them be.

It's a primitive urge from the caveman days.

It's all in Darwin. Hunt the flesh, kill the flesh, eat the flesh.

That's the male sex all over.

Excuse me?

Well, if you're deaf, you must own up to it.

Get a hearing aid, or see my father.

He's a urologist but it's all tied up inside the body, don't you find?

-Mmm. -Me, I keep healthy.

I take seven showers a day to keep clean.

Also because I am what's so vulgarly referred to as outdoorsy.

Well, I'm not outdoorsy. I'm athletic. I sweat.

There it is. Now we both know the sordid truth.

I sweat and you're deaf.

Aren't we a fine pair of misfits?

Three.

Noble effort.

So I suppose you're wooing me now?

Oh, well.

Not enough.

Not enough. These rivets have to be completely flush.

I want every screw and joint countersunk.

I want no wind resistance on the fuselage.

She has got to be clean, Odie.

-Clean. Understand? -Okay, Howard.

HOWARD: I don't know what else to tell you.

What have you got for me?

JACK: The thing is, TWA needs a new plane, a modern plane.

Oh, yeah? What kind of plane?

Okay. The DC-3 has 21 daytime seats and 14 overnight berths.

Something bigger.

Try 50 seats with a ceiling of 12,000 feet.

No.

No, 20,000. Think about it, Jack. What does 20,000 feet give you?

-Less turbulence. -Right, because it's above the weather.

Jack, we wanna fly above the weather.

Only 1% of the American population

has ever set foot on a commercial airliner.

Why? Because they're scared to death, Jack. And they should be.

I mean, 7,000 feet is bumpy as shit. You know that.

We build a plane that flies above the weather,

we could get every man, woman, and child in this country

to feel safe up there.

An airplane with the ability to fly into the substratosphere

across the country, across the world.

Now that is the future.

-You with me? -Yeah.

Shoot straight with me now, 'cause I don't wanna get into all this

if your board doesn't have the balls for it.

-Would they support us? -I don't know. They're tight bastards.

-Well, what's your financial picture? -Not great.

-Last year's deficit? -$770,000.

-What's it selling at? -About $8 a share.

That's the lowest it's been, huh?

I could do that.

-Do what? -Buy it.

You wanna buy the airline?

For crying out loud, Jack, we don't want a bunch of damn pencil-pushers

getting in the way of us making our plane, do we?

Give me brass tacks now.

What does controlling interest in TWA cost me?

Call it $15 million.

(WHISTLES)

That is a chunk of change, huh?

You call Noah Dietrich. You have him start buying.

Howard, hold on. Are you sure?

You want to think about it for five minutes?

Hell, Jack, I got a tiger by the tail here. I ain't gonna let it go.

(BAND PLAYING HAPPY FEET)

PETE: Good evening, Mr. Hughes.

Welcome. Your table is ready.

How goes the aviation, Mr. Hughes?

-HOWARD: Just fine, Pete. -I'm so glad.

Good evening, Mr. Hughes.

-Madame. -It's Miss.

Miss.

-The usual, Mr. Hughes? -Please, yeah.

WAITER: And may I recommend for the lady

our Clementine soup followed by roast wild duck with currant glaze

and poached pears in rose sauce. It's truly divine.

Yeah. That sounds fine.

Your kind of joint, is it?

Wouldn't have thought.

Yeah, well, they're open late.

You know, I go to a hot dog stand on La Cienega, too.

They're open till about 4:00.

Are they?

How marvelous.

Happy feet I've got those happy feet

Give them a lowdown beat And they begin dancing

Howard! Howard!

Hi.

Son of a gun.

Kate, this is Johnny Meyer.

I suppose you could call him my press agent.

Pleased to meet you. Loved you in Alice Adams.

You're too kind.

I'm sure you know Errol, right?

-Mr. Flynn. Yes. -Kate.

Kate of the clenched-jawed Hepburns. Enchanting as always.

You should use Lux on your hands, by the way. I do.

Katie, sweetie, you and Howard ought to cook up a picture.

-Co-star with Errol. -Hey, my chair!

-JOHNNY: I could sell that in spades. -That would be marvelous.

(LAUGHING)

Howard?

I think not.

Don't you read Variety, Mr. Meyer? Why, I'm box-office poison.

I'm on the outs, the skids, the doldrums, washed up,

day-old fish not worth the eating, so they (SIGHING) tell me.

Hell with them. Hell with them, my dear. Soulless pricks to a man, right?

Johnny tells me you're thinking about doing a Western of all goddamn things.

Are you making a Western, Howard?

Yeah, making a Western. I'm gonna call it The Outlaw.

And you know what it's about? S-E-X. It's all about S-E-X.

It's a Western.

Oh, no. You can't have fornication in a Western. It isn't done, old boy.

It's not real sex, skinny. It's movie sex.

What Scarface did for the gangster picture,

The Outlaw's gonna do for the Western.

Put the sex and guts and blood right up there on the screen.

(ALL CHATTERING)

-Have any cigarettes, Johnny? -Don't mind us.

WAITER: New York cut steak, 12 peas, bottle of milk with the cap on.

You're the only star I know

who can't afford his own goddamn cigarettes.

-Jack has all my money. -I trust you gentlemen have ordered.

I hope your food isn't getting cold at your table somewhere or something.

No, no, no. We're here all night. Don't worry.

-JOHNNY: Thank you. -Now, Howard, Howard,

if you're seriously talking about putting carnality back on the silver screen,

you must swear to let me in on the casting sessions.

I have somewhat of an eye.

An eye for talent. Isn't that right, Johnny?

You ought to give up that prancing in tights and be a talent scout.

Yeah, that prancing in tights paid for my new yacht.

You must all come sailing with me.

Catalina, this weekend. What do you say?

-Catalina. Sounds grand. Yeah. -Let's have some fun.

I've even managed to coax the luscious Miss de Havilland

and her equally luscious sister to accompany me,

though I fear their mother will insist on coming along

to preserve their questionable virtue.

We shall assault these twin monuments

of pristine Britannic beauty nonetheless.

What do you say, Howard?

-Yeah? -Yeah.

-Yeah? -Yeah.

(HOWARD CLEARS THROAT)

I gotta go.

If you'll excuse us, we have to be somewhere.

You are somewhere, Howard, you madman.

-Somewhere else. Excuse us. -KATHARINE: Charmed, gentlemen.

Do help yourself to the poached pears. I hear they're divine.

Howard Hughes, ladies and gentlemen.

Was that meant for me?

My hero. God, all that Hollywood talk bores me silly.

As if there aren't more important things in the world. Mussolini, for one.

Where are we going, by the way?

Do you feel like a little adventure?

Do your worst, Mr. Hughes.

MAN: You think you own this place, you limey bastard?

ERROL: I'm a Tasmanian bastard, you ignorant prick.

JOHNNY: Out of the way, Errol.

(GLASS SHATTERING)

(PLAYING AFTER YOU'VE GONE)

(MOON GLOW PLAYING)

That's Mr. Mayer's house, right there.

Do you know where Jack Warner lives?

(LAUGHING)

What's that on the steering wheel?

Cellophane.

If you had any idea of the crap that people carry around on their hands.

What kind of crap?

You don't wanna know.

Hold on to the wheel for a bit.

(EXCLAIMING)

(LAUGHING)

That's too hard. Relax your hand. Relax your hand.

Oh.

See, you gotta feel the vibration of the engine through your fingertips.

Feel that?

Yes.

That's good.

Golly.

Well, she's all yours.

-Where are you going? -I think there's some milk back here.

-Just keep us steady now. -All right.

-Howard. -Yeah?

There's a rather alarming mountain heading our way.

Pull back on the wheel a smidge. Go on.

Golly!

(BOTH LAUGHING)

You know, I don't think I've ever met someone

who actually uses the word "golly."

You all right? Do you want me to take over?

Just when I'm getting the hang of it?

-You want some milk? -Please.

(LAUGHING)

Utterly smashing.

We'll do it again. I'm free Wednesday.

It's a little early for golf though, don't you think?

-Oh, no, no. I live right there. -Oh.

-Feel like a drink? -Lead on.

Now that makes for a challenging par four.

(BOTH LAUGHING)

My decorator picked out the wallpaper and such.

He's queer as a bed bug

but I just hate this room.

Gives me the willies. (GROANING)

Like I'm about to be swallowed up by the latest issue of Town and Country.

What room do you like?

My study.

Take me there.

(I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE PLAYING)

You are the tallest woman I know.

And all sharp elbows and knees.

Beware.

Will you fly me to work tomorrow?

It is tomorrow.

I can't give you anything but love, oh, baby

That's the only thing I've plenty of, oh, baby

Dream a while, scheme a while

We're sure to find, baby

Happiness, and I guess

Gee, I'd like to see you looking swell, baby, oh

Diamond bracelets Woolworth's doesn't sell

My pretty baby

Till that lucky day Oh, you lucky day

You know darn well, oh, baby

Keep your eye on the fuel gauge.

She's got a minimum of fuel to keep her weight down.

Two runs. That's it.

After that, you're flying on vapors, and then you crash and then you die.

-Right. -Just give her easy flying.

Don't worry about speed and don't think about the record today.

I wish to God you'd let someone else take her up.

You've got 20 damn test pilots working for you.

Hell, why should I let someone else have all the fun?

See you in a bit.

HOWARD: Contact!

(ALL EXCLAIMING)

(WHOOPING)

TIMER: 339.

Goddamn!

(TICKING)

347.

(GASPING) Son of a bitch.

-352. -352!

(ALL CHEERING)

Good girl.

(ENGINE STALLING)

Damn it!

God damn it!

-Oh, God! -There goes our meal ticket.

