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- [00:00]
Lindsey Graham
There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery app as a member of Noiser plus at noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts. Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts@intohristory.com Lights, Camera, Action Even in an age of streaming media and abundant influencers, the glamour of Hollywood is undeniable and for many, irresistible. But imagine for a moment that it's not 2025 but 1925. Hollywood is brimming with stars and starlets with more to come. Los Angeles is a shimmering beacon drawing ambitious and talented hopefuls from around the country. No one knows it yet, but the motion picture industry is about to enter its golden age when the talkies replace silent movies in 1927, and some of the most foundational films of all time are going to be made in the next decade. So yes, it's 1925 and you've just inherited a fortune vast enough to make you one of the most wealthy people in America. And you're just 18 years old. You very well might do exactly what Howard Hughes did in this situation. Pack up and move to la determined to break it into the movie business or just buy into it. You've got money to burn, right? But do you have the vision, the ambition, the cunning to make it in Hollywood? On today's Saturday matinee, we're bringing you the first episode of a four part series on Howard Hughes and Hollywood from one of my other podcasts, Business Movers. I hope you enjoy. While you're listening, be sure to search for and follow Business Movers. We put a link in the show notes to make it easy for you avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start. Thumbtack knows homes, so you don't have to. Don't know the difference between matte paint, finish and satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is. With Thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro, you just have to hire one. You can hire top rated pros, see price estimates and read reviews all on the app. Download Thumbtack today.
- [02:17]
Unknown
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- [03:19]
Lindsey Graham
It's spring, 1928. On an airfield in Inglewood, California. Under the midday sun, 22 year old millionaire film producer Howard Hughes stands at the edge of a dusty Runway and shakes his head as a pilot stalls a biplane. It's a few months into the shooting of Howard's most ambitious movie to date. A World War I epic with real dogfights in the sky. But there's a problem holding back today's filming. His pilot can't even take off. Howard calls out, what on earth are you doing? Sorry, Mr. Hughes. She's a little cranky today. Might need a minute to cool off. Howard marches toward the plane, irritation written all over his face. You're being too cautious on the throttle. You need to show these old kites who's boss. Give it some gas, she'll fire right up. But sir, if I push too hard, the engine might overheat. Could cut out in midair. And if you baby it, we sit here all day burning time and money. I'm not paying for you to twiddle your thumbs. I'm paying for results. I understand, sir, but this isn't the throttle. It's. It's about feel know when I feel frustrated. Just. Just get out. Excuse me? Get out of the cockpit if you can't fly. A simple stunt, I'll do it myself. Sir, with. With all due respect, these. These old planes are temperamental. Howard steps closer. You ever heard of the Wright brothers? Of course I have, sir. Yeah, they're my fifth cousins. I've been flying since I was 14. So unless you're telling me I can't handle a trainer plane, get your ass out of the seat. All right. Yes, sir. The pilot exits the cockpit and drops to the ground. Howard hoists himself onto the wing, swings into the cockpit and buckles in. He glances down at the pale faced pilot. All right, crank her up. The pilot takes hold of the propeller and heaves the engine fires right up. Now go sit with the crew and maybe you'll learn something. Sure thing, Mr. Hughes. Just remember, if she stole. I already told you, I know what I'm doing. Howard guns the throttle and the plane lurches forward. Watch and learn. In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made history with the first powered flight. 25 years on, airplanes were still a rudimentary technology. And flying was a dangerous business. So even though Howard had logged hunting hundreds of hours in the air, his choice to take the controls of an aircraft he'd never flown before was risky. But Howard was as stubbornly confident in his ability in the cockpit as he was at making movies. He'd soon learn a harsh lesson though. Piloting an airplane was the same as the movie business. Some movies took off and others would crash and burn. From wondery. I'm Lindsey Graham and this is business members. Movies are big business. In 2024, Hollywood produced films made $30 billion at the global box office. Most of it pocketed by five major Disney, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Brothers. But the dominance of just a handful of filmmakers is not a recent phenomenon. For as long as Hollywood has been making movies, the industry has been ruled by a select few. But that has not stopped a handful of independent producers breaking into the big time. And one of the