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.
Written by
John Vogel
Plot Synopsis:
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Arthur Bach is a rich socialite from a financially powerful English family, based in the New York City area. Though his family has built great prestige for themselves, Arthur is an embarrassment. He cavorts with women, including prostitutes, he drinks heavily and is often seen publicly inebriated, and consistently makes a spectacle of himself, which is often documented in newspapers and tabloids.

Arthur's father and his grandmother demand that Arthur marry a woman named Susan Johnson, herself the daughter of another powerful businessman, Burt Johnson. The marriage would lead to a lucrative business partnership between Arthur's father and Johnson and would secure Arthur's sizable inheritance. Arthur, however, does not love Susan and is depressed because he feels he's being coerced.

One day, while in Bergdorf-Goodman's store in Manhattan Arthur spots a young woman, Linda Marolla, stealing a necktie (a birthday present for her unemployed father). One of the store's security guards follows her outside and Arthur and his servant, Hobson, follow them as well. Linda quickly makes a scene when the guard accuses her of the theft, but Arthur steps in and covers for her, saying she was buying the tie for him. The guard is apologetic and leaves. Arthur kisses Linda in front of a crowd to continue the ruse, and then asks her for her phone number. He also offers his limo and chauffeur, Mr Bitterman, to Linda to get home.

Arthur takes Linda out on a date and the two instantly fall for each other. Arthur meets later with his father, who expresses his disappointment at Arthur's reputation as a rich playboy. Arthur tells his father that he refuses to marry Susan, at which point his father threatens to cut off his inheritance of $750 million. Arthur acquiesces and takes his mother's engagement ring to give to Susan. Arthur later meets with his grandmother, Martha, the Bach family matriarch, who tells him the same thing his father did: she'll cut him off if he doesn't marry Susan. She also suggests that while he's married to Susan, he can still see Linda on the side. Arthur, however, does not want to carry on an unfaithful relationship with Linda but still agrees to marry Susan.

Arthur later discusses the matter with Hobson, with whom he has a closer relationship than his own father. Hobson tells Arthur to respect his family's wishes and marry Susan. Hobson, however, recognizes that Arthur is indeed in love with Linda.

Before leaving to pick up Susan to propose to her, Arthur calls Linda and tells her the truth. Linda seems mostly unfazed by the news, however, her father breaks down at the thought of her daughter missing the chance to marry a millionaire. At Burt Johnson's house, Arthur talks to Johnson himself, who tells the young playboy that he doesn't approve of his excessive drinking. He also explains a bit about his upbringing, relating a story about how he killed a burglar at the age of 11. To Johnson, the most important thing in his life is Susan, and he would kill to protect her.

Susan and Arthur go to a posh restaurant where Arthur proposes to her. Though Susan knows about Arthur's philandering and drunkenness, she still will marry him. Arthur takes Susan home and then drives to Linda's apartment very late at night and even drunker than he was at dinner. He offers Linda $100,000 for her trouble, which she refuses and orders Arthur to leave.

The next day, Arthur has a brief argument with Hobson concerning his future. Arthur, who has been mostly passive all his life, apologizes to Hobson for raising his voice. Hobson takes Arthur's attitude to heart and visits Linda and her father. He tells Linda that Arthur and Susan's engagement party is being held at Arthur's family home in Southampton, Long Island. He also gives her a stylish dress to wear, knowing that she'll go. Right before he leaves, Hobson coughs and seems weak, but he dismisses Linda's questions about it.

Linda arrives at the engagement party and, when she sees Arthur singing to his fiance, begins to flirt with another guest, claiming she'd met him before. Arthur sees her there and sends the bewildered man away to get them drinks. Arthur takes Linda on a tour of the house and they end up in the horse stables. Their conversation proves that they are still in love with each other. When Susan interrupts, Linda tries to cover for Arthur by saying she'd come to beg him for money, however, Susan brings unhappy news: back in New York, Hobson has been taken to the hospital and his very ill. Arthur leaves immediately to see Hobson.

At the hospital, Arthur tries to make things as comfortable as possible for Hobson, bringing in his own bed, having meals delivered from expensive restaurants, buying him presents and staying in the hospital room with him. Arthur also has the wedding postponed. During the time he cares for Hobson, Arthur stays sober and stops his philandering and excessive spending, having spent a large amount of his own money to keep his friend comfortable. Hobson eventually dies, causing Arthur incredible grief. Arthur goes to a small bar and becomes incredibly drunk a few hours before the wedding. He goes home and dresses for the wedding and, still drunk, visits Linda at the diner where she works as a waitress. Arthur asks her to marry him, despite the fact that he will lose his inheritance and be poor. Linda agrees and she agrees to go with him to tell Susan.

Arthur is late arriving at the church. He finds Susan in one of the back rooms and tells her he doesn't love her. Susan becomes upset and calls for her father, who begins to beat Arthur up. Linda arrives. trying to protect Arthur, however, Johnson, grabbing a small cheese knife, starts after Arthur and Linda. Suddenly, Martha Bach appears and slaps Johnson, bringing him out of his murderous rage. Arthur walks out to the dais in the church and tells everyone that the wedding is off and that he'll likely not see many of them again because he'll become poor when his family cuts off his inheritance. He collapses in front of them.

