Poster

Melvin and Howard ()

Reference View | Change View
The story of hard-luck Melvin E. Dummar, who claimed to have received a will naming him an heir to the fortune of Howard Hughes.
Director:
Writer:
Stars:
Awards:
  • Won 2 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 9 nominations.
  • See more »
Reviews:

Photos and Videos

180 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

Edit
...
Howard Hughes
...
Melvin Dummar
...
Darcy Dummar
...
Lynda Dummar
Chip Taylor ...
Clark Taylor
Melvin E. Dummar ...
Bus Depot Counterman
...
Little Red
...
Lucy
Gene Borkan ...
Go-Go Club Owner #1
Lesley Margret Burton ...
Go-Go Dancer
Wendy Lee Couch ...
Go-Go Dancer
Marguerite Baierski ...
Go-Go Dancer
Janice King ...
Go-Go Dancer
Deborah Ann Klein ...
Go-Go Dancer
Theodora Thomas ...
Go-Go Dancer
...
Mrs. Sisk
Elise Hudson ...
Easy Street Singer ('Rocky')
...
Wally 'Mr. Love' Williams
...
Chapel Owner
Robert Wentz ...
Justice of the Peace
Hal Marshall ...
Hal
Naida Reynolds ...
Woman Witness
...
Man Witness
...
Ventura
...
Jim Delgado
...
Bonnie Dummar
...
Milkman George (as Sonny Davis)
Brendan Kelly ...
Milkman Ralph
Danny Tucker ...
Milkman Pete
Shirley Washington ...
Patient Debbie
...
Patient Ronnie
Jason Ball ...
The Bait Brothers
Darrell Devlin ...
The Bait Brothers
Danny Dark ...
Easy Street Announcer
Linda Cardoso ...
Easy Street Model
...
Easy Street Model
Garrie Kelly ...
Easy Street Model
John Thundercloud ...
Chief Thundercloud
...
Realty Agent (as Martine Beswicke)
...
Mrs. Worth
Melissa Williams ...
Sherry Dummar
...
Terry
James Lyle Strong ...
Gas Station Customer
...
Lawyer
...
Melvin's Cousin Fred
John Levin ...
Reporter (as John M. Levin)
Kathleen Sullivan ...
Reporter
Jack Verbois ...
Holdup Man
...
Lynda's Husband (as Robert Reece)
...
1st Attorney (Maxwell)
...
2nd Attorney (Freese)
...
Judge Keith Hayes
Charles Horden ...
Bailiff
Joseph Walker Jr. ...
3rd Attorney
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert S. Holman ...
Bus Station Traveler (uncredited)
...
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
Freeman Love ...
Clerk (uncredited)
...
Go-Go Club Owner #2 (uncredited)
...
Kissing Cowboy (uncredited)

Directed by

Edit
Jonathan Demme

Written by

Edit
Bo Goldman ... (written by)

Produced by

Edit
Art Linson ... producer
Terence Nelson ... associate producer
Don Phillips ... producer

Music by

Edit
Bruce Langhorne

Cinematography by

Edit
Tak Fujimoto

Editing by

Edit
Craig McKay

Editorial Department

Edit
Nancy Kanter ... associate film editor
Karen I. Stern ... assistant film editor (as Karen Stern)

Casting By

Edit
Michael Chinich

Production Design by

Edit
Toby Carr Rafelson ... (as Toby Rafelson)

Art Direction by

Edit
Richard Sawyer

Set Decoration by

Edit
Robert Gould ... (as Bob Gould)

Makeup Department

Edit
Dorothy J. Pearl ... makeup artist (as Dorothy Pearl)
Toni-Ann Walker ... hair stylist (as Toni Walker)

Production Management

Edit
Terence Nelson ... unit production manager (as Terry Nelson)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

Edit
Donald Heitzer ... first assistant director (as Don Heitzer)
Evelyn Purcell ... second unit director
Carol Smetana ... second assistant director (as Carol Jean Smetana)
Wally Wallace ... second assistant director

Art Department

Edit
Gary Fettis ... property master
Walt Hadfield ... construction coordinator (as Walton Hatfield)
Donald Krafft ... lead man (as Don Krafft)
Douglas E. Madison ... property master (as Doug Madison)
Bert Rotter ... painter
John Alvin ... poster artist (uncredited)

Sound Department

Edit
Joan Cameron ... assistant sound editor
Louis Cerborino ... supervising sound editor (as Lou Cerborino)
Angelo Corrao ... sound editor
Tom Fleischman ... sound re-recordist (as Thomas Fleischman)
Peter C. Frank ... sound editor
Cindy Kaplan Rooney ... sound (as Cindy Kaplan)
David M. Ronne ... sound (as David Ronne)
William S. Scharf ... assistant sound editor (as Bill Scharf)
Maurice Schell ... sound editor
John B. Schuyler ... boom operator (as John Schuyler)
Marc S. Shaw ... assistant sound editor

Special Effects by

Edit
Karl G. Miller ... special effects (as Karl Miller)