first did it before he was old enough to vote. In 1924, Texas toolmaker Howard Hughes Sr. Died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 54. That left his successful business in the hands of his son Howard Jr. Who after grieving his father, found himself to be an 18 year old millionaire. But Howard wasn't interested in running the family business. He had other dreams. He wanted to qualify as an expert pilot. He wanted to be the world's best golfer. And he wanted to get into the movie business. Becoming a pilot was relatively easy. Howard had money and nerve. Improving his golf game would take a little more patience and practice. But Howard's third ambition was the trickiest of all. In Hollywood, he was an outsider. A Texan in Tinseltown with no production experience but determined to make his mark. And over the next three decades, Howard would become one of Hollywood's most infamous and influential figures. He'd revolutionized the way filmmakers financed, produced and promoted their movies, battling the studio system only to eventually join it. But no matter how powerful he became, Howard would always remain an outsider. And from the very beginning, he learned a hard In Hollywood, success is never guaranteed. This is our first episode in a four part series on Howard Hughes and Hollywood calling the shots. It's 1925 at the Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, California. One year after the death of Howard Hughes Sr. The now 19 year old Howard Jr. Places a golf ball on the first tee and takes a few practice Swings. His game has come on nicely since he moved to LA A few weeks ago. Howard moved west to get into the movie business. But he's waiting for the right project to come along. Until then, he's happy to work on his swing. Howard lines up his club with the ball and takes one last look at the distant flag. Then he drives the ball down the middle of the fairway. Hey, nice shot. Howard turns and smiles when he spots a family friend. 25 year old actor Ralph Graves. Oh, Ralph. Good to see you. I figured I'd bump into you eventually. Should have realized I'd be on the golf course. Yeah, I heard you moved out here. Ah, you know, I can't live in dad's shadow forever. I want to find success on my own terms. In Hollywood. Yeah, something electric about the movie business, right? It's boom time in Hollywood and I want in. You sure it's got nothing to do with the actresses? Howard puts his club back in his bag. Nah, not. Well, I mean, maybe a little, but. But when I'm done, I'll be the top producer in town. Man, I love your confidence, Howard. What's your first movie? But I'm still figuring that out. But. But I know the right script will come along. Well, what do you know? Because I just finished up a script. Maybe bumping into you today was meant to be. It's about a guy who's down on his luck. But that doesn't stop him from looking out for others. Really plucks on the heartstrings, I think. And you wrote it? I sure did. I've had this idea rolling around in my head for years. Just had to let it out. And I guess you'd be the star too. That's right. What about the director? You got one lined up? Well, you're looking at him. So you'd write, star and direct. Ralph flashes a smile, revealing his pristine white teeth. Well, what can I say? I really believe in the story. How many movies have you directed before? Ralph briefly breaks eye contact. This would be my first. But I've acted in more than 40. I've been watching and learning the whole time. I think I know what I'm doing. Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to start with someone I know. Give me a chance to learn the ropes. And I'd be happy to teach you everything I've picked up over the years. Definitely. So what do you say? How much can I put you down for? How much do you need? Not much. 40 grand tops. We can make it work for that. That's not exactly pocket change. You can't skimp if you want to make it in Hollywood, Howard. Let that be the first lesson of many. Alright, what the hell. I mean, I'm in Hollywood to make movies, so let's make a movie. That afternoon, Howard Hughes agreed to fund Ralph Graves passion project, Swell Hogan. But for all his ambition to take over Hollywood, Howard had never been on a movie set before. And he was about to learn that filmmaking was a lot harder than it looked. A few months after this chance encounter on the golf course, filming began on Swell Hogan. Howard Hughes was a regular visitor to the set, but he was little more more than an observer. Control of the production rested firmly with Ralph Graves. As the lead actor, scriptwriter and director, Ralph was in a position to influence every aspect of the movie's production. But unfortunately for Howard, Ralph was not the expert he claimed to be. Although he'd been credited in more than 40 movies, Ralph only had experience as an actor in front of the camera. His screenwriting was untested and it showed. Swell Hogan focused on its titular character, a down on his luck bum who ignores his own problems to help New York orphans. Ten years earlier, that kind of sentimental story might have resonated with audiences. But in the mid-1920s, overly saccharine plots had fallen out of favor. Swell Hogan could have survived its weak script had it come under the