After all the guests have left, Arthur and Linda talk on the dais, while Martha listens from the pews. Arthur promises to be faithful to Linda and begins to talk about finding a job when Martha interrupts and says that no heir of her family will ever be working class. She tells Arthur that he can have his full inheritance and can stay with Linda. At first, Arthur refuses, but accepts. He then has Bitterman drive him and Linda through Central Park together.

At one point during the production, Liza Minnelli was supposed to board a bus in front of Bergdorf's on Fifth Avenue. When a real bus came along, she boarded it thinking it was the "movie bus". Not until she was halfway down the block did she realize her blunder when she looked back and saw the whole crew cracking up.
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Dudley Moore was said to have based his performance partly on Peter Cook, whose excessive drinking had soured his and Moore's comedic partnership in the 1970s.
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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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Barney Martin (Ralph Marolla, the father of Liza Minnelli (Linda Marolla)) played Minnelli's husband in the Broadway stage production of "Chicago".
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Reportedly, when Dudley Moore was doing the mansion moose head sequence, a lighting technician laughed so much, that he fell off his ladder.
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Dudley Moore kept cracking up the cast and crew, so much so, that twenty-seven takes were needed to get one scene filmed at one point.
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Apparently, Writer and Director Steve Gordon had originally wanted to cast George Segal in the lead role of Arthur. After the box-office success of 10 (1979) however, Dudley Moore replaced Segal. This movie was actually the second time that Moore replaced Segal. Segal was originally cast in the lead role in 10 (1979), but Segal apparently walked off the set shortly after filming began. Reportedly, this was rumored because Julie Andrews' role had been built up. Apparently, after 10 (1979) had been released, Segal, when once asked if he had seen the movie, allegedly replied with a finger gesture.
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Sir John Gielgud's first name is, in fact, Arthur.
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According to his widow, John Belushi was offered the role of Arthur, but ultimately turned it down, fearing typecasting.
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This movie is the only theatrical movie directed by Steve Gordon. Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988) was dedicated to the memory of Gordon, who died in late 1982.
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This was the fourth most popular 1981 movie at the U.S. and Canadian box-offices.
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According to Producer Charles H. Joffe, Sir John Gielgud "never really understood the jokes he was giving." According to Liza Minnelli, Gielgud kept turning to her and Dudley Moore asking if what he just said was funny. After this movie came out, Gielgud wrote to journalist George Pitcher, explaining that he was "very bucked" at the success of this movie. "I thought Liza so very good, and underestimated by the critics", Gielgud added. "Dudley screams too much at first, but gets better all through and is very charming and cooperative in the scenes with me. We also got on so wonderfully well together, despite that appalling heat."
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The role of Hobson, which won a Best Actor in a Supporting Role Oscar for Sir John Gielgud, was originally intended for either David Niven or Sir Alec Guinness.
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Carrie Fisher and Debra Winger turned down the role of Linda Marolla.
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After shooting the scene where Arthur gets beaten up by his would-be father-in-law, Dudley Moore was still wearing his tattered costume and bloody make-up when he turned to his then-girlfriend Susan Anton (who was nearly eight and a half inches taller than him) in a Waldorf-Astoria elevator and said, "Susan, I told you I'd be home, why wouldn't you believe me?" The other elevator passengers were aghast.
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The scene where Arthur drives his race car around a track was shot at the now defunct Danbury Fair Racearena in Connecticut. The type of car that Arthur drove was never raced there, it was primarily for modified stock cars and was one of America's great short tracks. Sadly, despite its great success, the land became too valuable and it gave way to a shopping mall. The Danbury Fair Racearena closed on October 12, 1981, shortly after the movie was filmed.
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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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Director Stewart Gordon and Dudley Moore argued over Arthur's accent. "I explained to the director I couldn't possibly do it as an American since I spent half the time trying to get my vowels right", Moore reasoned. The two continued the discussion of whether Moore should use an American accent even after filming had started, but Moore won out.
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The movie's song, "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)", was co-written by Christopher Cross, Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Peter Allen, who was Liza Minnelli's ex-husband. Allen's only contribution to the song was its famous chorus lyric ("When you get caught between the moon and New York City, the best that you can do is fall in love.") He came up with this line while sitting on an airplane that was stuck in a holding pattern over New York City at night, waiting to land at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Despite his minimal contribution, the other three songwriters insisted that Allen receive a songwriting credit. He ended up winning an Academy Award for Best Song, just for this small, but important contribution.
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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.
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Apparently, when this movie was first touted, Dudley Moore thought (perhaps jokingly) that the movie was about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
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After Linda first meets Arthur she says that he looks like one of Santa's little helpers. Dudley Moore played the part of Patch one of Santa's elves in Santa Claus: The Movie (1985).
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Features Dudley Moore's only Oscar nominated performance.
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In Liza Minnelli's dressing room, Dudley Moore, an accomplished pianist, would play her piano. Sometimes Minnelli would sing along. Other times, Jill Eikenberry (who portrayed Arthur's fiancče, Susan Johnson) played.
