Melvin and Howard (1980)

My Review

“Melvin and Howard” is the story of a man who claims to have befriended billionaire Howard Hughes one night in a Nevada desert when he gave him a ride in his pickup truck. About ten years later, Hughes passed away and someone delivered a will to Melvin that Hughes left him a large amount of cash, with a media circus ensuing. Director Jonathan Demme (“Last Embrace” 1979) put together an entertaining comedy-drama film based on real-life events. The excellent screenplay was written by Bo Goldman.

The cast delivered good performances including Paul Le Mat as Melvin Dummar, Jason Robards as Howard Hughes, and Mary Steenburgen as Melvin’s wife. Co-stars include Pamela Reed, Michael J. Pollard, Dabney Coleman, Rick Lenz, Charles Napier, Cheryl Smith, Jack Kehoe, and Gloria Grahame in a small role. The watchable “Melvin and Howard” was a flop at the box office for Universal Pictures. It was nominated for three Academy Awards, winning two for Best Actress (Steenburgen) and Best Screenplay – Written Directly For the Screen (Goldman). The non-winner was Best Supporting Actor (Robards).