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Nice Hat is now dewicked
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* NiceHat: A disheveled Arthur arrives at the wedding and, having asked an older woman wearing a nice hat for directions to where Susan's waiting for him, says "What a lovely...", gets about two or three rows down, and adds "...hat." Linda arrives shortly afterwards and happens to ask the same woman for directions, and ''also'' notes how lovely her hat is. ("So I've been told.")
** Played straight with Arthur himself; he has a top hat he likes to wear when he's on the town...and when he's bathing, as seen in the page image above taken from the sequel.
** Played straight with Arthur himself; he has a top hat he likes to wear when he's on the town...and when he's bathing, as seen in the page image above taken from the sequel.
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* FloweryInsults: Many of Hobson's sarcastic remarks go completely over their target's heads:
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* FloweryInsults: Many of Hobson's sarcastic remarks go completely are this, going over their target's heads:heads because of his eloquence and rich vocabulary:
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* FloweryInsults: Many of Hobson's sarcastic remarks go completely over their target's heads:
--->'''Gloria''': Hi
--->'''Hobson''': Yes, you obviously have a wonderful economy with words, Gloria. I look forward to your next syllable with great eagerness.
--->'''Gloria''': Hi
--->'''Hobson''': Yes, you obviously have a wonderful economy with words, Gloria. I look forward to your next syllable with great eagerness.
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* BreakfastInBed: When his butler, Hobson, falls terminally ill, Arthur makes a point of staying by his bedside and having extravagant breakfasts smuggled into his hospital room every morning. The food isn't what Hobson should be eating, but Arthur says he doesn't want his butler's last meal to be Jell-o.
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** Also the scene with Arthur at the piano during the engagement party reception. Creator/DudleyMoore was an accomplished jazz pianist.
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* ActorAllusion: When Arthur remains by Hobson's bedside in the hospital, he offers to read some scenes from ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' to keep Hobson entertained. Creator/JohnGielgud was one of the most highly regarded [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakesperean]] stage actors of the 1930s through the 1950s; Gielgud's interpretation of Hamlet was especially acclaimed.
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* ActorAllusion: When Arthur remains by Hobson's bedside in the hospital, he offers to read some scenes from ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' to keep Hobson entertained. Creator/JohnGielgud (Hobson) was one of the most highly regarded [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakesperean]] stage actors of the 1930s through the 1950s; Gielgud's interpretation of Hamlet was especially acclaimed.
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* ActorAllusion: In the scene where Arthur stays with Hobson in the hospital, he offers to read some scenes from ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' to keep Hobson entertained. Creator/JohnGielgud was one of the most highly regarded [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakesperean]] stage actors of the 1930s through the 1950s; Gielgud's interpretation of Hamlet was especially acclaimed.
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* ActorAllusion: In the scene where When Arthur stays with Hobson remains by Hobson's bedside in the hospital, he offers to read some scenes from ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' to keep Hobson entertained. Creator/JohnGielgud was one of the most highly regarded [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakesperean]] stage actors of the 1930s through the 1950s; Gielgud's interpretation of Hamlet was especially acclaimed.
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* ActorAllusion: In the scene where Arthur stays with Hobson in the hospital, he offers to read some scenes from ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' to keep Hobson entertained. Creator/JohnGielgud was one of the most highly regarded [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakesperean]] stage actor in the 1930s through the 1950s, and his interpretation of Hamlet was especially acclaimed.
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* ActorAllusion: In the scene where Arthur stays with Hobson in the hospital, he offers to read some scenes from ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' to keep Hobson entertained. Creator/JohnGielgud was one of the most highly regarded [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakesperean]] stage actor in actors of the 1930s through the 1950s, and his 1950s; Gielgud's interpretation of Hamlet was especially acclaimed.
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* ActorAllusion: In the scene where Arthur stays with Hobson in the hospital, he offers to read some scenes from ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' to keep Hobson entertained. Creator/JohnGielgud was probably the most highly regarded [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakesperean]] stage actor in the 1930s through the 1950s, and his interpretation of Hamlet was especially acclaimed.
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* ActorAllusion: In the scene where Arthur stays with Hobson in the hospital, he offers to read some scenes from ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' to keep Hobson entertained. Creator/JohnGielgud was probably one of the most highly regarded [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakesperean]] stage actor in the 1930s through the 1950s, and his interpretation of Hamlet was especially acclaimed.
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* ActorAllusion: In the scene where Arthur stays with Hobson in the hospital, he offers to read some scenes from ''Theatre/Hamlet'' to keep Hobson entertained. Creator/JohnGielgud was probably the most highly regarded [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakesperean]] stage actor in the 1930s through the 1950s, and his interpretation of Hamlet was especially acclaimed.
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* ActorAllusion: In the scene where Arthur stays with Hobson in the hospital, he offers to read some scenes from ''Theatre/Hamlet'' ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' to keep Hobson entertained. Creator/JohnGielgud was probably the most highly regarded [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakesperean]] stage actor in the 1930s through the 1950s, and his interpretation of Hamlet was especially acclaimed.
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* ActorAllusion: In the scene where Arthur stays with Hobson in the hospital, he offers to read some scenes from ''Theatre/Hamlet'' to keep Hobson entertained. Creator/JohnGielgud was probably the most highly regarded [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakesperean]] stage actor in the 1930s through the 1950s, and his interpretation of Hamlet was especially acclaimed.
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* ArrangedMarriage: One that Arthur's ''initially'' willing to go with just to keep his fortune -- and then he meets Linda.
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* ArrangedMarriage: One that Arthur's ''initially'' willing to go with just to keep his fortune -- and then he meets Linda.
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* DeadpanSnarker: Hobson. Oh, so very much.
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* DeadpanSnarker: Hobson. Oh, Hobson, so very much.
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* LoveableRogue: When Arthur first meets Linda, she's in the process of being caught shoplifting; Arthur saves her by helping convince the security guard that they're a couple and he'll be paying for the tie, which turns out to be a birthday gift for her father. Later, when the lovers are caught together by Susan at the engagement party, they claim that Linda is married to a terribly sick man, and Arthur is helping them out financially.
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* LoveableRogue: LovableRogue: When Arthur first meets Linda, she's in the process of being caught shoplifting; Arthur saves her by helping convince the security guard that they're a couple and he'll be paying for the tie, which turns out to be a birthday gift for her father. Later, when the lovers are caught together by Susan at the engagement party, they claim that Linda is married to a terribly sick man, and Arthur is helping them out financially.
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* MarryForLove: Arthur states early on that he will gladly give up his fortune to do this...but at the time he's never been in love in his life, and he agrees to the ArrangedMarriage as soon as his father reminds him of how much money he'd lose. Even after falling in love with Linda it's hard for him to follow his heart, in part because ''everyone'' around him is reminding him he isn't fit for the poor life. But he ultimately decides he'd rather be poor and in love than rich and lonely.
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* MarryForLove: Arthur states early on that he will gladly give up his fortune to do this...but at the time he's never been in love in his life, and he agrees to the ArrangedMarriage as soon as his father reminds him of how much money he'd lose. Even after falling in love with Linda Linda, it's hard for him to follow his heart, in part because ''everyone'' around him is reminding him he isn't fit for the poor life. But he ultimately decides he'd rather be poor and in love than rich and lonely.
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* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: When Hobson suggests that Linda is a GoldDigger and that carrying on an affair with her would save Arthur a fortune in prostitutes, Arthur angrily tells him never to speak of her that way again and leaves Hobson's bedroom in a huff...then returns to apologize, noting that he's '''never''' told him off before. Hobson accepts the apology, but also realizes that Arthur's unusual behavior is an indication that he really is in love with Linda. He may even have made the insulting comments specifically to see what effect they would have on Arthur.
