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23 out of 26 people found the following comment useful :- 'Son of Foster Brooks', 14 April 2002 Author: Sample (sampleman411@earthlink.net) from Los Angeles
Quite simply the funniest and shiniest film-comedy of all time... it's certainly on my personal top-ten list. This one also gets a solid ten on the voting scale. Millionaire heir, Arthur Bach (Moore), is a middle-aged 'child' who refuses to take the mature path in life and avoids all requisite responsibilities. He also refuses to leave the bottle. One day he and his personal butler, Hobson (Gielgud), go shopping at Bergdorf Goodman's and run into petty larcenist, Linda (Minnelli). Arthur and Linda's chemistry adds electricity to the rest of the film. There are hilarious set pieces aplenty. In one such scene, Arthur (drunk throughout most of the story) knocks on the wrong apartment door and receives ear shattering threats from a human 'siren' ("My husband has a gun!!!!). Performances by everyone involved should be duly noted: Geraldine Fitzgerald plays Arthur's loving-yet-ruthless grandmother, Sir John Gielgud almost steals the entire show with his acidic droll-isms (He took home the Oscar for this one), and Christopher Cross provides the Main Theme song (Oscar winner "Best That You Can Do"). It's a shame the late Dudley Moore passed away last month (March 2002).
16 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :- The laughs never get old., 23 February 2002 Author: budmassey (cyberbarrister@gmail.com) from Indianapolis, IN
From the beginning of this movie it seems apparent that the role of Arthur was meant to be played by a much younger actor. By the end, it's clear that nobody other than Dudley Moore could have done it so well. Looking back, one remembers the sappy Christopher Cross theme song (does anyone remember Christopher Cross?) and oh-so-80's clothing and sets with an unavoidable nostalgia. But the triumvirate of Moore as Arthur, Liza Minnelli as Linda, and Sir Johnny G as the butler Hobson, dripping with sarcasm and at the pinnacle of his considerable talent, make this more than a throw-away farce.All the best lines belong to Gielgud, and the Academy Award was hardly adequate for such a legendary performance. Moore's lovable drunk would wear thin in later years, but here it is a fresh and delightful tour de force in the most politically incorrect way. Liza is flawless, but one hates to see her in a non-musical role, for fear of squandering such an immense talent. But the chemistry, the synergy between these legends is palpable. The laughs never get old. It is, however, a tragedy that the DVD is not available in cinematic aspect.
7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :- Still a Charmer a Quarter Century Later Especially for the Well-Missed Talents of Moore and Gielgud, 1 August 2006 Author: Ed Uyeshima from San Francisco, CA, USA
This 1981 comedy still sparkles thanks to the combined efforts of writer/director Steve Gordon and stars Dudley Moore and John Gielgud. Sadly, Gordon, only in his early forties, died soon after completing this, his only feature film. It's an especially unfortunate loss since he shows a truly deft hand at character-driven farce that makes the whole film irresistible. It plays almost like a 1930's-style screwball comedy revamped for contemporary tastes. The plot centers on Arthur Bach, a drunken, diminutive millionaire playboy who is at risk of losing his $750 million inheritance if he doesn't marry the dowdy and boring Susan Johnson, an heiress handpicked by his old-money father and dotty grandmother. Of course, he doesn't love her and by chance, runs into Linda Marolla, a working-class waitress (and of course, aspiring actress) after she pilfers a Bergdorf Goodman tie for her father.The standard complications ensue but in a most endearing way with loads of alcohol-fueled slapstick executed with classic élan by Moore. That he makes such a spoiled character likable is a credit not only to his comic talents but to Gielgud's feisty, acidic turn as Hobson, Arthur's devoted but reality-grounded valet. It's the type of role he could play in his sleep, but Gielgud makes Hobson such a truly memorable character that his fate in the film brings a welcome injection of poignancy in the proceedings. In probably her most likable film role, Liza Minnelli hands the picture to her male co-stars by toning down her usual razzle-dazzle personality and making Linda quite genuine in motivation.A pre-"LA Law" Jill Eikenberry plays Susan just at the right passive-aggressive note, while Barney Martin (Jerry's dad on "Seinfeld") steals all his scenes as Linda's slovenly father Ralph. The one fly in the ointment is veteran actress Geraldine Fitzgerald, who overdoes the eccentricities of the grandmother. And I have to admit that I still can't stand the very dated, overplayed Christopher Cross song that inevitably won the Oscar for that year's best song. Unfortunately, the 1997 DVD, certainly in need of remastering, has no extras worth noting except some photos and production notes.
