The only thing interesting about Howard Hughes was his Germ Obsession
He was a pretty boring person. He had no personality. He only had obsessions. he never talks to anyone, he has no ability for small talk, or to understand any other human being. It's as though he belongs to another species altogether, like a King, he can't relate to the Serfs around him. He could build no relationships, He seemed to have no male friends. The Women he chased tired of him, they tired of him because he was not fun to be around, he was a drag, only interested in aeronautics and aviation, there are a lot of people, engineering types, who are very similar. Without his Germ obsession there is no movie, except for gambling everything on "The Hells Angels" movie project and chasing every Starlet in Hollywood, there isn't too much there thats very interesting. the whole battle with Juan Trippe is exaggerated, Hughes was a good businessman , he was just trying to get the best price for his Airline, he never did anything heroic, never fought for any cause but his own, showed no empathy or sympathy, went through World War 2 without lifting a Rifle or showing any enthusiasm for patriotism. The Starlets he chased were even more self-obsessed then he was, his only Male companions were people who worked for him. He isolated himself from the World obsessing on anything involving a skirt or Wings. there are millions of American who lived in that same time period, who survived the depression went to War, and came home and started families that are ten time more interesting than this Man. Without him hiding in his room, trapped in bathrooms, slowly drowning in a sea of phobias, there isn't one thing Movie worthy of this man's life.
i grew up in the 70s, the only thing we knew about Howard Hughes back then was that he was this very rich recluse, an eccentric that became a synonym for being weird or Hermit like. He was a punchline in a Johny Carson monologue, and thats about it.