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* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: When Hobson suggests that Linda is a GoldDigger and that carrying on an affair with her would save Arthur a fortune in prostitutes, Arthur angrily tells him never to speak of her that way again and leaves Hobson's bedroom in a huff...then returns to apologize, noting that he's '''never''' told him off before. Hobson accepts the apology, but also realizes that Arthur's unusual behavior is an indication that he really is in love with Linda. [[SecretTestOfCharacter He may even have made the insulting comments specifically to see what effect they would have on Arthur.]]
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* FunPersonified: Arthur is determined to live life to the fullest and take others along for the ride, but has the misfortune of having a terminally humorless father who wants him to marry a woman who's just as straitlaced. Part of the reason he and Linda fall in love is that she appreciates his lighthearted qualities. Ironically, ''this'' is what paves the way for his CharacterDevelopment into someone who takes life seriously to ''some'' degree when everyone else around him believes the ArrangedMarriage is what will do it.
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* FunPersonified: Arthur is determined to live life to the fullest and take others along for the ride, but has the misfortune of having a terminally humorless father who wants him to marry a woman who's just as straitlaced. Part of the reason he and Linda fall in love is that she appreciates his lighthearted light-hearted qualities. Ironically, ''this'' is what paves the way for his CharacterDevelopment into someone who takes life seriously to ''some'' degree when everyone else around him believes the ArrangedMarriage is what will do it.
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* DoubleFeature: In the U.K., this film was so popular that it was teamed up with Moore's previous hit ''Film/{{Ten}}'' as a double bill late in the run (both being Orion releases).
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* DoubleFeature: In the U.K., this film was so popular that it was teamed up with Moore's previous hit ''Film/{{Ten}}'' ''Film/Ten1979'' as a double bill late in the run (both being Orion releases).
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** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4rT9C5aV5A Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)]]" plays several aspects of this trope straight (feel-good with soothing and mellow start, builds and builds starting with the second chorus, has a showboating saxophone -- rather than guitar -- solo for the bridge), but not others. It's '''very''' specific to the events of the movie, bookends it by being played under both sets of credits, and is co-written/performed by Christopher Cross, who had just won five Grammy Awards a few months prior. The song and movie were both such big hits that to this day they're joined at the hip, and more than most post-1960s movie theme songs it's become a standard; Barry Manilow, Dionne Warwick, Shirley Bassey, Ronan Keating, Music/AlvinAndTheChipmunks, and the cast of ''Series/{{Glee}}'' have all covered it. The song's also popular in Japan (and usually covered by female artists). By way of the JukeboxMusical ''The Boy from Oz'', even Creator/HughJackman has belted it out!
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** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4rT9C5aV5A com/watch?v=qqGWOxu_H4I Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)]]" plays several aspects of this trope straight (feel-good with soothing and mellow start, builds and builds starting with the second chorus, has a showboating saxophone -- rather than guitar -- solo for the bridge), but not others. It's '''very''' specific to the events of the movie, bookends it by being played under both sets of credits, and is co-written/performed by Christopher Cross, who had just won five Grammy Awards a few months prior. The song and movie were both such big hits that to this day they're joined at the hip, and more than most post-1960s movie theme songs it's become a standard; Barry Manilow, Dionne Warwick, Shirley Bassey, Ronan Keating, Music/AlvinAndTheChipmunks, and the cast of ''Series/{{Glee}}'' have all covered it. The song's also popular in Japan (and usually covered by female artists). By way of the JukeboxMusical ''The Boy from Oz'', even Creator/HughJackman has belted it out!
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* TheDriver: Bitterman, Arthur's personal chauffeur, who despite his name is very friendly and cares for Arthur almost as much as Hobson does.
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* IronicName: Bitterman the chauffeur, who's very friendly and personable. He even briefly pretends to be Linda's driver to impress her neighbor.
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* EmptyBedroomGrieving: Early on it's revealed that Arthur has the bedroom kept as it was in honor of [[spoiler:Hobson. At the end, when Fairchild finally manages to display a sense of humor and plays a prank on Arthur, Arthur tells him to pack his things and vacate his quarters...so he can move into Hobson's room, symbolizing Arthur finding Fairchild a worthy successor to his dearest friend at last]].
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* ShrineToTheFallen: Early on it's revealed that Arthur has the "bedroom kept as it was" variation in honor of [[spoiler:Hobson. At the end, when Fairchild finally manages to display a sense of humor and plays a prank on Arthur, Arthur tells him to pack his things and vacate his quarters...so he can move into Hobson's room, symbolizing Arthur finding Fairchild a worthy successor to his dearest friend at last]].
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-->--The chorus of "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" by '''Christopher Cross'''
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* BritsLoveTea: Subverted when Hobson visits Linda at her and her father's apartment. He asks Ralph for a cup of tea and two aspirin -- but it's to get the dad out of the way so he can have a private conversation with her. When Ralph returns with the tea and pills, Hobson even says "I despise tea!" by way of shooing him again. (As for the aspirin, that's for Linda. Hobson's just told her to come to Arthur's engagement party and even left an appropriate outfit behind for her.)
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* SpotOfTea: Subverted when Hobson visits Linda at her and her father's apartment. He asks Ralph for a cup of tea and two aspirin -- but it's to get the dad out of the way so he can have a private conversation with her. When Ralph returns with the tea and pills Hobson even says "I despise tea!" by way of shooing him again. (As for the aspirin, that's for Linda. Hobson's just told her to come to Arthur's engagement party and even left an appropriate outfit behind for her.)
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-->--The chorus of "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" by '''Music/ChristopherCross'''
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-->--The chorus of "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" by '''Music/ChristopherCross'''
'''Christopher Cross'''
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* StealthInsult: Linda is given an invite to Arthur's party. Upon Susan being pointed out to her, the guest comments how pretty she looks.
-->'''Linda:''' ''(through clenched teeth)'' Of course. Why would Arthur marry a ''dog''?
-->'''Linda:''' ''(through clenched teeth)'' Of course. Why would Arthur marry a ''dog''?
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* DirtyOldWoman: Martha, Arthur's grandmother, asks him "Isn't it wonderful to be promiscuous?" when he visits her and explains his romantic travails to her, and she goes on to suggest he marry Susan and carry on an affair with Linda. In the sequel, in response to being told by her doctor that she needed exercise, she hires a terribly fit twenty-something male instructor...whom she watches go through a workout routine. She tells Arthur that she started with just twenty minutes a day of this but now can go a full hour, and she hasn't felt so good in years.
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* DirtyOldWoman: Martha, Arthur's grandmother, asks asking him "Isn't "Is it wonderful to be wonderful, being promiscuous?" when he visits her her[[note]]as in "dammit, I was born too early and missed the Sexual Revolution"[[/note]] and explains his romantic travails to her, and she goes on to suggest he marry Susan and carry on an affair with Linda. In the sequel, in response to being told by her doctor that she needed exercise, she hires a terribly fit twenty-something male instructor...whom she watches go through a workout routine. She tells Arthur that she started with just twenty minutes a day of this but now can go a full hour, and she hasn't felt so good in years.
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* GoldDigger: Not Linda, but her ''father'', who upon learning of Arthur's wealth does everything he can to be in Arthur's good graces.
-->'''Ralph:''' And what does this bum do for a living?\\
'''Linda:''' Daddy... he's a millionaire.\\
'''Ralph:''' ''(IMMEDIATELY)'' You have my permission to marry him.
