Arthur (1981)

Alcoholic billionaire playboy Arthur Bach must marry a woman he does not love, or he will be cut off from his $750,000,000 fortune. But when Arthur falls in love with a poor waitress, he must decide if he wants to choose love or money.

Director:

Steve Gordon

Writer:

Steve Gordon

Stars:

Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud

Won 2 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Arthur is a happy drunk with no pretensions at any ambition. He is also the heir to a vast fortune which he is told will only be his if he marries Susan. He does not love Susan, but she will make something of him the family expects. Arthur proposes but then meets a girl with no money, with whom he could easily fall in love.

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Plot Keywords:

drunkenness | heir | butler | 1980s | inheritance | 

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Taglines:

The most fun money can buy

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sir John Gielgud turned down the role of Hobson several times, finally accepting it only because the salary he was offered was too good to pass up.

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Goofs

(at around 51 mins) Arthur is at Perry's door, while looking for Linda. Perry's wife opens the door and mouths some of Arthur's dialogue. She mouths the lines beginning with, "Very sorry to disturb you, Madam..." The last line she mouths is, "I hope this is the wrong house, no offense."

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Quotes

Hobson: [wearing a cowboy hat Arthur gave him to cheer him up] If I begin to die, please take this off my head. This is not the way I wish to be remembered.

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Connections

Referenced in Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's (2013)

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Soundtracks

Blue Moon
Written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart
Performed by Dudley Moore

User Reviews

Genuinely witty!

Ok, even if you can't stand Liza- this movie is truly hilarious! The scenes with John Gielgud make up for Liza. One of the true romantic comedy classics from the 20th century. Dudley Moore makes being drunk and irresponsible look cute and amusing and it is damn fun to watch! The one-liners are the best.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 July 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Arthur

Filming Locations:

Kaufman Astoria Studios - 3412 36th Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,719,534, 19 July 1981

Gross USA:

$95,461,682

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$95,461,682

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Pictures, Jack Rollins & Charles H. Joffe Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1