EXCLUSIVE: Dudley Moore's 'Arthur' Secrets Revealed Decades Later
Dudley Moore's 'Arthur' secrets are revealed decades later, shedding new light on the beloved film.
Oct. 3 2026, Published 8:45 a.m. ET
Forty-five years ago, Dudley Moore raised a martini glass, unleashed that unmistakable cackle and turned a spoiled, perpetually pickled millionaire into one of the most lovable comedy characters of the 1980s, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Released July 17, 1981, Arthur stars Moore as Arthur Bach, a fabulously wealthy New York playboy whose days revolve around booze, women and spending his family fortune. But his free ride is threatened when his father demands he marry Susan Johnson, played by Jill Eikenberry, or forfeit a whopping $750million inheritance.
Dudley Moore Wasn't First Choice to Play Arthur
Dudley Moore plays a wealthy playboy risking his inheritance for love in 'Arthur.'
Arthur reluctantly agrees – until he meets feisty, working-class Linda Marolla, played by Liza Minnelli, after spotting her shoplifting a necktie at Bergdorf Goodman. He falls hopelessly in love, leaving him to choose between the woman of his dreams and the fortune that has allowed him to avoid growing up.
Watching over the man-child is his acid-tongued English butler Hobson, played by legendary stage actor John Gielgud, who dispenses affection and devastating put-downs in equal measure.
Remarkably, Arthur was writer Steve Gordon's directing debut – and his last movie. Gordon died of a heart attack in 1982 at just 44. He recalled that virtually everyone had rejected his screenplay and Paramount initially resisted casting Moore, prompting the project to move to Orion Pictures.
Gordon originally imagined Arthur as an all-American type, even considering the likes of Chevy Chase and Ryan O'Neal.
Hollywood Stars Were Considered Before Moore Landed 'Arthur'
Al Pacino was among the actors reportedly considered for 'Arthur.'
Other actors reportedly considered for Arthur included Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, John Travolta, James Caan and John Belushi. Moore was even initially expected to perform with an American accent before winning the battle to use his natural British voice.
Gielgud was another unlikely choice. The distinguished Shakespearean actor reportedly turned down the role of Hobson repeatedly before the paycheck finally persuaded him.
Even better, producer Charles Joffe later said Gielgud sometimes didn't understand why his lines were funny and would ask Moore and Minnelli whether the joke he'd just delivered was actually amusing.
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Liza Minnelli accidentally boarded a real bus instead of a prop during filming.
The shoot produced laughs of its own. While filming outside Bergdorf Goodman, Minnelli was supposed to board a prop bus – but accidentally hopped aboard a real one and was carried halfway down the block before realizing the crew was laughing behind her.
The comedy earned four Oscar nominations. Moore was nominated for Best Actor and Gordon for his screenplay, while Gielgud won Best Supporting Actor. Christopher Cross' irresistible "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)," written with Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager and Minnelli's ex Peter Allen, won Best Original Song.
After a modest $2.7million opening weekend, Arthur became a word-of-mouth smash, ultimately hauling in around $95.5million domestically against an estimated $7million budget. It finished among 1981's biggest hits.
