Throughout the 20th century, it has been the media’s job to pinpoint what events and people would prove to be an effective story. This was certainly the case for Howard R. Hughes. Son to the wealthy Howard Hughes Sr., Howard became the interest of the American people and newspapers for most of his life. Being deemed one of the most famous men of the mid-20th century was greatly attributed to Hughes’s skills as an industrialist, aviator, and motion-picture producer combined with his enormous wealth, intellect, and achievement. The media thrived on Howard’s unusual and sometimes scandalous life, especially in his later years when newspapers would frequently front large amounts of money to get stories on Hughes. Howard was also associated with what has been called one of the greatest publishing hoaxes in history.

Howard Hughes Sr., commonly known as Big Howard, was a graduate of the Harvard School of Law, yet never once appeared before a court of law. Big Howard spent the first 36 years of his life chasing money across the Texas plains, as a wildcatter and a speculator in oil leases, working hard enough and earning just enough to move on to another, hopefully

By the end of January 1972, Clifford Irving did an about-face, stunning his army of supporters with a confession that the autobiography was a hoax. “I never met Howard Hughes,” Irving now said. “It was a cheap caper, nothing more.” The book had resulted from a combination of careful research and daring imagination. Amid massive worldwide publicity, Irving was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in federal prison only two months after he appeared on the cover of Time.

It was money that etched Howard Hughes into the public mind. The sound of his name was associated with untold wealth, wealth supposedly accumulated through his gift for turning all he touched to gold. left the world with a spectacular legacy that will be remembered for years to come. His contributions to the film business, such as attention to detail and high budget spending, are still being used to this day. Howard’s cutting edge technology used to build his many planes has let to development of many aircrafts presently in use. In truth, we are left with two Howard Hugheses- the public and the private: the rational disguise and the world of shadows, of instinct to preserve and protect at any cost the image he had created. That it has taken so many years for the veil to part is tribute both to his genius and to his tragedy.

Howard took the helm of Hughes Tool at the age of eighteen. Fully aware that he was unable of managing a multi-million dollar firm, he set out to find solid management. Hughes found it two months later in Noah Dietrich, an out of work accountant. Before hiring Dietrich, Hughes insisted that they go on a seven-day train ride. Hughes never mentioned one detail about the business over the seven-day period, and announced to Dietrich upon their return that he was hired. Dietrich managed Hughes' business affairs and Hughes Tool for the next thirty years. In 1925, an old friend of Big Howard approached Hughes Jr. to help him finance a film project that he was working on. Hughes agreed on the condition that he be allowed on the set of the film, and be given access to everyone working on the film, so that he might learn about the process himself. An agreement was made and Howard Hughes moved back to Hollywood. Hughes spent all of his time on the set of Swell Hogan, constantly questioning the cameramen, insisting that he must look through the lens before each shot was taken. Due mostly to his lack of film knowledge, every scene was shot twice, and production costs quickly doubled to $80,000. On one occasion, Hughes was discovered by the night watchman surrounded by neat groups of bits and pieces of a film projector. When asked what he was doing, Hughes replied that if he were going to be in the movie business, he would need to know how everything worked, down to the projectors themselves. By dawn the next day the projector was back in order, and Hughes was back on the set of Swell Hogan. Dollars were not of concern to Hughes as the cash flowed freely out of Hughes Tool. In early 1926, Hughes bought controlling shares in a chain of 125 theaters, and 70 percent interest in Multi-Color, a corporation developing color motion picture film. Swell Hogan was finished by mid-1926, and failed miserably in its first screening. Hughes hired the best producers and editors in Hollywood, but the film could not be salvaged. Hughes placed the film on a shelf and bought his friend a new car. All of Hughes’ ventures were financed by Hughes Tool, of which Hughes’ remaining family was 25% owners. Distraught with his losses on Swell Hogan, Hughes’ family phoned and warned him of the dangers of show business. Enraged at himself and his failures, Hughes bought the remaining shares of Hughes Tool at twice their value and turned to successful director Lewis Milestone to work on future movie projects. Hughes and Milestone churned out three movies in two years, including Everybody’s Acting, The R

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Approximate Word count = 4125
Approximate Pages = 17 (250 words per page double spaced)