ODEKIRK: Come on!

(SIREN WAILING)

Howard! Howard!

How did we do?

352 on the last run.

(LAUGHING)

She'll go faster.

Country Mouse!

Kate! Katie!

KATHARINE: Upstairs, City Mouse.

Hello.

-Good Lord, what happened to you? -Oh, nothing.

-A hard landing. I cut my foot. -Sit down. I'll take care of it.

Now you tell me everything.

You cannot imagine what it was like, Katie.

You cannot imagine the speed.

-She was like a winged bullet up there. -What did she make?

Around

352.

You did it.

Fastest man on the planet.

Hot dog! I'm so proud of you.

-She did it, baby. -You knew she would.

She was fine. She was just fine.

(SIGHS)

Now let me see your foot.

Good God, you're covered in blood.

No, no, that's just beet juice. I crashed into a beet field.

-What? -Yeah, I crashed in a beet field.

(BOTH LAUGHING)

Let me get you cleaned up.

Heavens, what is this? Electrical tape?

Yeah. Odie just sort of slammed it on there.

But all I could think about was

getting home to see you.

I am so proud of you.

Now this is going to sting a little bit.

(GROANS)

Oh, this is useless.

Come to the bathroom.

-Don't get beet juice on the carpet. -Yeah, I won't, I won't.

-Ah! Too hot. -Don't be a baby.

Was the press there?

Some.

But they're calling everyone. Should be on the wires by now.

What is it?

Kate?

I've been famous, for better or worse,

for a long time now.

I wonder if you know what it really means.

Yeah, I had my fair share of press on Hell's Angels.

(LAUGHS) I'm used to it.

Are you?

Howard, we're...

We're not like everyone else.

Too many acute angles. Too many eccentricities.

We have to be very careful

not to let people in, or they'll make us into freaks.

Kate.

-They can't get in here. We're safe. -Oh...

Oh, they can always get in.

When my brother killed himself,

there were photographers at the funeral.

There's no decency to it.

(CLEARING THROAT)

You know, sometimes I...

I get these feelings, Katie.

I get these ideas,

these crazy ideas about

(CLEARING THROAT)

things that may not...

Things that may not really be there.

Yeah.

Sometimes I truly fear that

I'm losing my mind.

And if I did, it would...

It'd be like flying blind.

You understand?

You taught me to fly, Howard.

I'll take the wheel.

RADIO ANNOUNCER: Smashing all records,

Howard Hughes outdoes Jules Verne's wildest dreams.

Around the world from New York to New York in four days,

even beating Wiley Post's mark by over three days.

New aviation history is written

when his Lockheed monoplane returns swiftly and safely.

A daring aviator, a true pioneer of the world's airways.

From New York to Paris, he cuts Lindbergh's time in half.

Then on to Moscow.

35 hours out of New York, he roars across Siberia's trackless wastes.

60 hours out of New York,

he heads for Alaska, most hazardous hop of all.

Continuing the terrific pace, he comes home,

bringing new laurels to American aviation.

Howard Hughes and his crew may find more worlds to…

(SIGHING)

You're not gonna believe this. It just came across the wires.

Howard Hughes has bought control of TWA.

I thought Mr. Hughes was flying around the world.

Apparently, he did it while he was flying. Over the radio.

I have heard some disquieting rumors about Mr. Hughes.

I'd like to know everything there is to know about Mr. Hughes.

I'd like you to attend to that for me.

Thoroughly.

RADIO ANNOUNCER: The Pantages is glittering tonight.

REPORTER 1: Right over here, Mr. Hughes. This way, over to the left.

REPORTER 2: Mr. Hughes, Mr. Hughes, how was your flight?

REPORTER 3: Miss Hepburn, Miss Hepburn,

when are you gonna name the day?

REPORTER 4: Right over here, Mr. Hughes.

Could you raise your head a little?

REPORTER 5: What's your next movie, Howard? Come on. Give us the scoop.

REPORTER 6: How many more records are you gonna set?

(ALL CLAMORING)

REPORTER 7: Come on, Howard, give us a smile. It won't kill you.

REPORTER 8: This way. REPORTER 9: Beautiful.

REPORTER 10: Raise your head a little. REPORTER 11: Over here, Mr. Hughes.

Don't forget this side. To the left.

REPORTER 12: Mr. Hughes, when are you gonna fly around the world again?

REPORTER 13: You going to fly with Kate next time?

-Did you get lonely without her? -REPORTER 14: What about

-flying with Amelia Earhart, huh? REPORTER 15: Hey, Howard, did

you talk to Lindbergh about your round-the-world flight yet?

REPORTER 16: Mr. Hughes, where is Linda Darnell tonight?

REPORTER 17: Another shot, please, Mr. Hughes.

-Howard, right here. -Right here, Mr. Hughes. That's it.

REPORTER 18: Are you trying to be more famous than Lindbergh?

You know, fame is supposed to be my turf.

L.B.

If you don't get more distinguished every time I see you.

Oh, you look so beautiful.

(LAUGHING)

Don't worry about it, Howard. She's just working the room.

It's her job, baby.

RADIO ANNOUNCER: Sultry southern tigress Ava Gardner

dazzles the room tonight.

She's the newest star in the MGM galaxy, and believe you me…

(CAMERAS CLICKING)

KATHARINE: Well, Jane Eyre has been selling popcorn for over 100 years, L.B.

(SIGHING)

(TOILET FLUSHING)

Hello.

Could you reach me a towel?

I…

I really can't do that.

I'm sorry.

(INHALING SHARPLY)

(EXHALING)

I'm an idiot. I'm a complete idiot, and I'm sorry.

-(EXHALING) Forget it. -No, no.

I'm a vain, preening ass without a single redeeming feature.

That's not true. You have very good teeth.

(LAUGHING)

Come on.

I've got a better idea. Take me flying. Or better yet, I'll take you flying.

Do your worst, Miss Hepburn.

(SOME OF THESE DAYS PLAYING)

Some of these days you're gonna miss me, honey

Some of these days

KATHARINE: Don't be so squirmy, Howard.

You're gonna get on famously with Father and Mother.

And I'm sure they'll like you, too, once they get to know you.

You'll be so sorry when I'm away

Now you're gonna be lonely just for me only

Hello! Hello!

-Hi, pinup. -Kathy!

(KATHARINE LAUGHING)

Sweetheart, who's that with the camera right there?

Oh, that's my ex-husband, Ludlow.

Father and Mother are just mad about Luddie.

What the hell is he doing here?

Oh, he's here all the time.

Hello!

Sorry we're late.

-Hello, darling. -Mom.

(EXCLAIMING)

-Dad. -Darling.

KATHARINE: Uncle Willy.

Who've we got here? Don't feel self-conscious.

Hepburns. Hepburns, attention, please.

This is Howard.

Howard, welcome.

Don't worry, he's had his lunch.

(ALL LAUGHING)

LUDLOW: He likes you. That's unusual.

We pay our devotion to the arts here, a colony we created.

Julian's a painter. Abstract, of course.

What the hell's the point of painting something real

when you can take a picture nowadays. Don't you agree?

Where do you stand on politics, Mr. Hughes?

-Excuse me? -We're all socialists here.

-Oh, we are not. -Mmm-hmm.

You've met Mr. Roosevelt. What make you of him?

(HOWARD CLEARING TH ROAT)

What are you sniggering at?

What? What was that?

You just sniggered.

No, no. The dog, it seems to be crushing my feet.

-Oh, my God. -KATHARINE: Buster!

(BOTH LAUGHING)

Don't you like dogs?

Young man, I will not have you sniggering

at Mr. Roosevelt at my table. Please leave.

-No, no, no. I wasn't. -I thought everybody liked dogs.

Well, perhaps he had a bad experience as a child.

So, Kathy, does it stick in your craw

that Howard here gets more press than you do?

-A bad experience? With a dog? -No. No.

You are such a shy creature, aren't you?

MRS HEPBURN: Perhaps it was a very large dog.

KATHARINE: All very well for you to make fun,

but the press can be a damned nuisance

-when all you wanna do is your job. -Was it a Doberman?

KATHARINE: It burns my goat!

A Doberman, Mr. Hughes, or a dachshund?

-Neither, sir. Dachshunds are little dogs, Hep dear.

LUDLOW: They should all be lined up against the wall and shot.

-What's that Spanish painting... -KATHARINE: The Goya.

Goya. Of course, yes.

-Mexicans. Poor lambs. -What was that called?

Anyway, that's the vulgar press, I'm sure.

Do you read much, Mr. Hughes?

(CLEARING THROAT)

I try to stay up to snuff on the trade journals.

Snuff?

MRS HEPBURN: These would be flying magazines?

What? What was that?

He's a little deaf.

JULIAN: Pass the goddamn butter, I beg you.

-You read flying magazines? -Take the butter.

Trade journals. On engineering, aviation.

-We read books. -Mmm-hmm.

Well, Howard has to read the trade pieces, Mom,

because he's designing a new airplane.

Really? Do tell.

Well...

It's quite exciting, actually. It's a spy plane for the Air Corps.

A twin-engine plane with some...

I must admit, some rather unique design features.

You see, it has these two booms at the back...

Luddie built a birdhouse once. You remember that, clear?

(ALL LAUGHING)

-Yes, well, a mere trifle, darling. -LINDA: Oh, I remember the painting.

The painting, it's called May Eighteen-O-Something.

Anyway, Goya's vastly overrated.

-All the Spaniards are. -Nonsense. Picasso is sacred.

I'm a urologist.

MRS HEPBURN: It was quite aesthetic, really.

A sacred monster, that's what Picasso is.

The birds didn't care for it much, but the bats do.

-I'II bet. -That's such bum!

