Arthur (1981)
Written and Directed by Steve Gordon
Arthur is a 1981 romantic comedy written and directed by Steve Gordon.
It stars British comedian Dudley Moore as the titular drunk millionaire playboy, and Liza Minnelli as his love interest, a kleptomaniac from Queens.
I recently watched this film for the first time with my Criterion Movie Club, which is a beloved group I’ve watched movies with for the last five years. It has made the pandemic fallout a lot easier to deal with, so I just want to shout this club for keeping my sanity alive. Thanks gang!
Anyway back to Arthur… I loved this movie. I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with an obnoxious, alcoholic Manhattanite millionaire, or be invested in his romantic troubles, but that’s the magic of Dudley Moore.
Dudley Moore felt like a punchline when I was growing up. The collective opinion about Moore and Arthur was more like “remember when we used to love this guy? That was weird right?” At least, that’s how I saw it from my perspective, being born nine years after this film’s release. The only cultural relevance Moore had by the time I was kickin’ around was a joke cameo in the Steven Spielberg produced cartoons from the 90’s like Tiny Toons, Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain. For whom was that reference intended in a kids show? I still don’t know.
Well it turns out my perceptions of Arthur were completely misguided because this movie was majorly popular and is still beloved. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning two of them.
Arthur was the directorial debut of filmmaker Steve Gordon, who sadly died of a heart attack at the age of 44 very soon after the movie came out. This was his only film.
Gordon had originally intended for the character to be American, and had even envisioned John Belushi playing the role. Then this short king with a charming English accent named Dudley Moore showed up, and Gordon was like “That’s Arthur Bach. Book him!”
I think it’s really smart to cast Moore. This character needs a light touch, so the audience doesn’t think too hard about the fact that Arthur is a sad alcoholic. In a different movie with this character, he would kill himself. Moore can throw away his crushingly sad lines, then laugh it off.
Maybe I’m projecting on what I knew about Belushi around this time, but I think it would be way too heavy with him as Arthur.
Liza Minnelli plays Linda Marolla, a woman who shoplifts a necktie from Bergdorff’s. Arthur sees her steal the tie, and is immediately like “what’s her deal?” Security also spots the theft and follows her out of the store. Arthur follows security and steps in to be like “darling did you buy me another tie?” and just like that, we’ve got a meetcute, folks! Linda steals neckties for her dad (Barney Martin aka Seinfeld’s dad), whom she lives with in Queens.
Arthur is pressured by his family to marry Susan Johnson (Jill Eikenberry), heiress to another NY family fortune, but Arthur isn’t in love with her. He’s in love with Linda. What’s a rich, charming drunk to do? First thing’s first, he’s gotta take a bubble bath.
Arthur spends his days getting stone blind drunk, and playing piano… and everyone loves him. Even his no nonsense butler Hobson, played by John Gielgud giving an outstanding performance in one of the film’s Oscar wins. Hobson spends the movie dunking on Arthur and being like “you’ve gotta grow up, or you’re going to be all alone.” Arthur laughs everything off. I can’t stress enough how funny this laugh sounds.
How can you not fall in love with Arthur? Christopher Cross, Peter Allen, and Burt Bacharach wrote a song about him. You are legally obligated to fall in love with New York when you hear this song. It’s this film’s other Oscar win.
Arthur is currently streaming on the Criterion Channel as apart of the “New York Love Stories” collection.
This Valentine’s Day, make yourself a martini, put on your top hat, and let Arthur’s insane laugh lull you and your sweetheart off to dreamland.
Hahahahaha!
P.S. The 2011 remake of Arthur SUCKS ASS!