wing of a capable director. But Ralph was a novice there too, and his inexperienced only compounded the film's problems. He underestimated the difficulty of shooting a feature film and misjudged its costs. Shooting stretched well beyond Ralph's initial schedule and budget. Props, costumes and makeup were all more expensive than he realized. And it all added up so that weeks before filming wrapped, Ralph ran out of money. He had to approach Howard hat in hand to ask for more. And since Howard had never made a movie before either, he deferred entirely to Ralph and wrote whatever checks he needed. Only after shooting finished did Howard discover that the film was over budget by 100%. And the end product didn't justify the cost. Distributors rejected it outright. Hollywood insiders panned it. And Howard had no option but to shelve his first feature film. Ralph Graves had offered to teach Howard the ways of Hollywood. But Swell Hogan was a lesson in the harshest realities of the movie movie business. Howard had assumed that his passion for cinema would be enough to make a hit. Instead, he'd been humbled. But still he didn't give up. Determined to do better, Howard redoubled his efforts. He restructured part of his father's tool firm into the Caddo Company, a dedicated business to finance and produce films. Then he teamed up with another family acquaintance, Marshall Nealon, an actor, writer and director who'd penned a feel good script. So at first, it seemed like Howard was about to repeat the same mistakes as he did in Swell Hogan. But this time, Howard had chosen his partner more wisely. Marshall had more than a decade's experience in writing and directing. His script was far stronger, featuring a love story between a woman and a wealthy heir masquerading as a cab driver. And Marshall knew when to step back out of the spotlight and allow the talented cast to shine rather than hunting hogging screen time for himself. In all, Howard poured $125,000 into Neyland's film Everybody's Acting, the equivalent of 2.3 million today. But it was money well spent. Everybody's Acting was well received by critics and turned a small profit. So now Howard had two movies under his belt, although only one had made it to theaters. In both, Howard had put his complete faith in his collaborators. But now he was ready to take the training wheels off. His next project was not with a family friend, but a notorious hothead who'd become a Hollywood pariah. Louis Milestone had worked his way up through the ranks of the major studios, but he butted heads all along the way. He broke his contract with Warner Brothers over a string of subpar assignments. Then he walked off the set of a Paramount movie after arguing with its leading lady. To Manny Lewis, impetuous reputation made him a liability. But to Howard, it signaled vision, a rare talent who simply needed careful management. So he proposed that the two work together on a World War I romance. The war wasn't a natural setting for a love story, but Howard and Lewis both saw the potential in a script that featured two American soldiers escaping a prisoner of war camp and embarking on a long journey home, during which they rescue an Arabian king's daughter. And after shooting began, Howard decided to keep his distance, allowing Lewis Milestone to settle into a groove. But after reviewing early footage, Howard decided to step in. He was convinced that the romantic elements of the movie were falling flat. He raised his concerns gently, worried that he'd upset his tempestuous director. But to his surprise, Lewis agreed. So they reimagined the script as a comedy better suited to the material and the cast's strengths. But production was delayed while the script of Two Arabian Nights was rewritten. And even when filming resumed, Lewis had to reshoot many of the scenes that were already in the can. These delays caused the movie's budget to soar. By the time two Arabian nights wrapped, Howard had plunged close to $500,000 into it, around five times the cost of the average feature, making it the most expensive independent movie ever made at the time. But spending the equivalent of $9 million today was a wise investment. When two Arabian Nights was released, it was met with universal acclaim. Critics described it as containing 1001 laughs, a vindication of the switch from romance to comedy. Enough tickets were sold that the movie made a small profit despite the high production costs. And when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scientists gathered for its first ever awards ceremony, Louis Milestone won the prize for best comedy director for his work on the film. Buoyed by this success, Howard reunited with Lewis for his next movie. The Racket was a crime drama which told the story of an honest cop fighting both police corruption and the Chicago mob. The plot drew parallels with the real life exploits of Al Capone in gangland Chicago, and it struck a nerve with that city's authorities, who banned the movie from local theaters. But elsewhere across the country, the Racket was a hit. Critics praised the film's suspenseful narrative, and it was one of three movies nominated for the Academy Award for Best picture. Emboldened, Howard turned to an even riskier the Ku Klux Klan. This white supremacist