12 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :- Genuinely witty!, 16 September 2002 Author: nocurfupa from Sarasota, FL
Ok, even if you can't stand Liza- this movie is truly hilarious! The scenes with John Gielgud make up for Liza. One of the true romantic comedy classics from the 20th century. Dudley Moore makes being drunk and irresponsible look cute and amusing and it is damn fun to watch! The one-liners are the best.
6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :- A charmer, 26 February 2006 Author: mutty_mcflea from Bristol, UK
Dudley Moore, one of the most likable actors around, stars as a drunken millionaire who has to choose between marrying rich heiress Jill Eikenberry and keeping all his money or staying with his true love, poor waitress Liza Minnelli, and losing the lot. It's a warm film with a performance from Moore that could so easily have been overly sentimental or off-putting but is in fact excellent; John Gielgud as Hobson the butler is cracking too and gets most of the best lines. It suffers from the occasional flat patch but by and large this is funny stuff. 'Arthur 2: On The Rocks' followed, and while it's inferior to the original it's certainly not bad.
6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :- Delightful movie, 11 July 2000 Author: Adriane (adriane7@mindspring.com) from chandler, az
Delightful movie. Side splitting laughs at times, heart warming at others. Sir John Gielgud is wonderfully funny and poignant as Hobson, Arthur's butler. My favorite scene is where he goes to Liza Minnelli's house to talk to her, you really sympathize for him and her. Memorable song "The best that you can do", and unforgettable characters make this a feel-good memorable movie. Definitely on my Top 30 of all time. 10/10
7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :- One of the Funniest Films Ever!, 1 September 2006 Author: Sylvia Marciniak (sylviastel@aol.com) from United States
Let's begin with that theme song sung by Christopher Cross. The song is "If you get caught between the moon and New York City." It's a great theme and song even after all these years, it never gets tiring. It really is a great song about New York City as well. Anyway, the great Dudley Moore CBE stars as a spoiled drunken millionaire who is engaged to Jill Eikenberry's character in the film. Jill would later star on LA Law. Anyway, he is served by his wonderful British butler, Sir John Gielgud OM who won an Academy Award for his performance in the film as Best Supporting Actor. Arthur falls in love with Liza Minnelli's character who is perfect in this film besides her performance in her Oscar winning role in Cabaret. No, Liza doesn't get to sing. She plays a diner waitress. Anyway I love Geraldine Fitzgerald as the Bach matriarch of the family who decides the family's fortune. Anyway, she is fabulous and should have gotten an academy award nomination herself for Best Supporting Actress. Barney Martin best known as Jerry's dad on Seinfeld plays Liza's dad. He's great too. The movie was well-written, acted, and delivered to the audience who wanted more of it.
6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :- Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it's Arthur, drunk again!, 26 January 2002 Author: Alien 2001 from Swindon, England
It's hard to put your finger on this one. Basically I suppose it's a comedy about an idle rich drunk who falls in love with a (comparatively) poor girl, whom he wants to marry at the risk of being disowned by his family.It has funny moments, romantic moments, and touching moments. Dudley Moore is funny and somehow makes his self-centred character endearing, Liza Minelli is a convincing foil as the the feisty opposite he attracts, but John Gielgud steals the show as Arthur's wonderfully sarcastic butler.It's corny but great fun with a memorable soundtrack, and ran for nearly 3 months at our local fleapit.
