Arthur

"The most fun money can buy."

1981 1h 37m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 488

ComedyDramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Arthur is a 30-year-old child who will inherit $750 million if he complies with his family's demands and marries the woman of their choosing.

“The most fun money can buy.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

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

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Steve Gordon
Writers: Steve Gordon
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Grossed $95M — a 13.6× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

45 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Arthur Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Steve Gordon, shot by Fred Schuler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Burt Bacharach. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Susan E. Morse shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli and John Gielgud carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The most fun money can buy.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Steve Gordon directs. Fred Schuler behind the camera. Burt Bacharach scores. Susan E. Morse cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Grossed $95M — a 13.6× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.
245 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Part of the "Arthur Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Steve Gordon, shot by Fred Schuler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Burt Bacharach. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Susan E. Morse shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli and John Gielgud carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The most fun money can buy.".
9IMDB entry: tt0082031 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Fred Schuler
Original score: Burt Bacharach
Editing: Susan E. Morse
Production design: Stephen Hendrickson
Costume design: Jane Greenwood
Makeup / hair: Fern Buchner
Sound: Richard Vorisek
Runtime: 97 min · 1h 37m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $7,000,000
Box office: $95,461,682
Return: 1364% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Arthur (1981)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Part of

Arthur Collection

Arthur is a 1981 American comedy film written and directed by Steve Gordon. It stars Dudley Moore as the eponymous Arthur Bach, a drunken New York City billionaire who is on the brink of an arranged marriage to a wealthy heiress, but ends up falling for a common working-class girl from Queens. The film was followed by a sequel in 1988, Arthur 2: On the Rocks. Lead players Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, and John Gielgud reprised their roles, as well as many supporting players such as Geraldine Fitzgerald, Barney Martin, and Ted Ross; Jill Eikenberry did not return. A remake of the original was then released in 2011 with British actor/comedian Russell Brand in the lead role.