organization had undergone a resurgence in the American south over the previous decade, and Howard's new film, the Mating Call, followed one white supremacist who tried to frame a war veteran for murder. But to avoid too much controversy, the movie substituted the real life clan with a fictional group named the Order. But the parallels between the two were obvious. The results pleased no one. Southerners protested what they saw as a smear. Northerners criticized the film for pulling its punches, and critics were unimpressed by the muddled plot. In the end, the Mating Call was a flop and a timely reminder that in Hollywood you're only as good as your last film. But Howard wouldn't let the mating call be his last word. Instead, he would set out to erase its memory by making a film so bold, so vast in scale, that even the sky was no limit. History Daily is sponsored by Indeed, we've all done it. Try to take in all the grocery bags in one trip, we. But what happens when you can't manage it? A bruised banana, some squished bread. It's often at the worst moment when you find out you need an extra pair of hands. And if you're running a business, the stakes are higher than well, Dropping stakes on the ground when it comes to hiring fast, Indeed is all you need Stop struggling to get your job posts seen on other job sites with Indeed sponsored jobs. 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- [19:03]
Unknown
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- [20:11]
Lindsey Graham
1928 at Metropolitan Studio in Hollywood, California, less than three years after Howard Hughes began producing movies. The now 22 year old Howard sits quietly at the edge of a soundstage, eyes fixed on the action. The cameras are rolling on his latest project, the ambitious World War I epic Hell's Angels. Howard's been on set for nearly every shot, but unlike the early days, he's no longer a passive observer. His presence looms large and his constant interjections are so relentless that the original director has quit in frustration. Now it's new director Luther Reed's job to put up with Howard's meddling. Luthor waves his arms as the scene wraps. Cut. Oh, nice work people. Really well done. That's it. Howard leaps up from his chair as Luther sets up the next shot. Howard taps him on the shoulder. Hey Luther, you got a Minute. Sure, Howard. What can I do for you? I'm not sold on that last take. Let's run it again. Luther's smile flickers. It went down great. Everyone hit their cues. The rhythm was perfect. Yeah, but the camera barely spent any time on Greta. I mean, look at her. We really want to waste that beauty. Greta's fantastic. But this scene is about the tension between Ben and James. We need to make sure we capture that. Oh, come on. The audience isn't stupid. They'll pick it up. But give them a reason to care. Let them fall in love with Greta. Howard, it's not about what looks good. It's about telling a story. And we can't do that by letting the camera linger on Greta in every scene. Well, most folks would rather look at her than a couple of sweaty guys in flight jackets. Find a shot that really shows off our leading lady. Luther turns away, pinching the bridge of his nose. Then he raises his voice. Okay, everyone, let's take five. The cast drifts toward the dressing rooms, and the crew slouch against walls and light up cigarettes. Luther turns back to Howard. Howard, we can't keep doing this. What, making the film better? No. The constant reshoots at this rate will never finish on time. Well, then so be it. I'm the producer. You just worry about making Greta shine. We're talking about what, our jobs here. Howard, I'm the director. I really appreciate it if you gave me the space to direct. Well, someone's got to make sure the movie grabs people's attention. How many pictures have you directed? Howard, that's not the point. I know what people want to see. Luther throws up his hands in exasperation. And. And there's the problem. Look, Howard, if you know so much, why don't you direct it yourself? Right. Because I've had enough of this. I'm out of here. Just two months after he joined Hell's Angels, Luther Reed quit. Howard Hughes had lost his second director. But despite the setback, he wasn't discouraged. Instead, he decided to take on Luther's challenge. Now, Howard wasn't just the producer of Hell's Angels, he was also its director. When the filming of Hell's Angels had begun in October 1927, Howard Hughes was beginning to hit his stride as an independent movie producer. He'd already been part of four feature films, and he believed that he'd seen enough to know what worked and what didn't on a movie set. But Howard's determination to play a more active role behind the camera wasn't Just about creative control. It also stemmed from personal passion, because Hell's Angels focused on a subject close to his heart, aviation. And Howard wanted audiences to fall in love with flying like he had, feeling like they were soaring thousands of feet above the ground. For that, he needed to film in the sky. So he assembled a fleet of 87 planes, many of them real World War I aircraft from Europe that had actually taken part in the fighting. It was the largest private collection of planes in the world, and it cost Howard more than half a million