IMDb > Arthur (1981)
Arthur
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany credits
Awards & Reviews
user reviewsexternal reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guidemessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsmemorable quotes
Did You Know?
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
box office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Arthur (1981) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (See all 25 | slideshow) Videos (see all 2)
Arthur -- Open-ended Trailer from Warner Bros.

Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   16,213 votes »
Your Rating:
Saving vote...
Deleting vote...
/10   (delete | history)
Sorry, there was a problem
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Steve Gordon (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Arthur on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
17 July 1981 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Tagline:
Not everyone who drinks is a poet, some of us drink because we're not. See more »
Plot:
Arthur is a happy drunk with no pretensions at any ambition. He is also the heir to a vast fortune which... See more » | Full synopsis »
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 5 nominations See more »
NewsDesk:
(505 articles)
Curio: Liza Love
 (From FilmExperience. 12 March 2013, 8:28 AM, PDT)

Cabaret Blu-Ray (Book) Review And Giveaway
 (From AreYouScreening. 13 February 2013, 10:19 AM, PST)

Top 10: Best Drunk Scenes in Film
 (From Blogomatic3000. 7 December 2012, 3:01 AM, PST)

User Reviews:
Still a Charmer a Quarter Century Later Especially for the Well-Missed Talents of Moore and Gielgud See more (100 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Dudley Moore ... Arthur Bach

Liza Minnelli ... Linda Marolla

John Gielgud ... Hobson

Geraldine Fitzgerald ... Martha Bach

Jill Eikenberry ... Susan Johnson
Stephen Elliott ... Burt Johnson
Ted Ross ... Bitterman

Barney Martin ... Ralph Marolla
Thomas Barbour ... Stanford Bach
Anne De Salvo ... Gloria
Marjorie Barnes ... Hooker
Dillon Evans ... Plaza Maitre D'
Maurice Copeland ... Uncle Peter
Justine Johnston ... Aunt Pearl
Paul Vincent ... Plaza Waiter
Mary Alan Hokanson ... Secretary

Paul Gleason ... Executive

Phyllis Somerville ... Saleslady
Irving Metzman ... Security Guard
Joe Doolan ... Kid in Street
John Doolan ... Kid in Street
Melissa Ballan ... Kid in Street
Florence Tarlow ... Mrs. Nesbitt
Lou Jacobi ... Plant Store Owner
Gordon Press ... Prize Man
Bob Maroff ... Prize Man
Marcella Lowery ... Harriet (as Marcella Lowry)
Jerome Collamore ... Johnson Butler
Mark Fleischman ... Waiter
Helen Hanft ... Perry's Wife
John Bentley ... Perry
Raymond Serra ... Racetrack Owner
Peter Evans ... Preston
Dominic Guastaferro ... Party Guest
Phil Oxnam ... Orderly
Richard Hamilton ... Bill

George Riddle ... Bartender

Lawrence Tierney ... Man in Coffee Shop
Bobo Lewis ... Lady in Coffee Shop
B. Constance Barry ... Wedding Guest
Kurt Schlesinger ... Wedding Guest
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bella Jarrett

Steve James ... Man Outside Tie Store (uncredited)

Mark Margolis ... Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Judi Passeltiner ... Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Create a character page for: ?

Directed by
Steve Gordon 
 
Writing credits
Steve Gordon (written by)

Produced by
Robert Greenhut .... producer
Charles H. Joffe .... executive producer
 
Original Music by
Burt Bacharach 
 
Cinematography by
Fred Schuler (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Susan E. Morse 
 
Casting by
Howard Feuer 
Jeremy Ritzer 
Juliet Taylor 
 
Production Design by
Stephen Hendrickson 
 
Set Decoration by
Carol Joffe 
Steven J. Jordan  (as Steven Jordan)
 
Costume Design by
Jane Greenwood 
 
Makeup Department
Fern Buchner .... makeup artist
Romaine Greene .... hair stylist
Jay Cannistraci .... additional makeup artist (uncredited)
 
Production Management
Michael Peyser .... production manager
Ezra Swerdlow .... assistant unit production manager
Joel Chernoff .... executive in charge of production (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Greenhut .... first assistant director
Jerry Olinick .... dga trainee
Thomas A. Reilly .... second assistant director (as Thomas Reilly)
 
Art Department
Joseph Badalucco Jr. .... chief set dresser
Paul Eads .... assistant art director
W. Steven Graham .... assistant art director
James Mazzola .... property master (as Jim Mazzola)
Arne Olsen .... construction grip
Cosmo Sorice .... stand-by scenic artist
James Sorice .... master scenic artist
Edward Swanson .... construction coordinator
Carl Landi .... carpenter (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Louis Bertini .... assistant sound editor
Marjorie Deutsch .... sound editor
Melissa A. Higgins .... apprentice sound editor
Vito L. Ilardi .... boom operator (as Vito Ilardi)
Sanford Rackow .... supervising sound editor
James Sabat .... sound mixer
Louis Sabat .... sound recordist
Dick Vorisek .... re-recording mixer: Trans Audio, Inc. (as Richard Vorisek)
Bob Olari .... sound recordist (uncredited)
 
