---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Howard Hughes was this visionary who was…"
description: "\"Howard Hughes was this visionary who was obsessed with speed and flying like a god... I loved his idea of what filmmaking was.\" — Martin Scorsese"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/martin-scorsese-1663_filmmaking_howard-hughes-was-this-visionary-who-was_884240.jpg"
---

#  Howard Hughes was this visionary who was obsessed with…

![“Howard Hughes was this visionary who was obsessed with speed and flying like a god... I loved his idea of what filmmaking was.” quote by Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/martin-scorsese-1663_filmmaking_howard-hughes-was-this-visionary-who-was_884240.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/martin-scorsese-1663_filmmaking_howard-hughes-was-this-visionary-who-was_884240.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/martin-scorsese-1663_filmmaking_howard-hughes-was-this-visionary-who-was_884240.jpg)

> “Howard Hughes was this visionary who was obsessed with speed and flying like a god... I loved his idea of what filmmaking was.”

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Obsessive pursuit of speed and mastery can drive groundbreaking creative work, but may also lead to personal turmoil.

**In simple terms:** Obsessions fuel innovation, yet risk imbalance.

Key Takeaway

Channel passion with balance.

Themes

ambition innovation obsession creativity

Mood

inspirational reflective

Type

artistic philosophical

When to use this quote

- Film direction
- entrepreneurship
- personal development
- risk management

Key Concepts

Visionary leadership risk taking artistic drive

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance drive with well‑being?
- When does obsession become harmful?

A Different Perspective

Obsessive focus can cause burnout or ethical lapses.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Filmmaking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaking/) [Flying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flying/) [Speed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed/) [Visionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visionary/)

## Related quotes

> [“When you live in a world obsessed with the speed, and consumed totally by an obsessive preoccupation with things and bloated greed. You live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhuwan-thapaliya/when-you-live-in-a-world-obsessed-with-the-speed-and-consumed-totally/)

[Bhuwan Thapaliya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhuwan-thapaliya/)

> [“In a world now so obsessed with speed, we teachers must step back and learn to wait.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adele-devine/in-a-world-now-so-obsessed-with-speed-we-teachers-must-step-back-and/)

[Adele Devine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adele-devine/)

> [I'm obsessed with speed. I'm always asking myself, 'Why can't we do things faster? Why can't it happen more efficiently? Why is this requiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-levie/i-m-obsessed-with-speed-i-m-always-asking-myself-why-can-t-we-do/)

[Aaron Levie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-levie/)

> [Howard Hughes innovation was in the aviation field. His designs and spirit of experimentation was at the forefront. As far as his work as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alden-ehrenreich/howard-hughes-innovation-was-in-the-aviation-field-his-designs-and/)

[Alden Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alden-ehrenreich/)

> [I don't agree with everything he did in his life, but we're dealing with this Howard Hughes, at this point. And also ultimately the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/i-don-t-agree-with-everything-he-did-in-his-life-but-we-re-dealing/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [I was born in 1942, so I was mainly aware of Howard Hughes' name on RKO Radio Pictures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/i-was-born-in-1942-so-i-was-mainly-aware-of-howard-hughes-name-on-rko/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [I've been extremely lucky to work with Elmer Bernstein, Howard Shore over the years, but I've always imagined films with my own scores, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/i-ve-been-extremely-lucky-to-work-with-elmer-bernstein-howard-shore/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [You have to remain strong. That's the kind of filmmaker I want to encourage. Orson Welles was the one who said, you know, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/you-have-to-remain-strong-that-s-the-kind-of-filmmaker-i-want-to/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [Always get to the set or the location early, so that you can be all alone and draw your inspiration for the blocking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/always-get-to-the-set-or-the-location-early-so-that-you-can-be-all-2/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [I sometimes feel I have met everyone he ever met, but I never met him. I am afraid to say I have always been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-beatty/i-sometimes-feel-i-have-met-everyone-he-ever-met-but-i-never-met-him/)

[Warren Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-beatty/)