Do speak up, dear.

Nothing. Nothing, Mrs Hepburn. Nothing.

Then why did you speak?

I can't abide people who speak but have nothing to say.

Did you go to mechanic school to learn all this, you know, airplane guff?

No, no, I didn't, Luddie. No.

Well, Howard just flew around the world in three days.

I think we've heard enough about airplanes.

DR HEPBURN: And dogs, apparently...

Then how did you make all that money?

We don't care about money here, Mr. Hughes.

That's because you have it.

Would you repeat that?

You don't care about money because you've always had it.

-But then how did you make... -Excuse me, I'm speaking.

-Okay. All right. -HOWARD: Thank you.

Some of us choose to work for a living.

Speaking of which, I have more of that "airplane guff" to attend to.

Excuse me.

LUDLOW: Well, seems a rather high-strung chap.

You're a fine bunch of bullies, aren't you?

Have you talked to Mr. Mayer about letting you do Jane Eyre?

Oh, the old philistine won't budge. Too arty, don't you know.

Daddy, I'm convinced the man hasn't read anything longer

than the Sunday Katzenjammer Kids in his life.

No fair kicking. You have to use the mallet.

Really, though, darling, you can't retire from the field of battle like that,

-or they'll never respect you. -Katie, I don't understand.

You were like a different person in there.

They just expect me to be a certain way.

There's only one real Kate,

and that's your Kate.

RADIO ANNOUNCER: And over in Hollywood,

aviation tycoon Howard Hughes seems to be cooking up something big.

Even as he edits his newest motion picture,

he's been secretly meeting with the US Air Corps.

We applaud his patriotism

and look forward to his newest mechanical marvel.

Do you know how many Allied ships we lost this year

-because of U-boat attacks? -No.

Six hundred and eighty-one ships, just this year so far.

Now, the Army needs a new airplane to fly the troops over to Europe.

These ships, they're sitting ducks. They're sitting ducks for the U-boats.

You want to build a troop-carrier plane.

Stop thinking like an insect, Odie.

Not just a plane to carry the troops. A plane to carry everything.

The troops and the jeeps and the tanks and whatnot. Here, take a look.

No, other side.

(ODEKIRK EXCLAIMING)

I figure around 200 feet from nose to tail.

Wing span around 300.

We're gonna need about 24,000 horsepower.

(LAUGHING)

Now this, this is just what Kaiser and the army are looking for.

And don't worry, they're gonna pay for it this time.

-Christ! What are you getting us into? -It's a big plane.

So I'm calling it the Hercules.

Swell name, isn't it?

How heavy do you imagine this thing is?

Say around 200 tons.

What? I didn't say it was going to be easy.

All right, boys, I want you to rig up something like this.

Should give the proper uplift ratios,

while reducing the need for additional torque support on the front.

We are not getting enough production out of Jane Russell's breasts, all right.

I want smooth titties, gentlemen. Smooth titties.

It's all in engineering, isn't it, Odie?

Howard, do you really think they're gonna let you

put out a whole movie just about tits?

Sure. Who doesn't like tits?

Good afternoon, gentlemen. Sorry I'm late.

Will the secretary please record that Mr. Hughes has arrived,

and that this session is now called to order?

I yield the floor to Mr. Breen.

Mr. Hughes, members of the committee,

I have reviewed Mr. Hughes' photoplay entitled The Outlaw,

and I can state categorically that l have never seen anything so unacceptable

as the shots of the mammaries of the character named Rio.

For almost half the picture,

the girl's mammaries, which are quite large and prominent,

are shockingly uncovered.

For this reason, I have concluded,

the picture appeals only to prurient interests, and should be denied

the Motion Picture Association's seal of approval.

Really, Mr. Hughes.

Thank you, Mr. Breen. Mr. Hughes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Breen, it's good to see you again.

I haven't seen you all since that situation

with all the violence in Scarface.

The situation here seems to revolve around Miss Russell's mammaries.

Mr. Breen feels that they are too prominent, yes?

More prominent than other mammaries have been, up on the screen?

Well, I hope to dispel that notion.

Jean Harlow.

Ann Sheridan.

Irene Dunne.

Claudette Colbert.

Rita Hayworth.

Betty Grable.

And the lovely Miss Jane Russell.

Now, all these shots, save for Miss Russell,

were enlarged from pictures that received Mr. Breen's seal of approval.

As you have probably noticed by now, they all contain mammaries.

I will ask my associate to join me now.

May I introduce Dr Ludlow Branson of Columbia University?

Dr Branson is a mathematician of some note.

Yes.

And he will now demonstrate that, in fact, Miss Russell's mammaries

are no more prominent than any of these other fine ladies'.

Doctor.

Doctor.

You forgot your calipers.

Oh.

(STAMMERS) Gentlemen. Mr. Hughes.

Let us commence by calling this

Mammary Exhibit Number One.

Now you'll see that the length of the actual cleavage,

if I may, is

five inches and a quarter.

Now, if we move to...

RADIO ANNOUNCER: Dateline Hollywoodland.

Movie tycoon Howard Hughes must have the greatest job in the land.

Each and every night, the lucky guy has to escort

a different beautiful woman to a different dazzling event.

The TWA king always talks up his airline

as he escorts a succession of eye-catching women in the world.

(BUGLE PLAYING)

ANNOUNCER: The Hercules, ladies and gentlemen, the Hercules.

A plane, a boat, a flying city.

Now, don't forget. Every bill comes to me.

They don't pay for anything.

Look, those men decide whether or not to fund the plane.

So I need them real happy.

-You do what it takes. -JOHNNY: You betcha, boss.

What about the girls? How are they in the bomb department?

Well, let's put it this way. It'll be a regular boob buffet.

I don't think the gentlemen from the Air Corps

will have any trouble scoring tonight.

ANNOUNCER: Inside, 700 brave American soldiers,

a dozen Sherman tanks,

all winging their way over the Atlantic,

free from the threats of the U-boats below.

Could Jules Verne himself have ever imagined anything so magnificent?

Could he have imagined her mammoth wingspan

longer than a football field?

Don't you see how this demeans me?

Since when do you care about the scandal rags, huh?

Every time there's a picture of you with another woman,

it's like a slap in the face. Don't you understand that?

(CLEARING THROAT) That's overstating it just a bit.

Joan Crawford, Ginger Rogers, Linda Darnell, Joan Fontaine,

and now Bette Davis, for God's sake!

Look, they're Cracker Jack candy, honey.

They don't mean anything to me.

Oh, very nice.

Well, you're the one that said that all men are predators, right?

I mean, it's all in Darwin. Remember?

And am I to expect this behavior to continue after the wedding?

What is really bothering you, Kate? Is it the women? Or the publicity, huh?

Can't you eat ice cream from a bowl like everyone else in the world?

(PHONE RINGING)

Don't you dare.

Yeah.

(CLEARING THROAT) No. Odie, this is not a good time.

For Christ's sake, we can't make the Hercules

if we don't have any aluminum.

Wait.

No, no. I can hear you better now.

Look, you tell the War Production Board

that this is an essential strategic operation.

Odie, if they're giving aluminum to Douglas, Northrop, and Boeing,

they sure as hell can give some to Hughes Aircraft.

Don't set the ice cream...

Meantime we've got to think of something else.

If we can't get any aluminum, we'll have to find another way.

Christ, I don't know. You tell me.

We'll find some alloy that works just as well. Right.

Look...

If we can't get any aluminum, we'll just have to use wood.

ODEKIRK: You can't make a 200-ton plane out of wood.

Why the hell not? The damn thing is a flying boat, right?

What do they use to make boats out of?

-Oak. -Think of the Hercules

like a flying Spanish galleon.

Spanish galleons weigh 1,200 tons.

Good luck today, huh?

HOWARD: We just have to find the right kind of wood.

Something light but strong.

-Morning, Kate. -ODEKIRK: Pine, cedar, maybe birch.

MAN: Catch.

From my farm.

If you like it, I can get you a bushel.

Trouble with Mr. Hughes?

(SCOFFS)

There's too much Howard Hughes in Howard Hughes.

That's the trouble.

(BOO WOO PLAYING ON RADIO)

JACK: Beautiful.

Don't you even take Christmas off?

Nice to see you, Bob. Sorry, I got grease on my hands.

Have we got something to show you.

(INCREASING VOLUME)

Take a look.

She's the XF-11 reconnaissance flier. Spy plane, really.

Designed every inch of her myself.

She's got a top speed of 450,

which means she can outrun anything they throw against her.

After the Japs stole my H-1 design for their goddamn Zeros,

I figured I needed to do them one better, right?

Yeah. She's my Buck Rogers ship.

She's a looker.

Okay, what have you got for me?

Jiminy Cricket!

(ALL LAUGHING)

Seating capacity for 60, wingspan 123 feet.

Four double Cyclone engines. Her ceiling's 25,000 feet.

-Gross weight? -86,000, wing loading of 41 pounds.

So less drag on the plane in thinner air.

So at high cruise power, you're looking at a top speed of around 340.

Giving her a range of about 3,000 miles.

-Cross-country. -Nonstop. (LAUGHS)

Bob, you know something? You are a son of a bitch.

(ALL LAUGHING)

(CLEARING THROAT)

Yeah.

Bob, you got something on your suit.

Yeah.

On your lapel there. You got something on your lapel.

Right there, Bob.

You missed it. Right there.

Clean it off, would you?

Here. Thanks.

Now throw it away.

No, over there.

Thanks.

So what do you call her?

The Constellation. But we can change that.

No, no, no.

It's pretty. I like her.

So what kind of deal can you give me? What kind of deal can you give me?

We'll give you the first 40 planes off the assembly line.

That should give us about two years exclusivity with her.