-->'''Ralph:''' And what does this bum do for a living?\\
'''Linda:''' Daddy... he's a millionaire.\\
'''Ralph:''' ''(IMMEDIATELY)'' You have my permission to marry him.
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* CentralTheme: Arthur is portrayed as the little boy for whom every day is Christmas, and there are many Christmas references as possible. The sequel has its climax during the Christmas season.
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* BrokeEpisode: The entire plot revolves around Arthur being forced to be a working class earner.
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And while it has nothing to do with [[WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}} cartoon aardvarks]], it ''is'' the nearest thing we're ever likely to get to a Creator/PGWodehouse adaptation in the top-ten grossers of the year department.
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And while it has nothing to do with [[WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}} cartoon aardvarks]], an entirely non-canonical animated series]], it ''is'' the nearest thing we're ever likely to get to a Creator/PGWodehouse adaptation in the top-ten grossers of the year department.
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A box-office sensation, this RomanticComedy was the biggest solo success of Dudley Moore's career, and Sir Creator/JohnGielgud, one of the most respected stage actors of the 20th century, won an Academy Award for his role as Hobson, Arthur's valet. "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" won the Best Original Song award and made it to Number One on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The film was followed by an unsuccessful sequel (''Arthur 2: On the Rocks'') in 1988, which picks up the story four years later.
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A box-office sensation, this RomanticComedy was the biggest solo success of Dudley Moore's career, and Sir Creator/JohnGielgud, one of the most respected stage actors of the 20th century, won an Academy Award for his role as Hobson, Arthur's valet. Music/BurtBacharach scored the film, and "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" won the Best Original Song award and made it to Number One on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The film was followed by an unsuccessful sequel (''Arthur 2: On the Rocks'') in 1988, which picks up the story four years later.
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-->'''Hobson:''' [[ObfuscatingStupidity I really wouldn't know, sir. I'm just a servant.]] ''({{beat}})'' On the other hand, [[PrecisionFStrike go screw yourself.]]
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-->'''Hobson:''' [[ObfuscatingStupidity I really wouldn't know, sir. I'm just a servant.]] ''({{beat}})'' [[SophisticatedAsHell On the other hand, hand]], [[PrecisionFStrike go screw yourself.]] yourself]].
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[[quoteright:267:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/drdud_4977.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:267:No one should ever have to bathe alone... or sober.]]
->''"When you get caught between the moon and New York City\\
I know it's crazy, but it's true\\
If you get caught between the moon and New York City\\
The best that you can do,\\
[[FollowYourHeart The best that you can do is fall in love]]."''
-->--The chorus of "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" by '''Music/ChristopherCross'''
''Arthur'' (1981) is the story of IdleRich Arthur Bach (Creator/DudleyMoore), who comes from a wealthy family, and as such, he has never really had to grow up. He spends most of his time [[TheAlcoholic drinking]] and just generally enjoying himself. His father disapproves of his behavior, but is willing to continue to bankroll his son's activities as long as he goes through with the arranged marriage that he has set up for Arthur. The problem is, not only is Arthur ''not'' in love with his fiancee, he's just found love with a working-class girl (Creator/LizaMinnelli) from Queens. HilarityEnsues as he tries to live his life his own way without getting cut off from the money.
A box-office sensation, this RomanticComedy was the biggest solo success of Dudley Moore's career, and Sir Creator/JohnGielgud, one of the most respected stage actors of the 20th century, won an Academy Award for his role as Hobson, Arthur's valet. "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" won the Best Original Song award and made it to Number One on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The film was followed by an unsuccessful sequel (''Arthur 2: On the Rocks'') in 1988, which picks up the story four years later.
And while it has nothing to do with [[WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}} cartoon aardvarks]], it ''is'' the nearest thing we're ever likely to get to a Creator/PGWodehouse adaptation in the top-ten grossers of the year department.
[[Film/Arthur2011 Remade in 2011]] with Creator/RussellBrand in the title role and a DenserAndWackier tone.
----
!!The original film provides examples of:
* TheAlcoholic: As a functioning "funny drunk" who ''really'' doesn't want to give up the bottle, this trope is ''mostly'' PlayedForLaughs with the title character. In the British TV special ''An Audience with Dudley Moore'', Moore stated that he didn't see Arthur as an alcoholic, but rather as someone who loves to drink for fun and who actually can stop if he wants to. This [[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-toast-to-dudley-moores_b_701057 retrospective points out]] that this interpretation is supported by the film, as Arthur is often using booze specifically for DrowningMySorrows or LiquidCourage and he [[spoiler:forgoes drinking for ''an entire month'' just to take care of Hobson]]. But within just a few years of its release alcoholism and alcohol abuse in general became regarded as major public health issues in the U.S. and elsewhere, so ''Arthur 2: On the Rocks'' had to address this by having the character sober up as part of his CharacterDevelopment. The unsuccessful stage musical adaptation of the early 1990s heavily reduced his drinking.
* AnnoyingLaugh: Plenty of characters likely quickly grow tired of Arthur's cackling laugh. Too bad for them he's TheHyena, especially when he's trying to make them laugh with him. Works on a meta level too; when critic Scott Weinberg revisited the film for the podcast ''Podcast/EightiesAllOver'', he admitted that as much as he enjoyed Dudley Moore's performance, ''that laugh'' got on his nerves.
* ArrangedMarriage: One that Arthur's ''initially'' willing to go with just to keep his fortune -- and then he meets Linda.
* AwardBaitSong:
** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4rT9C5aV5A Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)]]" plays several aspects of this trope straight (feel-good with soothing and mellow start, builds and builds starting with the second chorus, has a showboating saxophone -- rather than guitar -- solo for the bridge), but not others. It's '''very''' specific to the events of the movie, bookends it by being played under both sets of credits, and is co-written/performed by Christopher Cross, who had just won five Grammy Awards a few months prior. The song and movie were both such big hits that to this day they're joined at the hip, and more than most post-1960s movie theme songs it's become a standard; Barry Manilow, Dionne Warwick, Shirley Bassey, Ronan Keating, Music/AlvinAndTheChipmunks, and the cast of ''Series/{{Glee}}'' have all covered it. The song's also popular in Japan (and usually covered by female artists). By way of the JukeboxMusical ''The Boy from Oz'', even Creator/HughJackman has belted it out!
** The ''Arthur -- The Album''-only song "It's Only Love", a Stephen Bishop number that's a WithLyrics version of the underscore cue of the same title, fits this trope even more than "Arthur's Theme" does -- it has a soothing and mellow start, a touching tone, isn't especially plot-specific, and has an electric guitar solo for the bridge, though it has a subdued finish.
** The sequel has "Love Is My Decision", performed and co-written by Chris de Burgh (who was coming off of "The Lady in Red" at the time). This one is a straight-up SillyLoveSong, there's sparkly synth, and the wrap-up is BIG -- but at the same time it's even more film-specific because the first-person lyrics are clearly from the perspective of Arthur himself. The first verse even includes multiple call backs to the original "Arthur's Theme" in its lyrics.
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Hobson is constantly sarcastic and dismissive towards Arthur, going so far as to curse him behind his back. But it's nothing compared to his ire for others who speak ill of his employer. And Arthur [[spoiler:stays by Hobson's bed without touching a drop of alcohol until Hobson's death]].
-->'''Executive:''' He gets all that money. Pays his family back by... by being a stinking drunk. It's enough to make you sick.
-->'''Hobson:''' [[ObfuscatingStupidity I really wouldn't know, sir. I'm just a servant.]] ''({{beat}})'' On the other hand, [[PrecisionFStrike go screw yourself.]]