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Dudley Moore has claimed that he was far from the first choice, as the producers originally wanted an "American actor" for the part of Arthur. Director Steve Gordon convinced them otherwise, and they eventually offered the part to Moore after other stars, such as James Caan, Al Pacino, Robert Redford, and John Travolta, turned the role down.
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Shooting in New York City in the summer of 1980 drew thousands of onlookers curious about Liza Minnelli's new project. One of the older onlookers confused Minnelli for her mother, Judy Garland.
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Mia Farrow, Farrah Fawcett, Goldie Hawn, Barbara Hershey, Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange, Bette Midler, Gilda Radner, Susan Sarandon, Cybill Shepherd, and Meryl Streep were all considered for the role of Linda.
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Tuesday Weld was originally offered the role of Linda Marolla, but turned it down.
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Jeff Bridges, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Jack Nicholson, Sylvester Stallone, and Robin Williams were all considered for the lead role of Arthur.
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Four different endings were shot. Director Steve Gordon still hadn't figured out which ending to use during editing. A rough cut, to which Dudley Moore objected, gave more of a focus on Arthur and Hobson's relationship than Arthur and Linda's.
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This movie did very well at the 1982 Academy Awards, winning two of its four nominations.
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Included among the American Film Institute's 2000 list of the Top 100 Funniest American Movies.
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Bud Cort was originally suggested for the role of Arthur. Apparently, Cort was actually cast in the part, but withdrew prior to principal photography.
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The Bach family fortune of seven hundred fifty million dollars would be (adjusted for inflation) approximately 2.1 billion dollars in 2018.
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Kim Basinger read for the role of Linda Marolla.
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If Arthur and Linda were to marry and become pregnant in 1981, and their baby being born in 1982, would only this year, or about, be old enough to become President as dreamed by Martha. (2017)
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Although marketed as a mature comedy, the film also works as a dark downbeat relationship drama about a dysfunctional alcoholic spoilt pampered millionaire marrying to stay wealthy.
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The remake, Arthur (2011), was released nearly thirty years to the day after this movie came out.
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Kay Lenz wanted the female lead role badly, because her previous attempts to be a movie star failed.
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Burt Reynolds and Tom Selleck were considered for the role of Arthur.
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Charles Grodin was considered for the role of Arthur
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In the numerous scenes where Arthur and Hobson are both present, Arthur is always sober and, with only two exceptions in the hospital scene, Hobson speaks every comedic line. In every scene where Arthur is drunk he speaks every comedic line, and Hobson is absent.
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During Arthur's engagement party a live band is playing. At one point, you can clearly hear a hi-hat while you see the drummer play cymbals.
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In the shopping scene inside Bergdorf-Goodman, to spite his father, Arthur orders 4 dozen shirts, then goes on to tell the cashier, "I want 14 of these sweaters... all green... I don't wear sweaters..."A few scenes later in the floral shop, we see Arthur clearly wearing a purple sweater... and then again when he is visiting his Aunt Martha Bach, he is seen wearing a bright yellow sweater. So much for his statement "I don't wear sweaters..."
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Incorrect regarded as a goof: Linda steals the tie from Bergdorf-Goodman's by itself yet when Arthur helps her into the Rolls-Royce, he hands her a box that contains the tie, which she still has with her when Bitterman helps her out of the car. When Arthur and Hobson walk up to Linda during her confrontation with the security guard. Hobson is carrying a bag with a large box in it. That's the box Linda is given. Since it contains the tie she stole, presumably the tie was put in that box off-camera.
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Though Arthur never hands the stolen tie back to Linda, she has it as she walks away from the scene.
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When Bitterman drops Linda off at her apartment complex, she looks out the back window of the car and asks that he wait until her neighbor is there before he opens the car door for her. When Linda does get out of the car, the woman is approaching the car from the front, not from the back.
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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.
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Position of Arthur's top hat changes in the bathtub scene after Hobson places it on the edge.
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Arthur grabs his martini glass twice in the bath tub.
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The length of Arthur's hair changes back and forth throughout the final scenes.
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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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When Hobson comes to Linda's apartment, she comes out of her bedroom and closes the door behind her. Later in the scene, the door has mysteriously opened.
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When Burt Johnson takes the knife out of the cheese and starts to approach Arthur and Linda, she reaches her right arm under Arthur's right arm to clutch him. In the next close-up, her right arm is draped over Arthur's right shoulder as she clutches him.
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During the proposal scene, the ring is sitting in its box on the table, then it suddenly appears in Arthur's hand without him taking it out of the box.
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When Arthur proposes to Susan, he grabs her hand twice after Susan asks, "Take my hand, Arthur."
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When Arthur exits his race car to talk to Hobson he takes a sip from a flask. In the next shot the flask is gone even though his arm never moved.
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When Hobson is in the hospital, a two-tiered cart is rolled up the hall of the hospital. The only things on the bottom is a glass container of orange juice and a glass. When the cart enters Hobson's hospital room, a carafe of coffee has joined the orange juice and glass.
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(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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