3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :- Dudley Moore Proves he's a Comic Powerhouse, 8 January 2007 Author: Isaac5855 from United States
The late Dudley Moore had the most famous role of his too-short career in 1981's ARTHUR, a raucously funny and alternately touching tale that generates warm smiles, big belly-laughs, and an occasional tear if you're in the right mood. Moore received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his performance as Arthur Bach, a drunken playboy who "races cars, plays tennis, fondles women, but he has weekends off and he's his own boss." Arthur is destined to inherit 750 million dollars when he marries a snooty society girl named Susan Johnston (Jill Eikenberry)who is the spoiled daughter of an undercover gangster. Things get sticky when Arthur meets Linda Morolla (Liza Minnelli) a waitress/struggling actress from Queens who steals neckties for her father's birthday. Moore lights up the screen in one of the single funniest performances of the last 50 years. The late Sir John Gielgud won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his flawless turn as Arthur's acid-tongued butler and best friend, Hobson, whose outward disdain for Arthur's behavior covers more paternal feelings. There are other funny contributions by Barney Martin as Linda's father. Stephen Elliott as Susan's father, and Geraldine Fitzgerald as Arthur's demented grandmother. The film was directed with a keen eye for comedy by a first time director named Steve Gordon, who, sadly, died the following the year. There was also a forgettable sequel several years later, but this instant classic is not to be missed.
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :- Warm, Hilarious Alcoholic Fun, 6 March 2001 Author: Daniel J. Fienberg (d_fienberg) from Los Angeles, CA
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
If you consider that Arthur is basically a character study of an eccentric alcoholic and lacks much by way of a third act plot structure, it's a wonderfully successful movie. It's fairly easy to ignore the fact that even at 97 minutes, the film is running on pure charm for more than half that time. Wonderfully performances and a uniquely droll script (in 1939, it wouldn't have seemed unique, but in the past few decades, it has very little competition in its screwball genre) make Arthur well worth returning to.Arthur Bach (Dudley Moore) is a funny alcoholic. As such, we'd hardly care about him. He wouldn't get into the finest restaurants. He wouldn't go on elaborate shopping sprees. And we wouldn't get the girls. However, Arthur is also the heir to a fortune approaching a billion dollars. He's never worked a day in his life and he has two servants, Hobson and Bitterman, who have been with him forever. But his father finally makes an ultimatum -- either Arthur marries the devoted (and rich) Susan Johnson (well pre-LA Law Jill Eikenberry), or he'll be cut off. And wouldn't you know it? This happens just as Arthur is falling in love (perhaps for the very first time) with waitress/aspiring actress Linda (Liza Minnelli). Will Arthur choose the money or the girl? You've seen this kind of movie before, so you know where it's going.Steve Gordon's script is so wonderful that you forget that as a director he's basically standing as far back as possible and letting the cast kick the great dialogue up a notch.Arthur is about Dudley Moore's laugh. It's the first thing we hear and it rings through the whole film. It's a manic uncontrollable thing and probably if your neighbor laughed like that, you'd get sick of him within an hour. For some reason, Moore makes sure that we never get sick of Arthur. We don't get sick of his life of privilege, of his demands, of his embarrassing himself and the people who love him. We don't get sick of his silly rationalizing for his drunken state. And these are remarkable facts. Moore also gets to play the piano (a brilliant skill), fall over things (one of Moore's best), and kiss a horse (no comment required). Moore also has terrific chemistry with Minnelli, who certainly hasn't been better since. Minnelli's character's major flaw is that you never really get the minute she stops liking Arthur for his money and starts loving the man. I don't blame her for that.The first two thirds of the movie, though, completely belong to John Gielgud. One of the three greatest Shakespearean actors of his generation and this is what most filmgoers remember him for. Playing a butler! And yet the amazement of his performance is that you never feel that he's slumming, even when he's sitting in bed wearing a cowboy hat. Beyond just being the moral center of the film, nobody does better service to Gordon's dialogue. Gielgud's Hobson may be quick to tell people off, but you never doubt he cares.As I said earlier, the film doesn't really make it all the way to the end. It's not a spoiler to observe that the ending feels arbitrary and unmotivated. You would also be correct in wondering if this film's depiction of alcoholics is troublingly frivolous, even for a light comedy. But honestly, see how long you're troubled for. I suspect it won't last through Arthur's first dinner date with hooker in stretch pants.This is a 7.5/10, I think. And I'll alert the media.
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