dollars to build. Close to 10 million today. And then, with his squadron ready, Howard began filming dogfights and aerial battles. But few directors had ever attempted to film in midair before, and it proved a difficult task. The featureless blue skies of Southern California made it hard to convey speed and movement as the planes circled, dodged and dived. So Howard relocated filming north, where clouds helped to give a sense of perspective and speed. This new backdrop helped, but Howard still wasn't satisfied. He wanted the aerial scenes to really grip the audience. So he pushed his pilots to repeat the same stunts over and over, each time demanding tighter turns, deeper dives and closer flybys to make the footage more thrilling. But the biplanes they flew were built from wood and canvas and were fragile machines. Their engines were unreliable and often cut out. The controls were clunky and slow to respond. So flying was a dangerous pursuit. And two pilots died in crashes while transporting planes to the set. Even Howard had his own accident. After losing patience with a pilot who repeatedly stalled the engine of a Thomas Morse S4 biplane, Howard decided to take the controls himself. But he'd never flown that type of plane before, and Howard struggled with its unfamiliar handling. Although he got off the ground, he lost control of 400ft and the plane plunged back to earth. Shortly after crashing, he was dragged unconscious from the cockpit and rushed to the hospital where doctors treated him for a head injury. But Howard didn't let his near death experience set the movie back. Almost as soon as he got out of the hospital, Howard was back in the air, directing scenes from an observer plane via radio. And Howard continued to demand the most spectacular stunts, even when they came at great risk. For the movie's finale, he wanted to simulate a bomber crash. Howard asked for volunteers to put a two seater plane into a free fall spin before pulling up at the last moment. But it was a dangerous maneuver, and over 100 pilots refused to take on the job. Only after increasing the pay did one pilot agree to take the controls, along with a mechanic tasked with lighting smoke pots. To simulate the plane burning as it plummeted, this pilot initiated the dive from 7,500ft and set the plane into spin. But it became instantly clear that the forces were too much for the rickety airframe. As the plane broke apart, the pilot spotted the danger and parachuted out. But the mechanic was not so lucky. He was still trapped in his seat when the plane hit the ground and burst into flames, killing him instantly. Between the ambitious aerial scenes, the accidents and Howard's perfectionist tendencies, filming on Hell's Angels fell far behind schedule. Howard had initially told distributors that the film would be ready for release in the fall of 1928. Then he assured him it would be complete by fall 1929. But a turning point in the movie industry delayed it even further. Film stars started talking. Two years earlier, Warner Bros. Had released the Jazz Singer amid a blaze of publicity. Audiences flocked to the cinema and were left stunned when Al Jolson uttered the very first spoken words in a Hollywood feature film. Wait a minute, wait a minute. You ain't heard nothing yet. Wait a minute. I tell you, you ain't heard nothing. You want to hear toot, toot, tootsie. All right, hold on. Prior to the Jazz Singer, films had consisted of moving pictures only. Theaters provided their own live music, employing a pianist to improvise the soundtrack based on what was going on on screen. And if a director wanted to include dialogue, it had to be written on intertitle cards that interrupted the action. But the Jazz Singer used new technology to synchronize a soundtrack with a picture on screen, allowing movies to be screened in theaters alongside recorded music and speech. This made the Jazz Singer an instant hit, taking in $2.6 million at the American box office, smashing the previous record by more than a million dollars. And the introduction of sound wasn't just a passing fad. Over the next few months, the other major studios released their own movies with synchronized sound, proving that talkie films were here to stay and the silent film era was over. But Howard had spent the last two years and more than $2 million making a silent film. But he wasn't going to let the equivalent of $40 million today go to waste. Instead, Howard opted to radically reshape Hell's Angels as a talking he dubbed the aerial combat scenes, adding the pilots, voices and exclamations. He hired a new director to reshoot the majority of ground based scenes with new expanded dialogue. And any scene that included lead actress Greta Nissen as an English aristocrat went into the bin. Although Howard thought that Greta looked perfect for the part. She was Norwegian and spoke English with a pronounced accent in her plays. 18 year old American newcomer Jean Harlow got her big break. By the time Hell's Angels wrapped in April 1930, Howard had shot two and a half million feet of film, 15 times the average. The budget had risen to $3 million and it was two years overdue. The film had to be a success and Howard Hughes would do whatever it took, even if he had to tell a few l Is your AI built.