* BadassBoast: "Don't SCREW with me, Burt!" Preceded by an ArmorPiercingSlap.
* BandageWince: After Arthur has endured [[spoiler:a beating and near-murder at Burt's hands, and has come to from passing out]], Linda attends to him with an AfterActionPatchUp. Being a {{Manchild}}, he doesn't take her efforts to clean his wounds well, but they can't help but laugh about it.
* BathtubScene: One of the more famous non-{{Fanservice}} examples comes early on as Arthur takes a lavish bubble bath, playing up his IdleRich {{Manchild}} nature and further establishing his relationship with Hobson. Photos from this scene turned up quite a bit in the print advertising campaign for the film, including several posters; one staged publicity still even has Dudley Moore doing a BathKick! The sequel has similar scenes (the sequel's scene provides the above page image).
* BettyAndVeronica: The ArrangedMarriage variation on the trope is in play here: Susan is a rich, nice (at least superficially) but boring Betty, while Linda is a working-class, feisty, brunette Veronica.
* BlackComedyBurst: Twice.
** When Arthur is asking the prostitute Gloria about her life, she tells him that her mother died when she was six and her father raped her when she was twelve. Arthur replies to this with "So you had six relatively good years?" Realizing he's crossed a line, he promptly apologizes and then sardonically refers to his strained relationship with his father with "Listen, my father screwed me too..."
** Burt's clearly established as a KnightTemplarParent who's actually killed a man well before the climax, but even so, [[spoiler:his actually attempting to murder both Arthur and Linda, who are ''terrified'', with a cheese knife]] is a pretty startling moment for a RomanticComedy.
* BlackSheep: Arthur is this to the otherwise respectable Bach family because he doesn't take life seriously, can ''really'' annoy others with his hijinks, is self-destructive in his pursuit of pleasure, and provides a lot of TabloidMelodrama for the New York City press. The ArrangedMarriage is intended to force him to become responsible and respectable at last. On the other hand, in this family being the black sheep ''also'' means having a sense of humor and not being ruthless.
* {{Bookends}}: The movie starts and ends with Arthur being driven around New York City and/to Central Park in particular in his Rolls-Royce. At the beginning, it's at night and he's with a hooker he's picked up for a one-night stand; at the end, it's daytime and [[spoiler:it's with Linda, who is now his fiance]]. Along with this, "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" plays under both the opening and closing credits, and because the final shot is specifically focused on the VanityLicensePlate of the Rolls as it starts, it allows the movie to both open and CloseOnTitle!
* TheCavalry: In the climax, [[spoiler:Stanford and Martha Bach]] serve as this, [[spoiler:the latter rescuing Arthur and Linda from ''being murdered'' by Burt]]. For bonus points the latter character goes on to [[spoiler:promise Arthur that he won't lose his inheritance if he marries Linda]].
* CharacterDevelopment: Arthur comes to realize he needs to start taking life more seriously and be less self-centered if he wants to find true happiness. Due to the specifics of the SurprisinglyHappyEnding, he doesn't have to mature ''that much'', but the sequel picks up where this film leaves off a few years later when he has to EarnYourHappyEnding.
* ChekhovsGag: The story Burt tells an increasingly nervous Arthur about his killing a burglar with a knife when he was eleven sets up [[spoiler:Burt grabbing a knife in the climax so he can kill Arthur and Linda]].
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: How Burt Johnson became a SelfMadeMan, more specifically a millionaire by the time he was 18. He puts his skills to "good" use in the sequel in service of destroying Arthur and Linda's happiness. It's also implied in the first film that the Bach family has tendencies towards this, as Arthur (who as the BlackSheep is disconnected from work much less corruption) points out to his father that "[Burt's] a criminal!" but Stanford replies that they ''all'' are in one way or another. This is furthered by Martha's later comments that the family is ruthless by nature.
* CoattailRidingRelative: PlayedForLaughs. Linda's unemployed father Ralph is thrilled to learn a millionaire is interested in her and takes the news of Arthur breaking off the relationship to go through with the ArrangedMarriage to Susan ''much'' harder than Linda does. He's similarly upset upon overhearing that Linda will not accept the $100,000 dollars Arthur subsequently offers her.
* CrashIntoHello: Subverted -- Arthur thinks he's done this before realizing he's crashed into a ''hedge''.
* DirtyOldWoman: Martha, Arthur's grandmother, asks him "Isn't it wonderful to be promiscuous?" when he visits her and explains his romantic travails to her, and she goes on to suggest he marry Susan and carry on an affair with Linda. In the sequel, in response to being told by her doctor that she needed exercise, she hires a terribly fit twenty-something male instructor...whom she watches go through a workout routine. She tells Arthur that she started with just twenty minutes a day of this but now can go a full hour, and she hasn't felt so good in years.
* DeadpanSnarker: Hobson. Oh, so very much.
-->"It's been a distinct pleasure meeting you;...it's been a most memorable afternoon. Usually one must go to a bowling alley to meet a woman of your stature."
** Arthur and Linda also get in their shots.
-->'''Susan:''' A real woman could stop you from drinking.
-->'''Arthur:''' It'd have to be a real '''''big''''' woman.
* DiningInTheBuff: Arthur drinks a martini in the bath.
* DoubleFeature: In the U.K., this film was so popular that it was teamed up with Moore's previous hit ''Film/{{Ten}}'' as a double bill late in the run (both being Orion releases).
* DrowningMySorrows: During his dinner date/proposal to Susan, as she tells him he must give up the bottle, Arthur explains that she should accept him as he is and notes "Everyone who drinks is not a 'poet'. Maybe some of us drink because we're not poets." Later after [[spoiler:Hobson dies, and as he faces his wedding to Susan in just a few hours]], he goes to a bar to do this, [[spoiler:having abstained from alcohol entirely while he was taking care of his dearest friend]].
* ExpositoryThemeTune: "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" sums up the movie's plot and theme in its first verse and chorus, and the ''second'' verse is solely devoted to describing Arthur's personality.
* FinancialAbuse: Stanford and Martha intend to cut Arthur off from his inheritance if he doesn't marry a woman he doesn't love. While Arthur has never ''earned'' money in his life and is the family shame, that's still a cruel thing for a father to do to his son or a grandmother to their grandson (granted [[spoiler:Martha ultimately relents]]). In the sequel, Burt goes much further with this trope by not only cutting Arthur and Linda off from the Bach family fortune to get {{Revenge}} upon them, but ensuring that Arthur can't earn a living no matter how hard he tries, leaving marriage to Susan his only option just to survive.
* FollowYourHeart: The chorus of "Arthur's Theme", quoted at the top of this page, counts as this.
* ForeignRemake: This movie was the basis for no less than ''three'' Indian films: ''Sharaabi'' (1984), ''Nee Thanda Kanike'' (1985, specifically a remake of ''Sharaabi''), and ''Tumsa Nahin Dekha: A Love Story'' (2004). The first and last films are UsefulNotes/{{Bollywood}} productions.
* ForYourOwnGood: Arthur's family and Susan all believe that pushing him into an ArrangedMarriage with her despite his objections will be good for him because it will finally force him to grow up, and because they know he can't survive in the real world as he is. [[spoiler:Hobson, however, comes to realize that Arthur pursuing his interest in Linda holds more potential to change him in a positive way.]] In the sequel, Martha tells Arthur that not only can't she help him when he is cut off from the family fortune, his being reduced from RichesToRags at last might be the best thing for him, as she always believed the ArrangedMarriage was the best option. [[spoiler:But when he approaches her again, asking for help in standing up to Burt, she's impressed enough by his determination to give him enough information about the villain's shady past for him to pick up a plan from there.]]
