Arthur (1981)

Today's post is about the 1981 classic 'Arthur'. The title role is flawlessly played by Dudley Moore, who is known for making a spectacular fool of himself. This performance does not disappoint, as Arthur is constantly put in weirder and weirder situations, resulting in him bringing a prostitute to a society lounge and getting threatened with a cheese-knife.

Welcome to the cut-throat world of American aristocracy! Where champagne is as common as water, where the worst thing a family could have is a scandal! Arthur Bach is a billionaire stuck in suspended adolescence when he meets Linda (the perfect eighties star, Liza Minnelli) when she steals a tie from one of his department stores. Instead of turning her in, Arthur steps in and the course of his life is changed forever!

Stealing just about all of the best lines of the movie is, of course, the sassy butler Hobson. Shakespearean actor John Gielgud first refused the role, only saying yes when they upped his salary. He later won the Oscar for 'Best Actor in a Supporting Role' for Hobson, his dry, unpredictable performance making him famous in America. Isn't ironic that the part he didn't want was the one that he's remembered for?





What can I say? I am a sucker for love turning bad men into good men. And 'Arhur' is the ultimate Peter Pan story, the way you want it to end. You laugh, and surprisingly you might cry. It hits you a hundred different ways each time you watch it. The script is fantastically snarky, the characters hilarious, the complications mounting and mounting until you have no idea how Arthur's going to get out of this one . .  . And then its over, and you have withdrawal until you watch it again.