Howard Hughes: The Man & His Madness (DVD)

Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. (1905-1976) was a billionaire businessman, a pioneer of aviation and an award-winning film producer. He dabbled in politics. He developed the first “flying boat,” the push-up bra and the automatic hospital bed. He was adept at turning his hobbies into lucrative industries.

Yet, despite all of his successes, he had no true friends or family. In the 1950s he became a recluse and was plagued by debilitating obsessive-compulsive disorders. Eventually, Hughes signed over his many business ventures to trusted advisors. In April 1976, after many years of drug abuse, Hughes slipped into a coma and died en route to a Houston hospital. It was a sad end to the life of a man who had a developed an unrivalled business empire.

This MPI original production takes a look at the rise and fall of the Hughes empire. Through the archival footage and interviews with the few people who had contact with him, unravel some of the mysteries surrounding one of the richest men of the 20th century.