Howard Hughes in Hollywood, Volume One

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2-DISC BLU-RAY EDITION

Flicker Alley and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas proudly announce Howard Hughes in Hollywood, the first volume of a planned two-volume series that spotlights, for the first time ever, early works by the mogul turned Hollywood hitmaker. This set includes Two Arabian Knights (1927), restored by the Academy Film Archive, and The Racket (1928), newly restored by Flicker Alley. Both include new bonus features and are available for the first time on home video in any format.

Just 20 years old when he arrived in Los Angeles, Hughes left a mark on the filmmaking industry through sheer determination. Although his two earliest forays into producing remain lost, his first two hits, Two Arabian Knights and The Racket survive, thanks to the efforts of Dr. Hart Wegner, founding faculty of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Film Studies program, who was instrumental in acquiring the extensive Howard Hughes motion picture papers and film materials for UNLV.

Based on a then-recent pulpy adventure serial, Two Arabian Knights was reimagined as a comedy of male bonding. With director Lewis Milestone at the helm and William Boyd and Louis Wolheim headlining as the title pair, the story follows two American soldiers, captured by German forces and sent to a prison camp, escaping to Arabia where they meet and compete for the affections of the lovely Mirza (Mary Astor), who has her own reasons for wanting to go on the run. Two Arabian Knights, which went on to win Best Directing (Comedy Picture) for Milestone at the first Academy Awards®, is presented in a stunning restoration by the Academy Film Archive and features a triumphant orchestral score performed by the Robert Israel Orchestra.

Hughes followed that hit with The Racket, a ripped-from-the-headlines proto-noir showcasing a new type of cinema gangster, Italian Americans, and the big city political corruption that empowered them. Thomas Meighan stars as James McQuigg, an honest cop trapped in a barrel of bad apples. He’s pitted against Louis Wolheim as Nick Scasi, modeled on famed Chicago gangster Al Capone. Lewis Milestone once again helms the directing, with veteran cinematographer Tony Gauido photographing the action. With a nomination for Outstanding Picture at the very first Academy Awards® ceremony, and largely unseen for nearly a century, The Racket offers a choice of two brilliant orchestral scores, one by Neil Brand and one by Robert Israel.

Additional materials have been made available by the Howard Hughes Motion Picture Records at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Generous underwriting has been provided by a grant from the Sunrise Foundation for Education & the Arts, with the Villa Aurora / Thomas Mann House, Inc. serving as an administrative partner.

Two Arabian Knights (1927)
Restored by the Academy Film Archive. Elements for this restoration provided by The Howard Hughes Corporation and by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, College of Fine Arts, Department of Film and its Howard Hughes Collection at the Academy Film Archive.

The Racket (1928)
New digital restoration by Flicker Alley based on 2K scans provided by the Academy Film Archive. Elements for this restoration provided by The Howard Hughes Corporation and by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, College of Fine Arts, Department of Film and its Howard Hughes Collection at the Academy Film Archive.

BONUS MATERIALS INCLUDE:

• Audio Commentaries - Historian Harlow Robinson, author of Lewis Milestone: Life and Films, discusses Two Arabian Knights while film critics Farran Smith Nehme and Glenn Kenny together discuss The Racket
• Rare Outtakes from The Racket - 44 minutes of on set footage and various takes, filmed for The Racket, but later reused for Hughes’ Scarface (1932)
  
• Howard Hughes in Hollywood (2026) - A look at Hughes’ arrival in Hollywood and his earliest efforts in the industry, scripted by film historian David Pierce
• Howard Hughes and the First Academy Awards (2026) - Film historian Randy Haberkamp explores the origins of the Oscars® and Hughes’ early wins as a producer
• Hart Wegner Remembrance - A look at the UNLV Film Department’s founding faculty member, Hart Wegner, late professor emeritus of German, Comparative Literature, and Film Studies, whose work was instrumental in preserving Hughes’ legacy
• Image Gallery - Featuring production stills, promotional material, and rare documents from the Howard Hughes Motion Picture Records at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
• Souvenir Booklet - Featuring a new essay by film historian Imogen Sara Smith, vintage reviews, conservation notes, and introductions on each score
• Reversible Cover Artwork
• Blu-ray Authoring by David Mackenzie of Fidelity in Motion
• All Region Encoding (A,B,C)