Watch and enjoy, but avoid the completely disastrous sequel.
Arthur (1981)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:27
Fresh:24
Rotten:3
Average Rating:7.3/10
Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Arthur, a very rich, drunken ne'er-do-well, falls in love with a working-class shoplifter just as he is scheduled to marry a properly pedigreed society member. But if he doesn't marry the heiress,... Arthur, a very rich, drunken ne'er-do-well, falls in love with a working-class shoplifter just as he is scheduled to marry a properly pedigreed society member. But if he doesn't marry the heiress, he will not inherit a $750 million trust. So Arthur turns to his loyal butler, who is slowly dying, for help. The butler wishes to see Arthur prevail and so manipulates a situation in which the true lovers will come together--and get the loot. But that is a lot easier said than done. ARTHUR is a charming romantic comedy that features the role that Dudley Moore was born to play. Whether taking limo trips through Central Park with prostitutes, playing with his train set, having a bath in a top hat, or wanting just a tuna-fish sandwich, Arthur, perfectly portrayed by Moore, is one of the most likable onscreen characters in cinema history. John Gielgud as his loyal, dry-witted butler is an out-and-out riot. And Liza Minnelli turns in one of her sweetest performances as the woman Arthur's family demands he stop dating. Steve Gordon's film is an absolute joy to watch, a perfect piece of celluloid entertainment that never fails to please no matter how many times one has seen it. [More]
Starring: Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud, Geraldine Fitzgerald
Starring: Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud, Geraldine Fitzgerald, John Coleman
Director: Steve Gordon
Director: Steve Gordon
Reviews for Arthur
Unfortunately, by the end, saccharine dilutes much of the whiskey sour.
Moore is predictable as the spoiled scion of wealth, Minnelli is terrific as his candid sweetheart, but Gielgud's loyal yet sarcastic servant steals the film.
So little care has gone into the characterizations, the structure, and the situations that the film merely feints at significant comedy.
A modern screwball comedy, in the vein of My Man Godfrey and other Depression era gems, Arthur was written and directed by Steve Gordon, who received an Oscar nomination for Original Screenplay.
Only someone with a heart of stone could fail to love a drunk like Arthur Bach.
Moore is a great, funny drunk...even though it is all so politically incorrect now.
One will delightfully get drunk between the moon and New York City by drinking up the spry essence in Gordon's romantic comedy Arthur
It's the movie we'll forever know Dudley Moore for -- and the late John Gielgud, too, who is put out to pasture about halfway through this classic comedy.
Latest News for Arthur
February 26, 2009:
Warners Hires Baynham for Arthur Remake ![]()
Warner Bros. is moving ahead with its Russell Brand-led remake of "Arthur," hiring "Borat" co-writer Peter Baynham to pen the screenplay. More...
December 04, 2008:
Russell Brand Preps Arthur Remake ![]()
Yes, it's another in the endless list of remakes, but it makes oddly perfect sense: Russell Brand is developing a new version of the 1981 Dudley Moore/Liza Minnelli comedy... More...
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