* FunPersonified: Arthur is determined to live life to the fullest and take others along for the ride, but has the misfortune of having a terminally humorless father who wants him to marry a woman who's just as straitlaced. Part of the reason he and Linda fall in love is that she appreciates his lighthearted qualities. Ironically, ''this'' is what paves the way for his CharacterDevelopment into someone who takes life seriously to ''some'' degree when everyone else around him believes the ArrangedMarriage is what will do it.
* GrandeDame: Arthur's grandmother Martha, who is on the more intelligent and more ruthless end of the trope.
* HatesBeingAlone: Arthur admits to this early on. Because his family and social circle don't share his lighthearted sensibilities, this trope factors into both his close friendship with Hobson and his freewheeling sex life. Falling in love with Linda and not being able to pursue her due to the ArrangedMarriage planned for him only makes his inner ache all the greater, and then [[spoiler:he learns Hobson is dying]]....
* HealthcareMotivation: Used as a cover story. Arthur and Linda claim to Susan, when she catches them together at the engagement party, that rather than being lovers he is simply helping Linda financially because she has a terribly sick husband named Harold, who was a friend of his in prep school but lost all his money, and "their" child needs an operation on top of that. Susan falls for it. [[spoiler:Upon Linda revealing to Susan at the wedding that she's Arthur's true love, the jilted bride asks "What about Harold?" Linda, realizing just how well Susan bought the lie, only manages to say "Oh, you poor thing..." before matters escalate thanks to Burt.]]
* TheHyena: Arthur's cackling laugh is heard before he's seen as the movie begins. He laughs as punctuation to his jokes, he laughs after he tumbles out of his car at the Plaza, he laughs '''in his sleep'''...
* IconicOutfit: Arthur's tuxedo and top hat, waistcoat optional. The ''Series/{{Glee}}'' performance of "Arthur's Theme" in the episode "What the World Needs Now" bears this out, with all of the guys dressed in this manner.
* IdleRich: Arthur is very much this, which is why the threat of losing his inheritance is enough for him to initially agree to the ArrangedMarriage with Susan. Susan herself is this thanks to her adoring father only wanting the best for her, only she's more responsible about it; the sequel gives her a high-end job as curator of the family's art gallery.
* IfIHadANickel: When Gloria asks Arthur "How rich are you?", he replies "I wish I had a dime for every dime I have."
* InadequateInheritor: Stanford regards Arthur (his only child and thus heir) to be this, and is determined to make him at least become respectable and responsible. The method of doing this is forcing Arthur into an arranged marriage by threatening to render him RichesToRags if he objects. [[spoiler:When Arthur becomes a runaway groom, however, his ''grandmother'' decides that rather than see a member of the clan become working class she'll let him keep his fortune and have children with the woman he loves, figuring ''they'' will be worthy heirs to the family legacy]].
* IncurableCoughOfDeath: Comes ''just'' before TheReveal that [[spoiler:Hobson, Arthur's valet, is dying]].
* IWantGrandkids: Implied at the end by Martha. [[spoiler:She announces that there will never be any working-class Bachs and notes that Arthur's ''children'' could become senators, even presidents, before revealing that she'll let him keep his fortune and marry Linda]]. In the original screenplay, [[spoiler:Arthur and Linda bring up the issue of their children's fates and how that would reflect on the rest of the family to convince Martha to not cut him off]].
* TheJeeves: Hobson -- very literally, and very directly, according to WordOfGod.
* KnightTemplarParent: Burt Johnson, being an ''extremely'' ruthless man by nature, does not want to see his daughter unhappy and warns Arthur that he's this upon their first meeting. When Arthur decides to be a [[RunawayBride runaway groom]] in the first movie's climax, Burt responds by [[spoiler:beating Arthur up and then trying to murder him ''and'' Linda with a cheese knife; he is only stopped by Martha]]. In the sequel, the passing of four years hasn't quelled his fury any and he seizes control of the Bach family business, cuts Arthur and Linda off from their rightful fortune, and sabotages all of Arthur's attempts to find work -- all to force him into a position where giving up Linda and marrying Susan at last is the only hope Arthur has to survive. [[spoiler:When Arthur finally stands up to him, Burt again threatens to kill him -- but Susan, realizing how much Arthur truly loves Linda, makes a Heel-Face Turn and even threatens to reveal to her mother that Daddy's been having an affair. In the face of his daughter's rebellion, Burt stands down and Arthur's fortunes are quickly restored]].
* LateArrivalSpoiler: The core of the first film's ending -- Arthur and Linda get together -- tends to be officially spoiled because the premise of the sequel hinges on the villain doing everything he can to undo it, not to mention that this sort of RomanticComedy tends to end happily in the first place. It's more pronounced in the DVD era because the two movies have been packaged together more than once (indeed, the only Blu-Ray edition contains both films). However, the ''specifics'' of the ending and the first film's major plot twist ([[spoiler:Hobson is terminally ill and dies at the end of Act Two]]) are routinely concealed, which also preserves the identity of the WalkingSpoiler character in the second film.
* LaughingAtYourOwnJokes: This is one of Arthur's defining quirks, hand-in-hand with being TheHyena.
* LiquidCourage: During his bath, Arthur tells Hobson that he doesn't intend to go to his imminent meeting with his humorless father Stanford sober. (The second film has a CallBack to this under similar circumstances.) He also drinks (''while driving!'') when he goes to the Johnsons' mansion to meet Susan's father for the first time. This behavior is one of several suggestions that Arthur's alcoholism, while largely an outgrowth of his life-is-a-party outlook, is also rooted in personal unhappiness; see also DrowningMySorrows.
* LonelyRichKid: Though he's not actually a kid -- he's in his forties -- Arthur fits the trope otherwise to the point that it's brought up in his theme song and the soundtrack album-only song "Poor Rich Boy".
* LoopholeAbuse: Martha's solution to Arthur's dilemma? Marry Susan and have an affair with Linda!
* LoveableRogue: When Arthur first meets Linda, she's in the process of being caught shoplifting; Arthur saves her by helping convince the security guard that they're a couple and he'll be paying for the tie, which turns out to be a birthday gift for her father. Later, when the lovers are caught together by Susan at the engagement party, they claim that Linda is married to a terribly sick man, and Arthur is helping them out financially.
* ManChild: Arthur, because he never ''had'' to grow up, is this. While he uses his money to enjoy very adult pleasures, he also has a giant model train set in his bedroom, a PersonalArcade, and otherwise. Hobson often speaks to/disciplines him as one would a child. In the waiting room outside Stanford Bach's office, Hobson gives him a magazine to look at ("There are many pictures"), reminds him to sit up straight, and promises that they'll get ice cream once the meeting is done. Even the theme song brings it up: "Arthur, he does as he pleases/All of his life, his master's toys/And deep in his heart/He's just, he's just a boy".
* ManlyMenCanHunt: Burt Johnson is as macho as they come, as borne out by his first meeting with Arthur being in the former's trophy room. By comparison, amiable Arthur is not only intimidated by the setting but also winds up distracted by the stuffed-and-mounted moose head on one wall, noting "You must have ''hated'' this moose" (among other things). In the sequel, to reveal to Arthur that he's seized control of his family's fortune, Burt invites him to his private yacht, where he's busy skeet shooting as Arthur arrives.
* MarryForLove: Arthur states early on that he will gladly give up his fortune to do this...but at the time he's never been in love in his life, and he agrees to the ArrangedMarriage as soon as his father reminds him of how much money he'd lose. Even after falling in love with Linda it's hard for him to follow his heart, in part because ''everyone'' around him is reminding him he isn't fit for the poor life. But he ultimately decides he'd rather be poor and in love than rich and lonely.
