Arthur (1981)

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 ... See full summary »

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:

I race cars, I play tennis, I fondle women, but I have weekends off and I am my own boss!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 July 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Arturo, el millonario seductor

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, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$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

Did You Know?

Trivia

There's a framed photo of Harry S. Truman on Arthur's father's desk. The other photo, to the left of Harry S. Truman, is that of Sir Winston Churchill, and it appears to be autographed.

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Goofs

Linda speaks with her dad at home. He is in an undershirt and ties a necktie around his neck. Intercut takes show the tie (once tied) is longer in the back than the front. The next shot shows the back shorter than the front. Finally the tie returns to the loner-in-back appearance from the earlier shot.

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Quotes

Arthur: Don't you HATE Perry's wife?

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Connections

Referenced in Serial Mom (1994)

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Soundtracks

Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)
Written by Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross and Peter Allen
Performed by Christopher Cross
Produced by Michael Omartian

User Reviews

Dudley Moore Proves he's a Comic Powerhouse

The late Dudley Moore had the most famous role of his too-short career in 1981's ARTHUR, a raucously funny and alternately touching tale that generates warm smiles, big belly-laughs, and an occasional tear if you're in the right mood. Moore received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his performance as Arthur Bach, a drunken playboy who "races cars, plays tennis, fondles women, but he has weekends off and he's his own boss." Arthur is destined to inherit 750 million dollars when he marries a snooty society girl named Susan Johnston (Jill Eikenberry)who is the spoiled daughter of an undercover gangster. Things get sticky when Arthur meets Linda Morolla (Liza Minnelli) a waitress/struggling actress from Queens who steals neckties for her father's birthday. Moore lights up the screen in one of the single funniest performances of the last 50 years. The late Sir John Gielgud won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his flawless turn as Arthur's acid-tongued butler and best friend, Hobson, whose outward disdain for Arthur's behavior covers more paternal feelings. There are other funny contributions by Barney Martin as Linda's father. Stephen Elliott as Susan's father, and Geraldine Fitzgerald as Arthur's demented grandmother. The film was directed with a keen eye for comedy by a first time director named Steve Gordon, who, sadly, died the following the year. There was also a forgettable sequel several years later, but this instant classic is not to be missed.