1981 Arthur

A little known fact about Arthur is that this is the movie who's theme song prevented For Your Eyes Only from winning an Oscar for best song. The track was called Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) and it was a hit, as is so typical of an 80's movie.

Arthur tells the tale of a billionaire drunk who falls in love with a common girl while on the brink of entering into an arranged marriage to a fellow socialite. Arthur is played by Dudley Moore, who found Hollywood fame in the 80's. The woman he falls for is Liza Minnelli and his butler is played by Sir John Gielgud, who won an Oscar for his portrayal.

This movie is considered by many critics to be the best film of 1981, better than the likes of Raiders of the Lost Ark or On Golden Pond. While that might be true, it is a film that has not lasted the test of time, and is now rarely seen.

This may have something to do with the sequel, which was released in 1988 with the same cast but was a commercial and critical failure. Sadly the writer and director of this original movie, Steve Gordon, died in 1982 of a  heart attack, and perhaps without his input a sequel was never going to work.

A remake was made in 2011, and suffered the same fate as Arthur 2. It would seem that this tale of excess and love remains firmly in the 80's.

All that aside, it is a charming movie with plenty of laughs and great performances from the three main leads, who are clearly having fun. Dudley Moore's drunk act is good to watch, and his hapless character bumbling through life makes for a warm and helpless person who audiences were spellbound by.

The movie grossed $95m in the States, on a budget of $7m. It was clear to see why the studio wanted a sequel.