Stunts
Edgard Mourino .... stunts
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Ricki-Ellen Brooke .... second assistant camera
Sandy Brooke .... assistant camera
Norman Buck .... key grip
Brian Hamill .... still photographer
Dick Mingalone .... camera operator
David L. Quaid .... additional photographer (as David Quaid)
William Ward .... gaffer (as Bill Ward)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
William A. Campbell .... wardrobe supervisor (as Bill Campbell)
David Charles .... assistant costume designer
Patricia Eiben .... wardrobe supervisor
Helen Tarr .... wardrobe supervisor
 
Editorial Department
Pamela Scott Arnold .... assistant film editor (as Pamela S. Arnold)
Jonathan Oppenheim .... assistant film editor
Meri Weingarten .... assistant film editor
 
Music Department
Jim Boyer .... music recording engineer
Randy Brecker .... musician: Flugelhorn solo
Ron Dante .... musician: vocal soloist
Richard Hazard .... music orchestrator (as Dick Hazard)
Artie Kaplan .... musical contractor
Bernie Leighton .... musician: piano solo
George Marge .... musician: oboe solo
Dan Pinsky .... music editor
Toots Thielemans .... musician: harmonica solo
Roy B. Yokelson .... music recording engineer (uncredited)
 
Transportation Department
Walter Charleston .... transportation captain
Michael Lindgren .... vehicle consultant
Bobby Marsh .... driver (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Nicholas Bernstein .... production assistant
Ruth Bonomo .... production assistant
Jack Brubach .... assistant location auditor
Kay Chapin .... script supervisor
Peggy Crago .... production assistant
Steven Giovinco .... production assistant
Wendi Lazar-Pillot .... location supervisor
Ellen Levene .... unit publicist
Gail Matthews .... assistant: Mr. Gordon
Louis Phillips .... production assistant
Helen Robin .... production coordinator
Margaret Roiphe .... location auditor
Todd M. Thaler .... production assistant (as Todd Thaler)
 
Thanks
Elizabeth Forsling Harris .... the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of: executive director, The New York State Office for Motion Picture and Television Development
Leona Johnpoll .... the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of: associate director, The New York State Office for Motion Picture and Television Development
Ed Koch .... the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of: Mayor
Nancy Littlefield .... the producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of: executive director, Mayors Office for Motion Pictures and Television
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Runtime:
97 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Certification:

Did You Know?

Trivia:
This film is considered a modern reworking of the P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster tales, Arthur is the equivalent of Bertie Wooster and his servant Hobson the equivalent of Jeeves.See more »
Goofs:
Continuity: At the engagement party, Linda leans over the gentleman's shoulder to get her cigarette lit. Seconds later, while stepping back to observe the party, she asks the same gentleman to light the same cigarette.See more »
Quotes:
Arthur:Do you HATE Perry's wife?See more »
Soundtrack:
Strangers in the NightSee more »

FAQ

In the scene where Susan says "What about Harold?" and Linda says "oh, you poor dear". What is this in reference to?
See more »
14 out of 16 people found the following review useful.
Still a Charmer a Quarter Century Later Especially for the Well-Missed Talents of Moore and Gielgud, 1 August 2006
Author: Ed Uyeshima from San Francisco, CA, USA

This 1981 comedy still sparkles thanks to the combined efforts of writer/director Steve Gordon and stars Dudley Moore and John Gielgud. Sadly, Gordon, only in his early forties, died soon after completing this, his only feature film. It's an especially unfortunate loss since he shows a truly deft hand at character-driven farce that makes the whole film irresistible. It plays almost like a 1930's-style screwball comedy revamped for contemporary tastes. The plot centers on Arthur Bach, a drunken, diminutive millionaire playboy who is at risk of losing his $750 million inheritance if he doesn't marry the dowdy and boring Susan Johnson, an heiress handpicked by his old-money father and dotty grandmother. Of course, he doesn't love her and by chance, runs into Linda Marolla, a working-class waitress (and of course, aspiring actress) after she pilfers a Bergdorf Goodman tie for her father.

The standard complications ensue but in a most endearing way with loads of alcohol-fueled slapstick executed with classic élan by Moore. That he makes such a spoiled character likable is a credit not only to his comic talents but to Gielgud's feisty, acidic turn as Hobson, Arthur's devoted but reality-grounded valet. It's the type of role he could play in his sleep, but Gielgud makes Hobson such a truly memorable character that his fate in the film brings a welcome injection of poignancy in the proceedings. In probably her most likable film role, Liza Minnelli hands the picture to her male co-stars by toning down her usual razzle-dazzle personality and making Linda quite genuine in motivation.

A pre-"LA Law" Jill Eikenberry plays Susan just at the right passive-aggressive note, while Barney Martin (Jerry's dad on "Seinfeld") steals all his scenes as Linda's slovenly father Ralph. The one fly in the ointment is veteran actress Geraldine Fitzgerald, who overdoes the eccentricities of the grandmother. And I have to admit that I still can't stand the very dated, overplayed Christopher Cross song that inevitably won the Oscar for that year's best song. Unfortunately, the 1997 DVD, certainly in need of remastering, has no extras worth noting except some photos and production notes.

Was the above review useful to you?
See more (100 total) »

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Arthur (1981)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Film Locations editor-704-581814
Arthur remake flop? matthewbond007
How is it everyone hates this movie? RidiculousRandomPerson
I always felt sorry for Susan minni-coons
Morty Seinfeld cryptical70
I Always Loved This Movie centurion_quintus_dias
See more »

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Pretty Woman Pygmalion Trading Places The Aviator The Lady Eve
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Comedy section IMDb USA section

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Edit page' button will take you through a step-by-step process.