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Lindsey Graham
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Lindsey Graham
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- [29:24]
Unknown
So I want to give a shout out to anyone who's considered starting their own business. Maybe you have a passion project that's turning into your main thing. Maybe you're sick of your routine and you're looking for excitement or a whole new hustle. But before you start juggling all the plates and wearing all the hats on minimal sleep, you need the right provider in your corner. You might have heard the news that broke recently about comedian Craig Robinson quitting comedy to pursue a small business venture. Despite the career shakeup, he isn't doing it alone. He's working with AT&T business, who make being connected, protected and supported as easy as giving them a call. I mean, if Craig Robinson could do it, so can you.
- [30:06]
Lindsey Graham
Business.att.com it's the evening of May 27, 1930, outside Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California. One month after production finished on Hell's Angels, Howard Hughes walks past a gauntlet of press photographers, their flashbulbs exploding like fireworks. At just 24, Howard is the talk of the town. At long last, Hell's Angels is receiving its premiere, and it's been accompanied by a blaze of publicity that's brought out the crowds pressed against barriers on Hollywood Boulevard in the hopes of catching a glimpse of a celebrity. Because Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and Buster Keaton are all here to celebrate the film's opening. But as Howard nears the entrance, he spots another familiar figure, publicist Lincoln Kwarber. Lincoln claps Howard on the shoulder. Hey, Howard, you heard the latest joke doing the rounds? No, but I bet you're about to tell me. There's this guy celebrating his 105th birthday. The oldest man in America. A reporter asks him, what's your earliest memory? Monroe Doctrine? Death of Jefferson. The old man. Man Just shakes his head and says nope. The day they started shooting Hell's Angels. Yeah, that's cute, but I think the joke's on them. It's finished now. And this is quite the event you've put together to celebrate. Well, an epic movie deserves an epic premiere, right? Lincoln Point skyward. Take a look up there. Howard cranes his neck and admires dozens of biplanes flying overhead in close formation. Shouldn't I be flying one of those? No, not tonight. Well, I guess I wouldn't want to miss my own premiere. And you're not the only one. Look at the size of this crowd. I hear it goes a mile and a half down the street. This isn't just a screening. It's an event. Well, I'll be. I mean, I expected to sell out the theater. Yeah, but I didn't think people would show up just to stand outside. Why wouldn't they? We promoted the hell out of this movie. A four million dollar film, three years in the making. A mischievous grin spreads across Lincoln's face and Howard chuckles. It was 3 million. And you and I both know that. Sure. But we know 4 million sounds more impressive. This is Hollywood, Howard. The truth is flexible. The star studded premiere of Hell's Angels was a sellout. Even at an eye watering $11 ticket price, more than $200 today. But fireworks and fanfare didn't guarantee success. If Howard Hughes wanted to make back his millions, he'd have to do more than impress the stage stars. He'd have to persuade ordinary Americans to watch it at their local nickelodeon's. And for that, he was ready to tell another story. After the glittering premiere, Howard Hughes set about getting Hell's Angels in front of the rest of America. But not even the glowing endorsements of Hollywood. A listers like Charlie Chaplin could fully drown out the negative publicity that had haunted the film during its long, troubled production. For three years, newspapers had gleefully reported on every delay, cost overrun and accident. They rarely mentioned Hell's Angels without also noting the deaths of pilots, the abandoned silent version, or the director walkouts. But Howard took the advice of his savvy publicist, Lincoln. He took control of the narrative, even if that meant rewriting parts of it. Whenever he was interviewed by reporters, Howard downplayed