> [Working with Woody Allen is like filming Howard Hughes's will. It's a very mysterious and strange event. You never get a peek at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-o-donoghue/working-with-woody-allen-is-like-filming-howard-hughes-s-will-it-s-a/)

[Michael O'Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-o-donoghue/)

> [It is tragic that Howard Hughes had to die to prove that he was alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-keane/it-is-tragic-that-howard-hughes-had-to-die-to-prove-that-he-was-alive/)

[Walter Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-keane/)

> [“The Howard Hughes thing hadn’t actually sounded like such a bad deal until about...oh, eight thirty-five this morning. Something about having his ex carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-betts/the-howard-hughes-thing-hadn-t-actually-sounded-like-such-a-bad-deal/)

[Heidi Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-betts/)

> [Do you know what writing a book is? It's sitting alone in a room for weeks without making contact with another human. I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/do-you-know-what-writing-a-book-is-it-s-sitting-alone-in-a-room-for/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [I've been connected to the most culturally important albums of the past four years, the most influential artists of the past ten years. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-ve-been-connected-to-the-most-culturally-important-albums-of-the/)

[Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/)

## More by Martin Scorsese

> [The young people today are the 21st century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/the-young-people-today-are-the-21st-century/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [There was always a part of me that wanted to be an old-time director. But I couldn't do that. I'm not a pro.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/there-was-always-a-part-of-me-that-wanted-to-be-an-old-time-director/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [Being independent... is being innovative out of inspiration as well as necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/being-independent-is-being-innovative-out-of-inspiration-as-well-as/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [I have a desire to tell stories. And I'm never quite satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/i-have-a-desire-to-tell-stories-and-i-m-never-quite-satisfied/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [We can't keep thinking in a limited way about what cinema is. We still don't know what cinema is. Maybe cinema could only really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/we-can-t-keep-thinking-in-a-limited-way-about-what-cinema-is-we-still/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [As a child I had terrible asthma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/as-a-child-i-had-terrible-asthma/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [Rock &amp; roll seemed to just come to us, on the radio and in the record stores. It became our music. . . But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/rock-roll-seemed-to-just-come-to-us-on-the-radio-and-in-the-record/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [Working with HBO was an opportunity to experience creative freedom and 'long-form development' that filmmakers didn't have a chance to do before the emergence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/working-with-hbo-was-an-opportunity-to-experience-creative-freedom/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [Any film, or to me any creative endeavour, no matter who you're working with, is, in many cases, a wonderful experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/any-film-or-to-me-any-creative-endeavour-no-matter-who-you-re-working/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [I've been extremely lucky to work with Elmer Bernstein, Howard Shore over the years, but I've always imagined films with my own scores, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/i-ve-been-extremely-lucky-to-work-with-elmer-bernstein-howard-shore/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [People want to classify and say, 'OK, this is a gangster film.' 'This is a Western.' 'This is a... ' You know? It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/people-want-to-classify-and-say-ok-this-is-a-gangster-film-this-is-a/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [I wish I could do everything in 3D.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/i-wish-i-could-do-everything-in-3d/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [“Movies touch our hearts and awaken our vision, and change the way we see things. They take us to other places, they open doors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/movies-touch-our-hearts-and-awaken-our-vision-and-change-the-way-we/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [You have to remain strong. That's the kind of filmmaker I want to encourage. Orson Welles was the one who said, you know, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/you-have-to-remain-strong-that-s-the-kind-of-filmmaker-i-want-to/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

> [You can be born-again and believe in Jesus, believe in Jesus' ideas and try to live them out, without becoming totally intolerant of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/you-can-be-born-again-and-believe-in-jesus-believe-in-jesus-ideas-and/)

[Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

[Explore all 217 Martin Scorsese quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/)

## More Filmmaking quotes

> [Filmmaking, like sex, isn't a polite enterprise. It involves a lot of mess and the bottom line is, if somebody ain't screaming, you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-woods/filmmaking-like-sex-isn-t-a-polite-enterprise-it-involves-a-lot-of/)

[James Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-woods/)

> [I earn my living by teaching film, mostly filmmaking but also teaching courses on current cinema. I'm interested in movies. I hope that's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-andersen/i-earn-my-living-by-teaching-film-mostly-filmmaking-but-also-teaching/)

