When Arthur slipped into theaters in July 1981, it did so almost quietly. Forty five years later, it stands as one of the most beloved comedies of its era, a film that turned its unlikely star into a household name and earned a place in Oscar history.
Steve Gordon, who had written Carl Reiner’s 1978 comedy The One and Only featuring Henry Winkler, brought his own screenplay Arthur to Orion Pictures and was hired to direct. He first considered George Segal and John Belushi for the title role before settling on Dudley Moore, whose career had been boosted by his work in 10 opposite Bo Derek.
The story centers on Arthur Bach, a wealthy alcoholic playboy who faces being cut off from his family fortune unless he agrees to marry a woman he does not love. Complications arise when he falls for Linda, a working class woman played by Liza Minnelli. The script’s relentless humor won Moore over. “Ten laughs a page, instead of one laugh every 10 pages,” he said at the time.
Anne DeSalvo, who played the sex worker Gloria, remembered Moore as a gracious presence on set. A classically trained pianist, he would often be at the instrument when she arrived. “Dudley would be playing the piano, and he’d say, ‘Good morning, Anne,'” she recalled. “He was such a gentleman.”
The role of Arthur was originally written as an American, but Moore persuaded Gordon to let him keep his British accent. Gordon had doubts, according to Moore. “Steve kept phoning me up and saying, ‘Are you sure you can’t do an American accent?’ I told him if I tried, it would be the most distorted performance.”
Arthur reached theaters on July 17, 1981. The Hollywood Reporter’s review praised the “hilarious comedy” and Moore’s “impeccable timing.” Despite a slow start at the box office due to marketing obstacles, positive word of mouth kept audiences coming for weeks. The film eventually ranked fourth among the year’s highest grossing releases.
It went on to earn four Oscar nominations, with John Gielgud taking home Best Supporting Actor for his turn as Hobson the butler. The song “Best That You Can Do” by Christopher Cross, co written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager, also won the Academy Award and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Gordon died of a heart attack a year after the film’s release. He was 44. Arthur remained his only feature as director. Moore and Minnelli returned for a 1988 sequel, and a 2011 remake featured Russell Brand, Jennifer Garner, Greta Gerwig, and Helen Mirren, but neither matched the original’s success. The American Film Institute later named it one of its top 100 comedies.
Moore, who died in 2002 from progressive supranuclear palsy at age 66, always held the character close. “I love the character,” he once said.
Arthur endures as a reminder that even a quietly released film can find its audience and become a lasting piece of cinematic comedy.