* MarryThemAll: Grandma Martha's solution? "Marry Susan and cheat with the nobody from Queens!"
* MeetCute: She's shoplifting a tie from Bergdorf Goodman for her father's birthday, he regards it as ThePerfectCrime, becomes smitten with her, and decides to help her out when security catches her in the act. By the time they part ways he's passionately kissed her (ostensibly it's in the service of fooling the security guard, but...) and -- once she's confirmed he's not married -- she's given him her phone number.
* MicroMonarchy: Discussed and PlayedForLaughs: At the Plaza Hotel restaurant, Arthur claims to some family members who are also dining there that his date is ''Princess'' Gloria, who comes from a country so small that "they just had the whole place carpeted."
* NeverMessWithGranny: Martha! "Don't SCREW with me, Burt!"
* NiceHat: A disheveled Arthur arrives at the wedding and, having asked an older woman wearing a nice hat for directions to where Susan's waiting for him, says "What a lovely...", gets about two or three rows down, and adds "...hat." Linda arrives shortly afterwards and happens to ask the same woman for directions, and ''also'' notes how lovely her hat is. ("So I've been told.")
** Played straight with Arthur himself; he has a top hat he likes to wear when he's on the town...and when he's bathing, as seen in the page image above taken from the sequel.
* NiceToTheWaiter: For someone who's never worked a day in his life, Arthur is kind and generous to his servants and pretty much anyone who ''does'' work (doormen, waiters, florists, hospital attendants, prostitutes...), having much more amiable relations with them than with his humorless peers and family members. This is most obvious in his best friend being his valet Hobson, who has long been his ParentalSubstitute.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: This happens, mostly offscreen, to [[spoiler:poor Arthur]] in the climax when [[spoiler:Burt finds out he's dumped Susan. And Burt tries to finish him ''and'' Linda off with a knife]]. To add insult to injury, [[spoiler:Arthur has to go straight from this to telling the waiting audience in the chapel that the wedding's off]].
* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: The English actor Dudley Moore plays Arthur, a New Yorker. Then again, Arthur's role model and father figure is his QuintessentialBritishGentleman [[TheJeeves Jeeves]]! (The role ''was'' intended for an American actor, but Moore felt he couldn't pull off an American accent.) It's also possible that Arthur's mother was English, too.
* NotHyperbole: Burt's menacing threats to Arthur over what will happen if he so much as ''dares'' to make Susan unhappy fall under this, culminating in [[spoiler:Burt attempting to murder him ''and'' Linda]].
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Arthur assumes that because Susan has a generally bland personality, she won't be too bothered when he [[spoiler:jilts her at the altar]]. Susan proceeds to prove Arthur wrong in spectacular fashion.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: When Hobson suggests that Linda is a GoldDigger and that carrying on an affair with her would save Arthur a fortune in prostitutes, Arthur angrily tells him never to speak of her that way again and leaves Hobson's bedroom in a huff...then returns to apologize, noting that he's '''never''' told him off before. Hobson accepts the apology, but also realizes that Arthur's unusual behavior is an indication that he really is in love with Linda. He may even have made the insulting comments specifically to see what effect they would have on Arthur.
* ParentalSubstitute: Arthur's mother is never seen (a sole offhand mention in the sequel can be interpreted as suggesting she passed away some time ago), and he has a bad relationship with his father. Enter Hobson, who effectively raised Arthur. Even though he's frequently annoyed and frustrated by Arthur's antics, Hobson is the only person in his inner circle who genuinely loves him for who he is, and ultimately has a hand in Arthur and Linda getting together despite everything. Arthur even straight up refers to him as his father after [[spoiler:he passes away]].
* ThePerfectCrime: Arthur regards Linda stealing the tie as this, or at least close to it, because (most) women don't wear ties. Hobson snarks that it would be this trope if she ''murdered'' the tie instead.
* PersonalArcade: Arthur has a pinball machine in his bathroom and an arcade machine in his bedroom. (His big date with Linda includes a visit to an arcade, too.)
* PleaseWakeUp: Subverted. Arthur tells Hobson to wake up and stop pretending to die when he arrives to find him melodramatically dealing with a cold. [[spoiler:After Hobson dies, Arthur, drunk, tells another wino, how Hobson went to sleep -- and never woke up.]]
* PrecisionFStrike: Hobson, and it's more notable because he's played by Sir John Gielgud.
-->'''Hobson:''' Perhaps you would like me to come in there and wash your dick for you, you little shit?
** Arthur gets one in as well.
--->'''Arthur:''' Susan... you're such an asshole!
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Hobson berates Arthur for whining that he's never been loved and has been a failure in his life, calling him a "spoiled little bastard" -- and tops it off by angrily telling him ''he'' loves him. He then tells him that he really should marry Susan, because he'll never find love as a poor drunk ("Poor drunks have very few teeth", for one thing) and Hobson loves him too much to want to see him suffer in that way.
* RefrainFromAssuming: The theme is not called "When You Get Caught Between the Moon and New York City", or even just "The Moon and New York City". It's called "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)".
* RefugeInAudacity: Linda Marolla steals a necktie at Bergdorf-Goodman's. The store detective witnesses the theft and follows her out into the street, where he confronts her. After making a snarky comment, she goes on the defensive, [[BavarianFireDrill pretending she is some kind of official]], pulling out a pad and pencil and demanding the detective's name and address. When this fails to intimidate the detective, she ''yells for someone to find her a cop'', at which point Arthur -- who has witnessed all of this and is enamored with her audacity (and by extension her) -- steps in and saves her bacon.
* TheReveal: Midway through the second act, it is revealed that [[spoiler:Hobson is terminally ill]], a detail that underscores a major character's actions and ultimately sets up the events of Act Three via [[spoiler:his death]].
* RewrittenPopVersion: A variation. Peter Allen, who contributed the line "When you get caught between the moon and New York City" to the lyrics of "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)", was a performer as well as songwriter, and years after his death warranted his own JukeboxMusical, ''The Boy from Oz''. By dropping the second verse (which is specifically about Arthur) and tweaking the lyrics of the first, the song was turned into a falling-in-love duet for Allen and...Liza Minnelli, who was his wife for a few years in TheSixties / TheSeventies and went on to play Linda in this film. This version of the song is titled "Best That You Can Do".
* RichesToRags: The prospect of this hangs over Arthur in the first film, and goes on to become the premise of the sequel.
* RichInDollarsPoorInSense: Arthur has a vague-at-best understanding of working-class life, as seen at the end as he discusses the prospect of married life with Linda and enthusiastically ponders such activities as riding the subway, getting a job, and eating "cheap, disgusting food". This becomes a major theme in the sequel as he goes from RichesToRags, though part of his struggle comes from the antagonist deliberately sabotaging his efforts to find work or a place to live.
* RichSuitorPoorSuitor: Gender-flipped variant: Arthur is already rich but to ''stay'' that way he has to marry Susan, who is also wealthy. Too bad Linda is the woman he truly loves. [[spoiler:At the end he chooses Linda knowing he'll lose his fortune, but Martha relents on cutting him off so no one in her family will be working class.]]
* RomanticComedy: An example told from the male half's point of view.
* RunawayBride: Male version, with Arthur leaving Susan come the big day.
* SadClown: Even when things are at their worst for Arthur, he'll still crack jokes. In the sequel, when he's reduced to offering to wipe down car windows for money and encounters Bitterman chauffeuring Martha, he tells him "They said I'd never make it Bitterman, they said the city would eat me alive. But now look at me, I got my own pail and my own Squeegee sponge, I showed them ALL!"