[Thom Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-andersen/)

> [All drama is conflict. Without conflict, there is no action. Without action, there is no character. Without character, there is no story. And without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd-field/all-drama-is-conflict-without-conflict-there-is-no-action-without/)

[Syd Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd-field/)

> [I love the way the long scenes feel - one of the characteristics of '70s filmmaking is that you don't cut around a lot;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genndy-tartakovsky/i-love-the-way-the-long-scenes-feel-one-of-the-characteristics-of-70s/)

[Genndy Tartakovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genndy-tartakovsky/)

> [That's what I learned most about directing on my own - you've got to build a family, a filmmaking family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/that-s-what-i-learned-most-about-directing-on-my-own-you-ve-got-to/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [For me, it doesn't matter what kind of role I am doing. I just enjoy the process of acting and filmmaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshaye-khanna/for-me-it-doesn-t-matter-what-kind-of-role-i-am-doing-i-just-enjoy/)

[Akshaye Khanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshaye-khanna/)

> [Filmmaking seems more difficult but theatre comes with its own challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/puneet-issar/filmmaking-seems-more-difficult-but-theatre-comes-with-its-own/)

[Puneet Issar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/puneet-issar/)

> [I've always traveled with the films because I want the audience to be my teacher so that I can learn for the next one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-potter/i-ve-always-traveled-with-the-films-because-i-want-the-audience-to-be/)

[Sally Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-potter/)

> [I love writing, but I stopped because I felt I was more effective approaching filmmaking from a different vantage point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/i-love-writing-but-i-stopped-because-i-felt-i-was-more-effective/)

[Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/)

> [The new 'Avatar' BluRay is a lesson in filmmaking. It really is inspiring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-leterrier/the-new-avatar-bluray-is-a-lesson-in-filmmaking-it-really-is-inspiring/)

[Louis Leterrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-leterrier/)

> [Sometimes it wasn't even when we were knocking on doors, it would be, the phone would ring and somebody would say, "God told me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kendrick/sometimes-it-wasn-t-even-when-we-were-knocking-on-doors-it-would-be/)

[Stephen Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kendrick/)

> [I studied English in college and approached filmmaking from a writing background while trying to learn as much as I could about the technical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-fogel/i-studied-english-in-college-and-approached-filmmaking-from-a-writing/)

[Susanna Fogel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-fogel/)

> [Mostly it's like, I get inspired by something and I want to learn that part of filmmaking, I want to delve into that kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/mostly-it-s-like-i-get-inspired-by-something-and-i-want-to-learn-that/)

[Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/)

> [I don't know if it's fair to say that it's a bad time for movies. It seems to me that throughout the entire history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-fair-to-say-that-it-s-a-bad-time-for-movies-it/)

[William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/)

> [If you look at most mainstream filmmaking, to be honest, some of these films aren't even asking questions anymore at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karyn-kusama/if-you-look-at-most-mainstream-filmmaking-to-be-honest-some-of-these/)

[Karyn Kusama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karyn-kusama/)

[Browse all 978 Filmmaking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaking/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Howard Hughes was this visionary who was obsessed with speed and flying like a god... I loved his idea of what filmmaking was.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Martin Scorsese"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/howard-hughes-was-this-visionary-who-was-obsessed-with-speed-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Filmmaking"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/howard-hughes-was-this-visionary-who-was-obsessed-with-speed-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/martin-scorsese-1663_filmmaking_howard-hughes-was-this-visionary-who-was_884240.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/martin-scorsese-1663_filmmaking_howard-hughes-was-this-visionary-who-was_884240.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/460/martin-scorsese-1663_filmmaking_howard-hughes-was-this-visionary-who-was_884240.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Howard Hughes was this visionary who was obsessed with speed and flying like a god... I loved his idea of…” — Martin Scorsese",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Martin Scorsese",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Howard Hughes was this visionary who...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/howard-hughes-was-this-visionary-who-was-obsessed-with-speed-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/howard-hughes-was-this-visionary-who-was-obsessed-with-speed-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