Hell, more than that.

United and American don't have the imagination for a plane like this.

JACK: Two years ahead of Juan Trippe then.

How much?

$450,000 each.

That's $18 million for the first 40.

Hell, TWA can't afford that. The damn airline's flat broke.

(SIGHING)

Guess I'll just have to pay for them myself.

Build them, Bob. Send the bill to Noah Dietrich.

Oh, and thank you.

Merry Christmas.

NOAH ON PHONE: You have just placed the largest order for airplanes

in the history of the damn planet, Howard.

Lockheed just sent us a bill for $18 million!

Now, now, don't you get all hysterical on me, Noah.

It isn't good for you.

This is a lot of money for some planes, Howard.

Yes. Yes, I know it's a lot of money.

It's too damn much. You think I've just got $18 million in petty cash?

Look, I should have told you earlier. It slipped my mind.

Slipped your mind? For God's sake!

Right.

But look, I'll get back to you then.

How could $18 million slip your mind?

Goodbye now.

Hi, honey. (CLEARING THROAT) What are you doing home?

You're not one for tears, and, well,

neither am I. So it's best to come out with it.

I've met someone. I've fallen in love and I'm moving out.

If I could make it any more gentle, I would.

But I can't.

So, there we both are.

Let's be honest.

It's all been a grand adventure, but it couldn't possibly last.

We're too alike, you and I.

You met someone?

Someone more appropriate. To me, I mean.

What does that mean? "More appropriate."

Someone more attuned to my needs.

Look at me, Katie.

Stop acting.

(EXCLAIMING) I'm not acting.

I wonder if you even know any more.

Don't be unkind.

You... (CLEARING THROAT)

You want to go?

Go on.

Actresses are cheap in this town, darling.

-I got a lot of money. -Howard.

-Please, this is beneath you. -No, no. This is exactly me.

You come in here out of the blue and tell me you're leaving me just like that,

and you have the nerve to expect graciousness?

I expect a little maturity.

I expect you to face the situation like an adult...

Don't talk down to me! Don't you ever talk down to me.

You are a movie star, nothing more.

(CHUCKLES DRYLY)

(DOOR SLAMMING)

(NIGHTMARE PLAYING)

(PHONE RINGING)

NOAH'S WIFE: Don't answer it.

What is it, Howard?

HOWARD: Hey, Noah.

I need you to get over to Penney's and buy me some new clothes.

-Penney's isn't open. -Oh, shit!

-It's 2:00 in the morning. -Yeah, that's right.

First thing tomorrow then, all right?

I need two new suits off the rack. One light and one dark.

Three white shirts and three pairs of white tennis shoes. You got that?

-Yeah. -No. No.

-Make it Woolworth's. -Woolworth's.

No, no. Penney's. Penney's.

All right, then.

I'll get into it as soon as I can, Howard.

Noah, do you have a recorder?

-No. -Are you recording this conversation?

-Okay.

I trust you.

-Howard... -Listen, I need those suits

first thing tomorrow, all right?

-All right. -Wait, wait.

Did I say Penney's or Woolworth's?

-Penney's. -Better make it Sears.

All right, then. Sears.

I'm sorry, honey.

If I don't answer, he'll just call back.

HOWARD: Stop there, if you please, Miss Domergue.

Have you had surgery, Miss Domergue?

No.

Do you have scars of any kind?

No.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Wipe off your lipstick.

That's much better.

Now, you understand that you'd be under contract to me?

Personally.

Do you know what that means?

Turn around for me.

Very nice.

You move well.

You live with your family, do you?

(CLEARING THROAT) Yes. Yes.

That's nice.

Tell me something.

How old are you, Miss Domergue?

Fifteen.

Holy Mother of God.

(BAND PLAYING BRAZIL)

Well, a car picks me up every morning at 8:00 and off I go.

I'm getting my high-school diploma.

Howard thinks that education is important.

That's right.

And then after classes,

I'm off for elocution, and grooming, and fittings.

Blow me down.

Don't tell me Pan Am's working out of the Cocoanut Grove now?

-Hello, Jack. -Hello, Juan.

Helen, good to see you.

-How are you, Howard? -Good. Thanks.

-This is Miss Faith Domergue. -Sit down.

-Pleasure. -What the hell are you doing out here?

Well, I'm out this way to meet with Douglas about the DC-4.

That's our new plane and it is going to be a pip, let me tell you.

How's the Constellation coming?

Good.

Great.

So how about letting me steal a peek?

(ALL LAUGHING)

I don't think so.

You know, I should be cross with you. You stole Ray Loewy from us.

He's doing our interior design. That's right.

He was doing ours.

-So, what are your colors? -Stop fishing.

(ALL LAUGHING)

So, you have buttons

or zippers?

I'm sorry?

Buttons or zippers? For the drapes on the sleeping berths.

Zippers.

Oh.

Buttons?

Uh-huh.

So, I suppose you'll be expanding on down to Mexico?

-JACK: Why do you say that? -Well, your range is 3,000 miles.

I would imagine you'd expand from Los Angeles to Mexico,

or maybe on down to South America.

That's a good idea. Anyone got a pen?

Or across the Atlantic.

Now, honey, you've had enough of this ice cream.

You give me that spoon.

You don't want to get your gloves all sticky.

Isn't that too far?

New York to Newfoundland

to Ireland

to Paris.

Well, Pan Am welcomes you.

We're overbooked as it is.

It's such a burden doing it all on your own, (LAUGHING) let me tell you.

So when's the Connie gonna be ready?

Next year, maybe. DC-4?

Next year.

Well, we look forward to her then.

And I to the Connie.

I've ordered the next 40 after you.

It's Miss...

-Domergue. -Domergue, yes, of course.

Was that a rumba or a samba you were doing out there, my dear?

-It was a samba. -A samba, yes.

Howard, I never knew you were such a good dancer.

Helen. Jack.

Good going, boss.

You just gave away our entire post-war strategy.

Ah, he can't stop us.

He's Pan Am, Howard. He can stop anything!

Waiter, give me the largest Scotch you've got.

I don't know what in the hell you're so goddamn giddy about. Excuse me.

(CLICKING TONGUE)

(SINGING I'LL BE SEEING YOU)

Jack. All right.

I want you to get in touch with Mr. Joyce and Mr. Berg.

Those are my boys in Washington.

Set up a meeting with Jesse Jones.

He's the Secretary of Commerce, old golfing buddy.

Whoa! Slow down. Slow down.

We're gonna need terminals in both Ireland and France.

And I want to get some tax breaks from them.

If that shitass thinks he owns the entire goddamn world,

-he's got another thing coming. -Pan Am owns Europe. He's smart.

-We ought to think about Mexico. -To hell with Mexico, Jack!

No one airline should have a monopoly on flying the Atlantic.

For Christ's sake, it just isn't fair. Look.

He owns Pan Am, he owns Congress, he owns the Civil Aeronautics Board.

But he does not own the sky.

We're are in a street fight with that son of a bitch now,

and I'm not gonna lose. I've been fighting

high-hat Ivy League pricks like him my whole goddamn life.

And listen, fire Ray Loewy.

You goddamn heard me? Fire Ray Loewy.

He's spying for Trippe. That shitheel knew all about the goddamn buttons.

Spies in my midst, Jack. (CLEARING THROAT)

Spies in my midst.

I'll be looking at the moon

But I'll be seeing you

-Hello, Howard. -Roland.

So, what can I do for you?

HOWARD: I want all the pictures you have

of Kate Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.

All the negatives.

And I want you to kill the story.

Howard, he's a married man. He's a Catholic.

They're both movie stars. Fair game all around.

My office knows where I am, Howard.

I'm not gonna to kill you, Roland.

I don't do that.

How much?

Not for sale.

HOWARD: How much?

Not for sale.

You ever cheat on your wife, Roland? Hmm?

You ever screw a colored girl?

You ever steal anything? You ever hurt anyone?

Good night, Howard.

You ever go to a Communist Party meeting, Roland?

TWA stock.

How much?

50,000 shares.

Ten.

All right.

BREWSTER: This isn't going to be that easy.

He's been making big contributions on both sides of the aisle.

And Jack Frye is out there lobbying everybody in town.

The French and British ambassadors are all lined up on his side now.

I'm telling you, TWA is serious about going international.

Okay.

Point, Mr. Hughes.

Very well. You know what I think?

I think it's time for you to introduce the Community Airline Bill

on the floor of the Senate.

-ls it done? -My people are finishing it right now.

I also have to get you on the committee investigating the national defense.

On the committee, or chairman?

You know, I think I'd be much more effective as chairman.

It's a great public platform. You know, it generates a lot of press.

Wasn't Truman chairman of that committee?

Yeah, right. Look,

now he's Vice President. Look what he did with it.

No, I think...

I think chairman.

What do you think?

-Chairman. That is interesting. -Yeah.

Let me show you these specs for the DC-4.

HOWARD: Ava, what do you think about Trans World Airlines?

Transcontinental and Western just doesn't fit any more.

Now that we're going international, we need a name that reflects that.

Trans World is good. Kind of peppy.

TWA, right?

Keep the same initials. That way, you don't need to

repaint the any of the planes.

That's you. Always pinching pennies.

Hand me my wrap.

(COW COW BOOGIE PLAYING ON RADIO)

Knock it off.

I have something for you.

Stay here.

What the hell is this?

It's a present. Go on, open it.

Oh. A box of trash. You shouldn't have.

Keep looking. Keep looking.

It's a Kashmiri sapphire.

Best in the world. I had my boys all over the damn globe looking for this.

Why?

Because, look,

it matches your eyes.

I am not for sale.

For Christ's sake, Ava, it's just a present.