* SarcasmFailure
* SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl: Gender-flipped: Linda is savvy while Arthur is energetic; she can keep him relatively grounded, he can give her a life full of fun. At the top of the sequel they have been HappilyMarried for four years.
* ScreenToStageAdaptation: A stage musical adaptation, ''Arthur -- TheMusical'', arrived at the turn of TheNineties and was intended for Broadway, but [[https://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/backstage.php?showid=11140#content only saw two regional productions]] before disappearing save for the duet "The Memory of Tonight", which appears on the ''Unsung Musicals, Vol. 2'' compilation as a studio recording. (Odd fun fact: two of the writers of this show were the couple who went on to create ''Series/{{Friends}}''.) Reviews and reports suggest that it was extremely faithful to the film's script, albeit with some AdaptationExpansion involving Linda's fledgling acting career (culminating in the first scene of Act Two seeing her in rehearsals for an Off-Off-Broadway musical about Attila the Hun), and Arthur's drinking significantly scaled back.
* ScrewballComedy: One of the more successful attempts at "neo-screwball".
* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: Arthur truly wants to MarryForLove rather than money from the beginning, but he's never truly been in love and when Stanford reminds him of ''how much'' money he'll be giving up if he doesn't marry Susan, he gives in to his demands. He meets Linda shortly after that though, and eventually chooses her over Susan. [[spoiler:Grandma Martha then lets up and says that no grandson of hers would be ''poor'', and they get to remain in the money after all -- but he was willing to choose love over money. He even convinces Linda and Bitterman that he'll ''still'' give up the money before revealing the truth ("I'm not crazy!").]]
** Earlier, as an especially drunk Arthur visits Linda shortly after he has gone through with his proposal to Susan, he offers her $100,000 to support her and her father. Appalled by the state he's in, she refuses to accept what she clearly sees as [[DontYouDarePityMe a pity payment at best]], pointing out that having a lot of money clearly hasn't done him much good. (Aaaaaand cue the wail of despair from her eavesdropping father!)
* SelfMadeMan: Burt Johnson is this and proud of it, having gone from RagsToRiches through determination and ruthlessness. In his introductory scene he tells Arthur how he once confronted a robber, ultimately killing him with a knife. Burt was ''eleven'' at the time.
* ServileSnarker: Arthur's valet, Hobson.
-->'''Arthur:''' Hobson, would you like to run my bath for me?\\
'''Hubson:''' It's what I live for, sir.
** Bitterman gets in his shots too.
--->'''Hooker:''' ''(on Arthur)'' Is there something ''wrong'' with him?\\
'''Bitterman:''' Yes.
* SharpDressedMan: Arthur wears elegant suits most of the time, though he relaxes the standard to nice sweaters for more casual occasions (this comes after his saying that he ''doesn't'' wear sweaters...but at the time he's going on a shopping spree to spite his father over forcing his hand in the arranged marriage and buys a bunch of them as part of it). His MeetCute with Linda takes place while he and Hobson are picking out clothes at the Fifth Avenue department store Bergdorf Goodman. The trope is more than justified given his wealth and status.
* SingingInTheShower: Variation -- Arthur cheerfully sings in the bathtub. In the first movie, it's "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"; in the second, it's a pastiche of "My Girl" that's cheekily about how much he loves himself.
* SnobsVersusSlobs: Arthur was born into the world of the snobs but has never fit in, and while he has a sense of class and decorum his behavior is akin to that of a slob (constantly drinking for pleasure, taking a hooker to the Plaza Hotel, etc.), much to his family's embarrassment. He's also NiceToTheWaiter, finding underlings and "common" people far more helpful to consult when it comes to his burgeoning interest in Linda -- an earthy working-class woman with a truly slovenly father. Arthur's peers, family, and valet look down upon Linda, but Hobson softens once he realizes Arthur is truly in love with someone for the first time in his life and willing to defend her honor, and as much as he wants Arthur to be comfortable via his inheritance, knows his true happiness lies in following his heart despite the risks.
* SophisticatedAsHell: Martha. She buys one of the most famous paintings in the world and mentions that the dealer "jerked her around" on the price. (Said painting is Vermeer's "Woman with a Pearl Necklace"; Martha misidentifies it as "Woman Admiring Pearls".)
* SpiritualSuccessor: It draws a lot of inspiration from Creator/PGWodehouse's Literature/JeevesAndWooster stories. Characters' names are changed so that the filmmakers can do their own thing with them. It also owes a debt to 1930s romantic comedies.
* SpotOfTea: Subverted when Hobson visits Linda at her and her father's apartment. He asks Ralph for a cup of tea and two aspirin -- but it's to get the dad out of the way so he can have a private conversation with her. When Ralph returns with the tea and pills Hobson even says "I despise tea!" by way of shooing him again. (As for the aspirin, that's for Linda. Hobson's just told her to come to Arthur's engagement party and even left an appropriate outfit behind for her.)
* StarCrossedLovers: Between the two films, Arthur and Linda are put through quite a bit even by the standards of a "love or money" story, but come through.
* {{Streetwalker}}: Arthur picks one of these up for a one-night stand in the opening sequence. Gloria's world-weary, admits to a dark past (to the point where Arthur joking about it and not getting the intended reaction is a rare time he realizes he's crossed a line), and clearly sees this evening as a (very profitable) job, but does seem to enjoy his company and sense of humor while it lasts.
* SurprisinglyHappyEnding: The denouement of the first film looks to end on a slightly bittersweet note, as [[spoiler:Arthur is all set to live the poor life with Linda and become a responsible working adult...but Martha won't have the "working" part and says he can have his inheritance no matter what]].
* TabloidMelodrama: Arthur's antics have been this for the N.Y.C. press for quite some time. The hooker whom he doesn't choose but is paid anyway tells his driver Bitterman that "I've seen his face in the papers -- that's Arthur Bach, isn't he?" The following day, Arthur's dalliance with Gloria at the Plaza Hotel warrants newspaper coverage as well, much to his father's disgust. A florist also recognizes Arthur from the papers, and Martha complains that every tryst her grandson has gets press attention. This is brought up again in the sequel, this time by adoption agent Mrs. Canby (who is concerned about his drinking).
* ToughRoom: Arthur deals with this '''constantly''' when it comes to his jokes. He even drops the trope name during his visit with Burt at the latter's mansion, having failed to make him or the butler smile. "This is a tough room -- I don't need to tell you that." "You", in this case, refers to a stuffed-and-mounted moose head on the wall he can't stop commenting on.[[note]]'''Arthur:''' ''(to Burt)'' Where is the rest of this moose?[[/note]]
* UnclePennybags: Arthur can be playfully generous with his money -- after he chooses to pick up Gloria in the opening scene, he tells Bitterman to pay the other hooker $100 because "she came in second."
* VanillaEdition: One of the very first DVD releases Warner Bros. put out, it wasn't even in its proper aspect ratio. The only widescreen edition available is the Blu-Ray, which packages it and its sequel together and was ''only'' brought out as a tie-in to the remake. Sadly justified as several of the principals had passed away or were too ill to participate in extras even in the late 1990s.
* VanityLicensePlate: Arthur's cars have them -- ARTHUR for his Rolls-Royce and [=ARTHUR2=] for his convertible. (His racecar has [=ARTHUR3=] on its side.) The final shot of the film starts as a close-up on the Rolls-Royce's rear plate, pulling back as it pulls away from the church, also serving as a variation on CloseOnTitle in the process. A similar shot ends up ''opening'' the sequel for bonus points.