Stunts

Edit
Richard E. Butler ... stunts
Jeannie Epper ... stunts
Donna Garrett ... stunts
Bob Herron ... stunts (as Robert Herron)
Alex Plasschaert ... stunts
Walter Robles ... stunts
Bob Terhune ... stunts
Chuck Waters ... stunts
Henry Wills ... stunts (as Henry N. Wills)

Camera and Electrical Department

Edit
Eugene Earle ... assistant camera
Tony Grillo ... electrician
Dustin A. Huber ... electrician (as Dusty Huber)
Gary B. Kibbe ... camera operator (as Gary Kibbe)
Tom Lamont ... grip
Elliott Marks ... still photographer (as Elliot Marks)
Melton Maxwell ... gaffer (as Mel Maxwell)
David Morton ... best boy (as Dave Morton)
Keith Pallant ... electrician
Anthony R. Palmieri ... assistant camera (as Tony Palmieri)
Tom Ramsey ... key grip
Dwayne Redlin ... second grip
George R. Schrader ... dolly grip (as George Schrader)
Dick Sullivan ... grip
Pat Thompson ... electrician
Howard Block ... additional camera operator (uncredited)
Michael Simpson ... assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department

Edit
Renee Humphrey ... casting coordinator
Loril McKeehan ... additional casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department

Edit
Eddie Marks ... costume supervisor
Nancy McArdle ... costume supervisor
Chuck Velasco ... costumer: men (as Charles Velasco)

Location Management

Edit
Charles Howe ... location projectionist

Music Department

Edit
Rich Harrison ... music editor

Script and Continuity Department

Edit
Paul Tinsley ... script supervisor

Transportation Department

Edit
Vince del Castillo ... transportation captain
Tom Garris ... transportation captain
Chris Haynes ... driver
Don Newton ... transportation captain
Roger Wooge ... driver: cast (uncredited)

Additional Crew

Edit
Kay Hoff ... production assistant
Sandy McLeod ... production associate
Steve Meyers ... production assistant
Dorothy Morey ... secretary to producer (as Dottie Morey)
Susan Pile ... unit publicist
Jesse W. Quiroz ... craft service (as Jesse Quiroz)
Patti Roberts-Nelson ... secretary to producer (as Patti Roberts)
Sherry Seeling ... researcher

Thanks

Edit
Calvin Aberle ... special thanks
Ron Bayless ... special thanks
Louis Bertini ... special thanks
Morgan Cavett ... special thanks
Roger Dutson ... special thanks
Jan Gregson ... special thanks
Keith Hayes ... special thanks (as Judge Keith Hayes)
Chuck House ... special thanks (as Charles House)
Bessie Jackson ... special thanks
J.J. Johnson ... special thanks
Richard D. Keefe ... special thanks
Dan Keyes ... special thanks
Annemarie Korzeniowski ... special thanks
Geraldine Roberts ... special thanks
Crew believed to be complete

Production Companies

Edit

Distributors

Edit

Special Effects

Edit

Other Companies

Edit

Storyline

Edit
Plot Summary

This movie tells the possibly true story of Melvin E. Dummar. Melvin is a nice guy, but he is a total loser: unlucky, impractical and can't keep a job. One night, however, he helps an old man who has had a motorcycle accident in the desert. Melvin laughs when the old man says he is Howard Hughes, the eccentric multimillionaire. But when Howard Hughes dies, Melvin is mailed a will leaving him part of the estate! Written by Reid Gagle

Plot Keywords
Taglines Poor Melvin. All he wanted was to be Milkman of the Month. Instead, he lost his job, his truck, and his wife. Then Howard Hughes left him $156,000,000. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

Edit
Also Known As
  • The Melvin Dummar Story (United States)
  • Melvin (and Howard) (United States)
  • Melvin et Howard (France)
  • Melvin y Howard (Spain)
  • Melvin y Howard (Venezuela)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 95 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $7,000,000 (estimated)

Did You Know?

Edit
Trivia Jason Robards was nominated for the Best Actor in a Supporting Role Oscar for playing Howard Hughes in this movie. It was the third time in five years that Robards had been nominated in this category at the Academy Awards, and in each case he was playing a real person. The first two times, in 1977 and 1978, Robards had achieved the extraordinary feat of winning back-to-back Oscars for Julia (1977) and All the President's Men (1976). See more »
Goofs While the men are in the truck talking, a sandwich being eaten has the bite area alternately changing from one side of the bread between shots. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Melvin and Howard, Fort Apache: The Bronx, The Incredible Shrinking Woman, The Devil and Max Devlin, Hangar 18 (1981). See more »
Soundtracks Amazing Grace Used to be Her Favorite Song See more »
Quotes Lynda Dummar: It says you can be anything you want to be if you'll just believe in yourself. And you believe in yourself - it's just the believing hasn't been enough to let you become what you believe you can be.
Melvin Dummar: Honey, they didn't burn down Rome in one day - you got to keep pluggin'.
See more »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page


Clear your history

Recently Viewed