You can't buy me, Howard. So stop trying.

Don't buy me any more diamonds or sapphires

or any other goddamn thing.

You can buy me dinner. How about that?

Jesus, Ava.

AVA: It's bad enough I have to endure those filthy gym shoes of yours,

but then I get all dolled up and we have to go in this old jalopy without a hood.

-Ava, will you marry me? -No, Howard.

Well, why not, for heaven's sake?

In the first place, I don't love you.

In the second place, I'm still married.

Look, you got girls stashed all over town.

You got a damn harem just at the Bel-Air.

Why don't you marry one of your bungalow girls?

Those are employees. I'm not gonna marry an employee.

Jesus Christ, how would that look?

(DO I WORRY? PLAYING ON RADIO)

(CRASHING)

What's going on?

Oh, my God!

God damn it!

Faith!

-Faith! What the hell? -AVA: Look out!

Goddamn, what the hell are you doing?

MAN: Are you okay, lady?

FAITH: (CRYING) What are you doing with her?

We are going to dinner, that's all. Now get out of there.

Get that crazy bitch away from me!

Don't you love me any more?

Of course I love you, pork chop.

PHOTOGRAPHER: Ava, look over here. Howard.

Hey!

JACK: Juan Trippe is working with that goddamn Senator Brewster now.

They're after you, Howard.

If the Community Airline Bill becomes law, we are finished, my friend.

Pan Am will have a legal monopoly on international travel.

How can they justify it, Jack? It's un-American.

Senator Brewster's saying that nationalized foreign carriers

like Air France and Lufthansa can offer lower rates,

'cause they don't have to compete, right?

So, hey, let's get rid of all that messy competition

and have our own nationalized airline of our own.

And why don't we make it Pan Am?

I'm not kowtowing to Washington or anyone else.

-ODEKIRK: Howard, I need you up here. -One sec, Odie.

Look, we are Trans World Airlines, all right.

Get me something with a circle or a globe

or something round, for God's sake.

Speak up.

I don't give a rat's ass what he says. I'm not making a single cut.

Tell him I'll release it without a seal.

All right. We got to go public with this.

I'm gonna talk to Hearst, see what kind of press he can give me.

But sooner or later, it's gonna come down to a vote in the Senate.

So we gotta get senators on our side.

-What do you want me to do? -Do what Trippe does, for Christ's sake.

Set up off-shore operations.

See who's up for re-election. Let's start making donations.

So you want me to bribe senators?

I don't want them bribed, Jack.

I want it done legally. I want them bought.

And put a team of investigators on Senator Brewster.

I need to know everything there is to know about that shitbag.

Where he goes, what he says, and who he screws.

-Get into it right now, Jack. -You got it.

(SIGHING) Just give me a second.

-All right, what do you need? -Rudder and elevators.

No. These are fine.

But have Simon and Pete get back to me on the hydraulic assemblies.

-We need a secondary system here. -Okay.

And listen, we need to take another look at the wheel.

-Jesus, the damn wheel? -Yeah.

It just doesn't feel right.

Christ almighty, you've seen 8,000 goddamn wheels.

Choose one. Please, just one of them.

-I know. I know. -This one?

This one...

This one's pretty close. Pretty close.

-(CLEARING THROAT) Odie. -Mmm?

That man sweeping up over there.

Does he work for me?

-I mean, have you seen him before? -Name's Nick. Something like that.

Why is he looking at me?

I don't know.

Fire him.

And make sure they use damp brooms from now on.

Respiratory diseases are expensive,

and I don't want a bunch of damn lawsuits.

Okay, but can we at least proceed with the instrument panel we discussed?

-The tool shop's ready... -No, I wanna see the blueprints again.

Howard, the deadline is now completely unrealistic.

At this rate, the war is gonna be over by the time she's done.

Now, I need you here to help consult on vital decisions,

and you're off dealing with movies.

You got a thousand goddamn workers

waiting for you to make a decision here.

Hey, Odie!

Take it easy, all right?

I understand you're under a lot of pressure.

But it's gonna do me no good if you crack up on me like that, all right?

Look, take a couple of hours off, all right?

-You just relax a little. -Okay.

-See your wife. -Okay.

-Be sure to show me all the blueprints. -All right.

Show me all the blueprints.

I'm serious now. Show me all the blueprints.

Show me all the blue... Show me all the blueprints.

-Howard... -Show me all the blueprints.

Show me all the blueprints. Show me all the blueprints.

Show me all the blueprints.

(CLEARING THROAT) I want to get this done right,

so show me all the blueprints.

Show me all the blueprints.

Show me all the blueprints. Show me all the blueprints.

Show me all the blueprints.

Show me all the blueprints. Show me all the blueprints.

-Show me all the blueprints. -Howard.

Show me all the blueprints. Show me all the blueprints.

(REPEATING)

(GRUNTING)

(SIGHING)

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

Quarantine.

Q-U-A-

R-A- N -

T-I-N-

E.

Quarantine.

(SPARKING)

(LAUGHS)

(SYMPHONY NO. 6 IN B MINOR PLAYING)

General McEwan.

Colonel Bertrang, thanks for coming down.

Odie, you reading me okay?

Yeah, Howard, you're A-okay.

All right, flight controls are active. She's all yours.

She's spotless, Odie. No wiggle on the wheel or throttle.

ODEKIRK: Take it easy.

How does she sound, Howard?

She's whispering to me, buddy.

All right, make her sing.

Well, Odie, she can fly. Congratulations.

I'm glad to hear it.

Retract landing gear and climb to 5,000 feet on a heading of 2-7-0.

HOWARD: Retracting landing gear and climbing to 5,000 feet

on a heading 2-7-0.

Jesus, she's fast!

-What's your air speed, Howard? -292.

ODEKIRK: All right, take her back to 200.

No damn way.

All right, Howard. We gotta bring her home.

Scheduled time of 1 hour and 45 minutes has elapsed.

So set course for 0-9-0. ..

Give me 10 more minutes. Roger that.

ODEKIRK: Negative, Howard. Bring her home.

Okay, okay. Setting course for

0-9-0.

Preparing to descend.

(ENGINE SPUTTERING)

Jesus!

ODEKIRK: What is it, Howard?

The right wing just dipped. I'm losing starboard engine.

Increasing power to 2,800 rpm.

Cutting back.

Increasing starboard engine only.

Cutting back. I'm losing altitude.

Howard, check starboard engine manifold pressure.

It's good, but rpm's are low.

ODEKIRK: Are both starboard props turning?

Hold on.

It looks like they are, but she's pulling me back and starboard, Odie.

How bad is your cross control?

I'm at full left rudder and full left aileron, but she won't stay level! God damn it!

Howard, give us your position.

2,000 feet over... Oh, Christ, I don't know. Beverly Hills.

1,500 feet! We're going down!

I'm gonna try for the Wilshire Country Club.

Ninth hole. You reading me?

ODEKIRK: Wilshire Country Club. Copy that. Howard, reduce engines to 1,000.

(SCREAMING)

I'm going down! I'm not going to make it, buddy!

God damn it!

(SCREAMING)

(GRUNTING)

(SCREAMING)

(GROANS)

(SCREAMING)

(COUGHING)

(SCREAMING)

(SIRENS WAILING)

Is there anyone else inside?

-Is there anyone else? -No.

I'm Howard Hughes, the aviator.

(WOMAN SCREAMING)

(SCREAMING)

DOCTOR: He has burns to 78% of his body.

Nine ribs are shattered. Not broken, shattered.

As are his nose, his chin, his cheek,

his left knee, his left elbow.

There are 60 lacerations on his face to the bone.

His chest was crushed, so his left lung has collapsed,

and his heart has shifted entirely to the right side of his chest cavity.

Jesus, God.

He's getting blood transfusions now, but...

Whose blood?

I'm sorry?

-Whose blood? -From our stock.

Oh, he's not going to like that.

Mr. Dietrich, I doubt he is ever going to like or dislike anything again.

I'm terribly sorry.

(SIGHING)

HOWARD: Orange juice.

It's not fresh from the kitchen,

so I have them make it here, so I can see.

Look at me.

I'm a monster.

Yeah.

Orange juice has nutritional value.

There's some flies outside my window though.

So, little Howard likes

citrus.

Tell me.

An oil seal ripped off the starboard rear propeller.

When the pressure dropped, the prop reversed pitch.

Do you understand me?

Howard, I'm sorry to have to tell you this now,

but there's something else.

-You following me? -Yeah.

The Air Force cancelled the contract on the Hercules.

The war's over now and they say they don't need it any more.

I have to know what you want me to do. Should I release the staff?

How far

from finishing?

-About six months. -No.

In money.

$7 million.

Maybe more.

Build it.

Build it, Odie.

NOAH: Howard.

A Constellation crashed outside Reading, Pennsylvania.

The Civil Aeronautics Board has grounded the whole fleet.

(LAUGHS)

You know,

Juan Trippe sent me flowers.

Take a look.

NOAH: What did you do with all the others?

Oh, I had them taken out.

They... They attract aphids.

Aphids are... They're just awful little creatures.

But these ones,

I wanted to see these ones every day.

RADIO ANNOUNCER: Can white elephants really fly?

That's everybody's question.

It's the hull of the world's mightiest airplane.

A flying boat built by Howard Hughes.

220 feet long, it towers higher than a five-story building.

Power lines have to be cut as it starts the trip

from Culver City, California to the Pacific 30 miles away.

Moving the 60-ton load is quite an engineering problem.

But you gotta ask, was anything this big ever supposed to fly?

There goes one wing section, 160 feet long with four engine housings.

Double that, and you've got some idea of the wing spread.

An airplane that challenges a mountain for sheer size.

How long can they keep us grounded?