the chaos. Although three men had died, Howard claimed that there were no serious accidents on set. He did admit crashing a plane himself, but insisted that he walked away unscathed. Howard also reframed the film's belated release as a mark of artistic ambition, not dysfunction. The posters and press Kit boasted that Hell's Angels was finally here at long last, and implied that eager moviegoers had been counting down the days. According to Howard, the long production was the inevitable result of years of hard work and perfectionism rather than reshoots and creative differences. This publicity blitz worked. At the New York premiere, demand for tickets was so high that Howard booked two theaters to run simultaneous showings for the Seattle debut. Lead actress Jean Harlow flew into town and was met by an adoring crowd that brought traffic to a standstill. When the film was then released nationwide. Critics and theatergoers alike were astounded by the aerial footage and incredible stunts. Ultimately, hell's Angels earned $1.5 million, making it one of the highest grossing films of the year. But even that significant sum was not enough to recover Howard's enormous investment. Hell's Angels made back only half the amount Howard had spent on it. But the size of Hell's Angels budget did not just impact the movie's bottom line, it rattled Hollywood, too. Industry insiders saw this film as a dangerous precedent. Executives at major studios feared that moviegoers would develop a taste for these expensive blockbusters. And that meant ballooning budgets and thinner profit margins. At a time when the Great Depression was taking hold and movie theaters across the country were closing their doors, most producers were happy to hunker down and consolidate what they had. So in retaliation to Howard's petition potential disruption, the studio scolded him in the press, warning that his brand of filmmaking would drive up ticket prices, force more theaters to close and wreck Hollywood's business model. Even United Artists, Howard's own distributor, called Howard a menace to the business of moviemaking. But Howard was not cowed by the critics. Again, he doubled down on his moviemaking, continuing to brag about the cost of Hell's Angels and claiming that its supposed $4 million budget was the most expensive in Hollywood history. And just as Howard exaggerated the cost of production, he also hinted that the film had broken into profit despite the books showing otherwise. But Howard's bragging was not just to save face. He really did prefer his way of producing movies. Hell's Angels might not have turned a profit, but it was proof of concept. He'd become a record breaking filmmaker, even if some of those records were based on fabrication. So even while audiences marveled at dogfights on the screen, Howard was already dreaming of something bigger. He would promise more, he would spend more, and he'd create a bigger spectacle than anything Hollywood had ever seen before. From Wonder 8. This is episode one of Howard Hughes Blows Up Hollywood for Business Movers on the next episode, Howard embrace voices, sex and violence in his quest to conquer Hollywood. But his sensationalist approach clashes with industry regulators, sparking a high stakes battle over artistic freedom, public morality and the future of American cinema. If you'd like to learn more about Howard Hughes's time in Hollywood, we recommend Howard His Life and Madness by Donald L. Bartlett and James B. Steele Howard Hughes and the Creation of Modern Hollywood by Jeffrey Richardson and Sex, Lies and Stardom and Howard Hughes, Hollywood by Karina Longworth A quick note about our dramatizations. In most cases we can't know everything that happened, but all our reenactments are based on historical research. Business Movers is hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham for Airship. Audio editing by Mohammad Shazib Sound designed by Molly Bach. Our supervising sound designer is Matthew Filler. Music by Thrum. This episode is written and researched by Reuben Abrams Brosby Senior producer Scott Reeves. Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship and Aaron o', Flaherty, Jenny Lauer Beckman and Marshall Louie for wondering.
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