Until they finish investigating the Reading crash.

Could be months.

Jesus. You're already running a $14 million deficit.

How you gonna afford to keep them out of service a week...

When we go international, we'll make it up.

Look, Brewster's CAB bill just isn't going away.

That bill passes and you've bought these goddamn planes for nothing.

We're fighting the CAB bill.

Yeah. Meanwhile, how do you suggest we keep TWA flying?

And don't say, "Just go to Toolco" this time.

As it is we're pumping every cent we have into the Hercules,

which I might add, the Air Force doesn't even want any more.

Now, look, Howard, I'm glad Jack here is feeling so sunny

about things, but I've seen the books.

I'm telling it to you straight. I'm not just crying wolf this time.

We're in serious trouble. You've got to make a choice.

You want to be bankrupted by the big plane

or by the big airline?

(CLEARING THROAT)

Go see Thomas Parkinson at the Equitable in New York.

Get a loan against all the TWA equipment and capital.

Use the planes as collateral.

Hell, use the desks, use the pens, use everything we got.

Try to get me $40 million.

And if TWA defaults on the loan?

Then Juan Trippe buys us cheap.

Under my bed!

You put a goddamn microphone under my bed!

Listen to me. I am concerned about you, baby.

I just want to make sure you're okay. That's all.

And who is in that car?

That goddamn car has been with me 24 hours a day!

That car is there for your protection!

The only one I need protection from is you, you sick bastard.

You don't own me, Howard.

I'm not one of your teenage whores, and I'm not some damn airplane!

Now, look, honey, I'll have them take all the bugs out.

You just have to understand that I need to know where you are.

-Why? -Because I worry about you, that's why!

Bullshit!

What do you mean, "all the bugs"?

(CLEARING THROAT)

What do you mean, "all the bugs"?

There's more.

How many?

I don't know. Twelve. Twelve, maybe.

And on the telephones.

Oh, Christ, Howard, on the telephone?

You listen to my phone calls?

No, no, no, honey. I would never do that. I'd never do that.

I just read the transcripts, that's all.

What do you want to know, Howard?

Was I screwing Artie Shaw last night?

Was I screwing Sinatra the night before? You bet!

Everyone told me you were a goddamn lunatic, but I didn't listen.

It's no wonder Kate Hepburn dumped your demented ass!

Shut your goddamn mouth!

Get out, you pathetic freak!

(PANTING)

Get out!

Is everything all right, sir?

Take out all the bugs.

Except for the one on the bedroom phone.

Sir, the FBI are at the house.

This is outrageous! Everything in these offices

is the private property of Hughes Productions.

My legal counsel is on the way.

Federal warrant. Don't interfere with this search, sir.

RADIO ANNOUNCER: Dateline Los Angeles.

Howard Hughes has a new houseguest.

No, it's not another beautiful starlet, this time it's the FBI.

HOWARD: Noah, you have got to help, all right?

This is the tenth goddamn time they have been here.

RADIO ANNOUNCER: Rumor has it that federal agents

working for Senator Ralph Owen Brewster

have practically taken up residence in the aviation mogul's Hollywood home.

Look, I mean, they are touching things.

Noah, Noah, they are touching things.

NOAH: Just keep yourself calm

and I'll be down there as soon as I can, Howard.

Howard?

Howard?

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

BREWSTER: Howard. Hello.

-Owen, nice to see you again. -Good to see you again.

Come on inside.

-Emma, you can start up the lunch now. -Yes, sir.

Really lovely room. It's nicely decorated.

Thank you. Here, have a seat.

Thanks for coming by.

I just thought you and I should have a chance to talk privately.

You know, outside the office.

I appreciate that, Owen.

So, you're coming out pretty strong against the CAB bill.

You're coming on pretty strong for it.

Well, it's my bill, Howard, you know.

Look, I believe sincerely

that America cannot afford to have more than one international carrier.

Mmm. So, I mean, do you think it's fair that one airline should have

-a monopoly on international travel? -A monopoly? No. No, no, no.

No, I think one airline could do it better, see, without competition.

All I'm thinking about are the interests, you know,

the needs of the American passenger.

That's just beautiful. What is that?

What is that? Is that a...

Is that a yak?

-Some kind of a yak? -No, that's a llama.

My wife picked that up when we were in Peru a year ago.

Son of a gun.

A real llama.

From Peru?

Yeah, a year ago. It was about a year ago.

Lunch is sewed, Senator.

Good. Okay, come on, let's go have some lunch.

(CLEARING THROAT)

Now, did you...

Did you actually get to see any llamas?

No. No. My wife just liked the painting.

It's a hell of an interesting animal.

I'll have to read up on those. How do you spell that?

Like Fernando Lamas?

No, no. It's...

It's the animal, it's got two "L's." Come on, have a seat.

It's brook trout. Hope you like fish.

I love it.

Thanks.

I know you're not a drinking man, so I hope water is okay.

Thanks.

All right, let's get down to business. Let's talk turkey.

My investigators have turned up a lot of dirt.

It could be really embarrassing if this stuff got out.

I'd like to save you from that embarrassment.

That's very kind of you, Owen.

My committee has the power to hold public hearings.

I'd like to spare you that.

Would you now?

Look, do you wanna go down in history as a war profiteer, Howard?

Is that what you want?

What do you want, Owen?

You agree to support my CAB bill

and I won't hold public hearings.

-I can't do that. -Why not?

I can't do that, Owen. The CAB would kill TWA.

Sell TWA to Pan Am.

You'll get a good price. You'll get a fair price, I'm telling you.

-And then you won't go public? -Right. That's right.

The investigation's closed. Nobody knows a thing.

It's better for everybody.

You know, Owen,

-I'm still wondering one thing. -What's that?

You know the picture of the llama you got last year?

Yeah.

Where'd you sail from?

We didn't sail. We flew.

-You flew? -Yeah.

Oh.

Are you sure you want to do this, Owen?

You want to go to war with me?

It isn't me, Howard. It's the United States government.

We just beat Germany and Japan.

Who the hell are you?

You tell Juan Trippe something for me, all right?

Tell him thanks for the flowers.

And he can kiss both sides of my ass.

(PANTING)

(GRUNTING)

BREWSTER: Well, we have a long list of particulars. Chief among them

is that he defrauded the American government of $56 million

while we were at war, when we could least afford it.

While brave men were dying on the beaches of Normandy,

Mr. Hughes was picking the pocket of the American taxpayer.

I sleep

in this room

in the dark.

I'll have him dragged here to Washington, if I have to.

I want to see the whites of his lies.

I have a place

to sleep.

BREWSTER: He has a lot of questions to answer, son.

I have a chair.

Particularly about that monstrous boondoggle of his.

That model airplane he's building, that flying lumberyard,

(ALL LAUGHING)

that Spruce Goose.

No, we will get him here.

HOWARD: (EXHALING) That's just beautiful.

I like the desert.

It's hot there in the desert, but it's clean.

It's clean.

I need to sleep. (CLEARING THROAT)

(PROJECTOR WHIRRING)

I should drink something first.

I should drink something first.

Wait a minute.

What if that milk is sour?

If that milk is bad,

I shouldn't pick up the bottle of milk with my right hand.

I shouldn't take

the top off with my left hand,

put it in my pocket,

my left pocket.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Howard, it's Kate. I need to talk to you.

Can you hear me?

I'm coming in.

(DOOR RATTLING)

(SIGHING)

Howard, unlock this door immediately.

I can't, sweetie.

You mean you won't.

Howard, please let me see you.

I haven't shaved.

Well, neither have I.

(LAUGHS)

Come on.

You let me in.

I can hear you, Katie.

I could always hear you. Even in the cockpit with the engines on.

(LAUGHS) That's because I'm so goddamn loud.

Howard, I...

I came to thank you.

I found out what you did for Spence and me.

Buying those awful pictures.

You love him.

He's everything I have.

(SCRAPING)

Howard.

I'm glad for you, Kate.

Go away now. Would you do that?

Howard, please.

Go away.

Just for now. I'll see you soon.

-We'll go flying together. -Yes.

Yes, please. You take me flying again.

Howard, I can take the wheel.

Howard?

Howard, are you there?

Howard?

Howard, are you there?

Come on, Howard.

Come in with the milk. Come in with the milk.

Come in with the milk. Come in with the milk.

Come in with the milk. Come in with the milk.

He is to open the bag with his right hand

and hold the bag out to me at a 45-degree angle

so I may reach into the bag

(CLEARING THROAT) without touching the paper.

Repeated from the beginning. Repeated from the beginning.

Repeated from the beginning.

If there is any variation of these instructions,

even to the smallest degree,

the entire process

must be repeated from the beginning.

-Come in with the milk. -HOWARD: Repeated…

-Come in with the milk. -HOWARD: …from the beginning.

Q-

R-

N-

(URINATING)

T…

Q-

U…

E…

I…

T…

I…

N…

E…

N…

E-E...

I…

(PANTING)

JUAN: Howard.

Hello?

Who is it?

Howard, it's Juan.

(CLEARING THROAT) Juan.

Juan, right.

We had an appointment, right? Yeah.

I remember that. Look.

I've got a hell of a cold in here.

A hell of a cold. So why don't you just take a seat out there 'cause, you know,

I don't want to get you sick.

I'd never forgive myself if I got you sick.

You know, I don't want to get you sick. I don't want to...

Thank you.

Okay, Howard, I'm sitting.

I've brought along our accountings.

Now, Pan Am is trading at thirteen and five-eighths

-TWA at four and a quarter... -HOWARD: Oh, come on!

Come on, come on, come on, come on.

We both know I'm not going to sell TWA!

Besides, you couldn't afford her anyway!

Our domestic routes alone are worth more than twice Pan Am!

Considering our stock is trading at three times yours,

I find that a dubious claim, Howard.

What I mean is, you have no domestic routes, all right?

I mean, you get TWA, you span the globe.

Now I'm not gonna sell, and you know I'm not gonna sell.

Here's the point.

Owen Brewster works for you!

Howard, I didn't elect Senator Brewster.

We can thank the voters of Maine for that.

If I appear at his hearings, Juan, it could get nasty.

(CLEARING THROAT) Real nasty for all of us.

Well, I think considerably more so for you.

While the good people of America were losing sons at Anzio,

you produced a dirty movie and built airplanes that don't fly.

HOWARD: Well, that's just not fair, is it?

I mean, the XF-11 flew quite well for an hour and 45 minutes!

I mean, I wish you were up there with me, Juan. It was exhilarating!

Be that as it may, you still have to answer for the Spruce Goose.

It's called the Hercules!

And it will fly, god damn it!

I certainly hope so.

The American people deserve something for their $13 million.

I won't sell TWA!

I won't!

I know that, Howard.

I know that.

But I'm going to get it anyway.

You're going to default on your loan from Equitable

after Senator Brewster destroys your reputation,

and you can't find additional capital for the airline.

The hearings will also show Hughes Aircraft

to be mismanaged and incompetent

and it will go bankrupt, too.

But you won't be insolvent. You'll still have Toolco.

Perhaps you'll head back to Houston to rebuild your empire.

I rather hope you do.

By that time, Pan Am will have bought TWA

and painted all those magnificent Connies blue and white.

So when you do return, it will be on a Pan Am plane.

Well...

You seem to have me in a corner here, buddy.

Not a position in which I'm very comfortable.

I think you're going to be less comfortable

at Senator Brewster's hearings.

Very public, Howard.

Lots of cameras and newsmen.

I understand you're not particularly fond of crowds.

Perhaps we should spare you that.

Well, thank you for your concern, Juan.

I find that

very moving.

It's been a real pleasure.

Noah will see you back to the airport now.

You fly safe.

You fly safe.

Thank you, Howard, and you take care of that cold.

Oh, don't you worry.

I certainly will.

Bye-bye.

(JUAN SIGHS)

If you let him appear at those hearings,

the whole world will see what he's become.

People should remember him as he was.

He'll have a subpoena in three days to appear in Washington.

If you can get him out of there by then.

(SCREAMING)

(GROANING)

(DOOR OPENING)

(GASPING)

Mr. Hughes?

(SIGHING) I don't have any shoes.

Could you get me some shoes?

-Shoes. -Yeah.

How nice of you to dress for me.

Can I come in?

Yeah, you can come in.

Thank you for coming.

Now, let's get a drink.

Wait, wait, wait. Honey, you can't move. You're safe here.

You're in the germ-free zone now. You understand?

I'll take my chances.

No, no, honey. Wait, wait, wait.

(CLEARING THROAT)

Love what you've done with the place.

Now, let me look at you.

When do you go to Washington?

A week.

No, just under a week.

I don't know the date today, but I have to be...

All right, take it easy.

(TINKLING)

There's nothing there, Howard.

Mmm.

I see things.

I know, baby.

Rinse your face off now.

Put your hands in the water and wash off the soap.

I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere.

-Does that look clean to you? -Nothing's clean, Howard.

But we do our best, right?

Yeah.

What do you think?

-I look all right. -You look great.

Will you marry me?

You're too crazy for me.

I got to go, baby.

Okay.

Thanks.

You'd do it for me.

REPORTER: Hi, Howard. How you doing?

(PEOPLE MURMURING)

(BREWSTER BANGING GAVEL)

The Committee will come to order.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I must insist that we maintain quiet during the proceedings.

All right, Mr. Hughes, will you stand and be sworn?

Do you solemnly swear

that in the matter now pending before this committee,

you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,

-so help you God? -I do.

Pardon me for speaking loudly.

But I understand you have some difficulty hearing.

That's quite all right.

I mean, everybody knows I'm deaf. I'm not gonna try to hide it.

(ALL LAUGHING)

Mr. Hughes, it is the intention of this committee...

Mr. Hughes has a statement.

All right, you may proceed with this statement, Mr. Hughes.

Mr. Hughes, do you have a statement?

I'm going to attempt to be honest here.

I mean, my reputation's being destroyed,

so I may as well lay the cards on the table.

Senator Brewster, if you hadn't gone too far overboard,

if you hadn't put the red hot iron in my side,

I might've been willing to take a shellacking

in this publicity spree of yours.

l might've been willing to sit back and take a certain amount of abuse

simply because, well,

I am only a private citizen,

whereas you are a senator, with all sorts of powers.

But I think this goddamn circus has gone on long enough!

(BANGING GAVEL) That's quite sufficient...

You have called me a liar, sir, in the press.

You have called me a liar and a thief and a war profiteer!

The witness will restrain his comments...

Why not tell the truth for once, Senator?

Why not tell the truth that this investigation was really born

on the day that TWA first decided to fly to Europe?

On the day that TWA first invaded Juan Trippe's territory.

(BANGING GAVEL) Sit down, Mr. Hughes.

On the day that TWA first challenged the generally accepted theory

that only Juan Trippe's great Pan American Airways

had the sacred right to fly the Atlantic!

You are not here to make a speech.

(ALL MURMURING)

I asked for silence!

I asked for quiet in this room, and we're going to have quiet.

We have in our possession receipts in the amount of $170,000

acquired from Mr. John Meyer.

Mr. Meyer works for you, does he not?

He does.

And what is his official title?

I don't exactly know, Senator. A lot of people work for me.

Can you explain why your press agent would pay out

more than $170,000 to representatives of the United States Air Force?

Well, I don't know. I suppose you'd have to ask him, Senator.

Well, would you produce him?

-Produce him? -Will you cause him to appear?

Senator, you had John Meyer on the stand for three days last week.

Well, be that as it may, we would like him to reappear here.

Would you ask him to return?

No, I don't think I will.

(ALL MURMURING)

Will you try to have him return?

No, I don't think I'll try.

You don't think you'll try?

No. I don't think so.

(ALL LAUGHING)

BREWSTER: The $170,000 paid out to the Air Force, in the form of hotel suites,

TWA stock, female companionship.

Now is it possible that these could be considered bribes?

I suppose you could call them that, yes.

Would you repeat that?

I said I suppose you could consider them bribes, yes.

Would you like to explain that, Mr. Hughes?

I'm afraid you don't know how the aviation business works, Senator.

See, wining and dining Air Force dignitaries is common in our business.

It's because we all want the big contracts.

All the major aircraft companies do it.

Now, I don't know whether it's a good system or not.

I just know it is not illegal.

You, Senator, you are the lawmaker.

If you pass a law that states no one can entertain Air Force officers, well, hell,

I'd be happy to abide by it.

(ALL LAUGHING)

Senator Brewster, your story is a pack of lies,

and I can tear it apart if allowed to cross examine you.

We're not going to have this bickering back and forth.

Somewhere between 200 and 500, if you'll just let me get started...

If you believe that because of your great wealth and power

you can intimidate any member of this committee,

I want to advise you that you're mistaken. Now, submit your questions.

HOWARD: Now, I'll put this very simply. On February 12,

at the Mayflower Hotel, did you or did you not tell me

that if I were to sell TWA to Pan Am

that this entire investigation would be called off?

No, I did not.

And I have asked you repeatedly to submit your questions in writing.

How long have you known Juan Trippe, Senator?

I've known Mr. Trippe for some time now and...

Is it not true that Juan Trippe donated $20,000 to your last campaign?

I mean, he spoke to me as if you worked for him.

(ALL EXCLAIMING)

l have a personal friendship with Mr. Trippe...

Is it not true that you accept free tickets from Pan Am

so you can circle the globe in support of your CAB bill?

-BREWSTER: No, it is not true. -Who wrote that bill?

BREWSTER: We're asking the questions...

Who actually wrote the CAB bill?

The actual words in the bill. Did you write them?

This is not how these hearings are going to be conducted, Mr. Hughes.

I have it right here. Maybe it'll refresh your memory.

"Bill S987 to amend the Civil Aeronautics Act."

Now, you introduced this bill to the Senate.

A lot of words.

You write all of them?

-Did you write any of them, Senator? -Now look, Mr. Hughes...

Now this entire bill was written by Pan Am executives

and designed to give that airline a monopoly on international travel.

And you've been flogging this bill all around the world on their behalf,

have you not?

I have duties that take me all over the world, Mr. Hughes.

Well, what the hell does a Senator from Maine need to visit Peru for?

I was seeking outlets for our trade goods.

Ah.

Buy a lot of lobsters down there, do they?

(ALL LAUGHING)

Senator Brewster, how many times have you visited Juan Trippe's office

in New York in the last three months?

Would you like me to tell you, Senator?

All right, this has gone on long enough. Juan Trippe is a great American.

His airline has advanced the cause

of commercial aviation in this country for decades.

Juan Trippe is a patriot.

Juan Trippe is not a man who is interested in making money.

HOWARD: Hmm.

Well, I'm sure his stockholders will be happy to hear that.

(ALL LAUGHING)

BREWSTER: I'm telling you, we're gonna clear this room.

ON RADIO: This is James McNamara,

speaking to you from aboard the Howard Hughes 200-ton flying boat,

the world's largest aircraft.

This is the sky giant which has prompted Congress

to investigate the war contracts with Mr. Hughes.

Today, before boarding the craft, Mr. Hughes told newsmen

that this test would be solely a taxi experiment.

He said he didn't know what might happen.

He pointed out that the mammoth flying plywood shell

might ship some water under high-speed taxi pressure.

He said definitely, however,

that he would not take the craft into the air until next spring.

The thin man from Culver City

pronounced the craft an unknown quantity.

Hi, boys.

McNAMARA: He has an idea what the plane can do…

None of that now. None of that.

McNAMARA: As we speak to you,

we are about five feet in back of Mr. Hughes.

And we are looking through one of the side windows in the cockpit.

Professor, why don't you come on up front here?

McNAMARA: In other words, we are 30 feet high in this aircraft.

Strap yourself in right there. You ought to be able to see just great.

McNAMARA: …visualize just how gigantic this ship is.

Huge crowds jammed the surrounding shoreline this morning…

All right, boys.

Let's fire it up.

One's good.

(PROPELLERS REVVING)

Two's good.

Three's good.

Four's good.

Five's good.

Six is good.

Seven's good.

Eight's good.

-Advancing master throttles. -Advancing master throttles.

McNAMARA: As you probably know by now,

l have to do a great deal of screaming here into our microphone.

Understood.

-Lowering 15 degrees of flaps. -Lowering 15 degrees of flaps.

Howard, she's got to hit 70 to have any kind of chance.

Yeah, I know. I know.

McNAMARA: I might add that it's a beautiful day

over here off the coast of Southern California.

Crystal blue skies, warm sun…

25 miles per hour.

McNAMARA: …and a relatively calm sea.

30.

35.

McNAMARA: One would think that these eight power plants

might shake the mighty craft to pieces.

Take it easy, Howard.

McNAMARA: …it certainly is holding up…

-ODEKIRK: Forty. -Throttling back for starboard turn 180.

ODEKIRK: Throttling back for starboard turn 180.

McNAMARA: The flight crew itself consists of four men.

Mr. Hughes, however, has added 11 maintenance men

to this maiden taxi test,

stationed at various places throughout the ship,

checking points of stress and strain.

How does she sound, Odie?

Sounds good, Howard.

-Professor. -Yes?

Do me a favor?

Would you take a look out that window there

and tell me what the wind is doing?

I would say that we have a 15-knot wind.

Would you call that a headwind, Professor?

I would, Mr. Hughes.

BREWSTER: Must insist that we maintain silence.

We must have quiet during these proceedings.

All right, Mr. Hughes, will you stand and be sworn?

Mr. Hughes, did you receive $43 million

to manufacture 100 XF-11 spy planes for the United States Air Force?

I did.

How many functional planes did you deliver to the United States Air Force?

None.

Would you lean a little closer to the microphones, sir?

None.

Did you receive $13 million

to manufacture a prototype of a flying boat

known as the Hercules?

(CLEARING THROAT) I did.

And did you deliver that plane?

I did not.

So by your admission in this chamber, Mr. Hughes,

you have received $56 million from the United States government

for planes you never delivered.

That is correct.

(ALL MURMURING)

Well, excuse me for asking, Mr. Hughes,

but where did all that money go?

Well, it went into the planes, Senator. And a lot more.

More? (CHUCKLING)

Do tell, Mr. Hughes, what other larcenies did you commit?

I mean, I put my money into the planes, Senator.

My money.

See, the thing is, that I care...

Mr. Hughes, your personal finances are not...

Let him speak.

Proceed, Mr. Hughes.

See, the thing is, I care very much about aviation.

It has been the great joy of my life.

That's why I put my own money into these planes.

And I've lost millions, Senator Brewster,

and I'll go on losing millions.

It's just what I do.

Now if I've lost a lot of the government's money during the war,

I hope folks will put that into perspective.

You see, more than 60 other airplanes

ordered from such firms as Lockheed, Douglas, Northrop, and Boeing

never saw action, either.

In all, more than $800 million

was spent during the war on planes that never flew.

Over $6 billion on other weapons that were never delivered.

Yet, Hughes Aircraft with her $56 million

is the only firm under investigation here today.

Now, I cannot help but think that has a little more to do with TWA

than planes that did not fly.

I think you've made your point, Mr. Hughes.

One second. Senator Brewster I have one more thing

to say here to this committee.

And that has to do with the Hercules.

Now I am supposed to be many things which are not complimentary.

I am supposed to be capricious.

I have been called a playboy. I've even been called an eccentric.

But I do not believe that I have the reputation of being a liar.

Needless to say, the Hercules was a monumental undertaking.

It is the largest plane ever built.

It is over five stories tall,

with a wingspan longer than a football field.

That's more than a city block.

Now, I put the sweat of my life into this thing.

I got my reputation all rolled up in it.

And I have stated several times that if the Hercules failed to fly,

I will leave this country and never come back.

And I mean it.

(ALL MURMURING)

Now, Senator Brewster,

you can subpoena me, you can arrest me,

you can even claim that I've folded up and taken a run-out powder,

but, well, I've had just about enough of this nonsense. Good afternoon.

(ALL APPLAUDING)

-Mr. Hughes. -Mr. Hughes.

I'd love to see the Hercules in the air.

Thank you.

NOAH: Excuse us. Excuse us please. Thank you.

Switch it off.

-The hearings aren't over yet. -The hearings are over.

The airline bill will be defeated in the Senate.

TWA will begin flights from New York to Paris

then on to Moscow, to Japan, to Hawaii,

to Los Angeles,

to New York.

Fuck.

-Power coming up! -ODEKIRK: Power coming up!

McNAMARA ON RADIO: Howard Hughes has just alerted us.

He's asked everyone to hold on.

Tremendous horsepower picking up.

-Let me hear it, Odie! -Twenty-five miles per hour.

Thirty.

McNAMARA: Here we go.

ODEKIRK: 35.

McNAMARA: The airspeed indicator has moved up to 25. 30.

-35. -ODEKIRK: 40.

McNAMARA: And he pushes the throttle. It's 40.

-45. -McNAMARA: 45.

More throttle.

-45. 50. -ODEKIRK: 50.

McNAMARA: It's 50 over a choppy sea.

ODEKIRK: 55.

MCNAMARA: It's 55. 55.

-60. -McNAMARA: More throttle.

ODEKIRK: 65.

-70. -MCNAMARA: It's 70.

ODEKIRK: 75. MCNAMARA: It's 75.

And something momentarily cut out,

but at least we are airborne.

We are airborne, ladies and gentlemen.

And I don't believe that Howard Hughes meant this to be.

(ALL CHEERING)

And we were really up in the air.

We were really up in the air.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Hughes mammoth aircraft

has flown this afternoon in Los Angeles Harbor.

It certainly looks, at this moment

that Howard Hughes will be around the United States

for quite some time to come.

HOWARD: You must understand,

technologies like these are the way of the future.

That's enough questions.

JACK: TWA and Hughes Aircraft are delighted

to have you come here and witness this wonderful sight.

-Excuse us for just a second. -Sorry.

-So you feel like going to Paris? -Now?

TWA is starting up flights to Europe.

Thought I might pilot the first one myself. Ought to be some fun.

-Lots of good shopping in Paris. -HeII, I'll buy you anything you want.

You can buy me dinner. How about that?

Dinner then. We got a date?

Okay, baby, you got a date.

I'll be back in a second. Don't you go anywhere now. I mean it.

All right, listen, boys. Something new.

Jet airplanes. You know anything about jets?

No, but it sounds expensive.

It will be. But we gotta get started.

Come on, walk with me.

Whoever can start utilizing jet technology

on commercial airliners is gonna win all the marbles. You understand?

Odie, what do you know about the science?

I know a little.

I can work something to show you. Basic turbine stuff.

Noah, who are those fellows?

Do they work for me?

Everybody works for you, Howard.

Lockheed worked on the F-80.

So let's get Bob Gross on the phone and see if he can help us out.

Okay.

-What, now? -Of course now.

We got to get into it. Jets are going to be the way of the future.

-It's 4:30. -NOAH: I talked to Bob last week.

-He's in New York, so it's 7:30. -ODEKIRK: He won't be in the office.

We'll get Nancy to figure out what hotel he's at.

Question is, do you want a telephone call

or you want some kind of meeting right away?

We want a meeting, don't we, Howard?

Want me to bring him here tomorrow then, Howard?

-The way of the future. -NOAH: Howard?

-ODEKIRK: Howard? -The way of the future.

-The way of the future. -Let's take a walk, Howard.

-The way of the future. -Give me a hand here, will you, Glenn?

The way of the future. (CLEARING THROAT)

(REPEATING) The way of the future.

NOAH: All right, stay here. I'll be right back. You understand, Howard?

Guard the door. I'll get a doctor. No one sees him like this.

(CLEARING THROAT)

The way of the future. The way of the future.

HOWARD'S MOTHER: You are not safe.

YOUNG HOWARD: When I grow up

I'm going to fly the fastest planes ever built,

make the biggest movies ever,

and be the richest man in the world.

(WHISPERING) The way of the future.

The way of the future.

The way of the future.

The way of the future.

The way of the future.

(ECHOING) The way of the future.

(MOONLIGHT SERENADE PLAYING)

(HOWARD HUGHES PLAYING)

Everybody, let me tell you about speed

In a time of need

Get up in the morning and put on your shoes

And you can read about Howard Hughes, oh, Lord

Read about Howard Hughes

Get up in the morning, read about Howard Hughes

Howard Hughes was a millionaire

He said, "I'm gonna take a little trip up in the air"

He take a trip all around this world

Try to beat the record of the great Lindbergh, oh, Lord

Of the great Lindbergh

Try to beat the record of the great Lindbergh

Katharine Hepburn was at home on her knees

Howard Hughes was in the air He was fighting with speed

Howard Hughes got back home and he fell on the air

He's looking at girls going to that fair, oh, Lord

Going to that fair

Just looking at girls going to that fair