* VideoFullOfFilmClips: "Arthur's Theme" has one -- one of the earliest examples of this trope and the first involving an Oscar-winning song.
* WaitingForABreak: Linda is an aspiring actress working as a diner waitress to pay the bills. Her acting skills get her out of trouble on three occasions -- first when she (with Arthur's help) convinces the security guard they're actually a couple, second when she convinces a guest at the engagement party that she was invited, and third when she and Arthur convince Susan that they are only alone in the stables to discuss a HealthcareMotivation sob story.
* WalkThisWay: The butler at the Johnsons' mansion uses the exact words to direct Arthur into Burt's trophy room. Arthur being Arthur, he obliges by mimicking his walk behind his back.
* WeddingSmashers: Just as Arthur and Susan's wedding ceremony is about to go on, [[spoiler:Arthur tells her it's off, she calls for Burt, he beats Arthur up and almost murders him ''and'' Linda, and are only saved by Martha]]. The waiting audience in the chapel is stunned to see [[spoiler:the bruised-and-bloody Arthur stumble up the aisle, announce that the wedding's off and he's poor now, and pass out]].
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Susan Johnson honestly believes she can change Arthur into a respectable, responsible person once they're married -- it's ICanChangeMyBeloved ''way'' in advance, given that he does not reciprocate her affections.
* WithLyrics: ''Arthur -- The Album'' has two songs that are this to cues from the Burt Bacharach underscore: Ambrosia's "Poor Rich Boy" ("Money") and Stephen Bishop's "It's Only Love".
* {{Yandere}}: Susan.
!!The sequel adds examples of:
* ArmorPiercingQuestion: At the end of his rope, Arthur goes with [[spoiler:Hobson's ghost(?)]] to the Johnsons' place to ask Susan's hand in marriage at last. When the doorman asks "Are you a friend of hers?" his companion points out that the question is this trope. Arthur realizes that he'd rather die lonely than live with Susan.
* BeardOfSorrow: Arthur has stubble once he reaches his DarkestHour.
* CrazyHomelessPeople: At the homeless shelter, Arthur's late-night conversation with [[spoiler:Spirit Advisor Hobson]] is interrupted by one of these, who is busy playing cards with his ''late'' uncle and wants quiet. Arthur's companion points out that [[spoiler:Arthur's technically little different from him at the moment]], suggesting this could be Arthur's ultimate fate if he doesn't pull himself through his DarkestHour.
* DarkestHour: Arthur's arrives when Linda leaves him and returns to her father, and refuses to see him -- not because she no longer loves him, but because she wants him to marry Susan and live a happy, comfortable life again. But he knows he could never be happy with Susan, and since he's now also homeless he's soon drunkenly wandering about the city and telling people about all he's lost. That's when [[spoiler:Hobson appears to help turn him around]].
* ADegreeInUseless: When Arthur and Linda are arguing about his getting a job, Linda points out that he went to Harvard and must have ''some'' marketable skill. He then reveals to her that his major was ''ballet''.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: Arthur's character arc: Burt manages to seize control of Arthur's family's business and leaves him and Linda penniless. ''Then'', while Linda is able to find work as a waitress again, Burt ensures first that the couple cannot stay with her father, and second that Arthur will never be able to hold down a legitimate job. The '''only''' hope he has of reclaiming his fortune is finally marrying Susan, but he cannot bear to do this. When Linda leaves him because IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy, Arthur ends up homeless and the sway of his alcoholism now threatens to destroy him. But having hit rock bottom, he subsequently pulls himself together, ultimately impressing [[spoiler:Susan Johnson]] enough to induce a HeelFaceTurn that saves the day.
* FallenOnHardTimesJob: Arthur ends up in two of these -- first as a hardware store clerk, and after he's forced out of that (though he isn't doing well in the one half-day he's there) a homeless car window washer.
* {{Flanderization}}: Arthur's childish pursuits are given more screen time than in the original, with a bathroom full of remote control toys, a toy basketball hoop, ''and'' a model train set an excellent example of this compared to the corresponding scenes in the first film. Before, while he certainly had toys lying about and a small PersonalArcade, he preferred to spend his days playing tennis and racing cars and his nights having one-night stands. To be fair he's now a married man who adores his wife, and she keeps him from driving when he's intoxicated, which is still most of the time. But no justification is given as to why he has seemingly become '''obsessed''' with getting everyone in his sight to laugh -- during the opening credits he leans out of his car backseat's window to pester a rich older gentleman in the car alongside his. ''While the cars are moving.'' He also keeps playing pranks on his new, terminally humorless butler Fairchild, such as giving him trick soap. In the denouement, he even [[spoiler:temporarily convinces him he's fired]]! Critic Drew [=McWeeny=], in a bonus episode of the ''80s All Over'' podcast, argues that ''Arthur 2'' Arthur is one of the most punchable movie characters of the decade (and compares him to Axel Foley in ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop 2'' in this regard -- both characters were likeable initially but succumbed to poor sequel characterization).
* HappilyEverAfter: The story ends on this note [[spoiler:with Babies Ever After as a bonus -- not only are Arthur and Linda able to adopt a baby at last, Linda is pregnant]].
* HeelFaceTurn: In the sequel, it's [[spoiler:Susan Johnson]] who steps into the breach to secure Arthur's victory.
* HopeSpot: Subversion in the climax. [[spoiler:The statute of limitations has passed on the crooked business deal Burt made that Arthur collects incriminating evidence about. But Arthur going to those lengths and then pleading with Burt to restore his and Linda's fortune when that doesn't work is enough to induce Susan's Heel-Face Turn]].
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: After Susan taunts her with TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, Linda leaves Arthur to live with her father again, telling him via a letter that he should forget her and marry Susan so he can have a comfortable life again -- and the family they wanted on top of that. Unfortunately, he loves Linda so much that he becomes homeless instead.
* LawOfInverseFertility: Arthur and Linda are HappilyMarried and were trying to have children during the SequelGap, but at the top of the film Linda has just been to a doctor's appointment and told she cannot bear them. They decide to adopt and make faster process than they're told to expect. Even with Burt's treachery imperiling their situation, [[spoiler:Spirit Advisor Hobson]] tells Arthur that his impending son is WorthLivingFor. [[spoiler:Just after Arthur comes back to Linda with his fortune restored, Mrs. Canby arrives with their adopted ''girl''. Arthur is happy but admits that someone predicted he'd have a son...and then Linda reveals she's pregnant]].
* OutOfGenreExperience: A crucial stretch shades into [[spoiler:Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane fantasy with the appearance of the dead Hobson to Arthur -- and only Arthur. He is either an actual Spirit Advisor or a hallucination resulting from Arthur's drinking, but either way he encourages his ward to pull himself together]].
* PrettyInMink: Linda has a mink coat and Susan has a black fox wrap.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech:
** Linda and Susan's confrontation in the not-so-new apartment is effectively a dueling pair of these. Susan wins by pointing out she's not only the one with the money, but fertile, making her the superior choice for Arthur's continued happiness. Linda makes her IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy decision after this.
** [[spoiler:Hobson]] delivers one to Arthur in the homeless shelter, pointing out that he's been dodging real responsibilities all his life but "parties don't last forever". However, this is followed by the character revealing what Arthur has WorthLivingFor as an incentive to pull himself together.
* SequelGap: Seven years (but only four in-universe).
* ShrineToTheFallen: Early on it's revealed that Arthur has the "bedroom kept as it was" variation in honor of [[spoiler:Hobson. At the end, when Fairchild finally manages to display a sense of humor and plays a prank on Arthur, Arthur tells him to pack his things and vacate his quarters...so he can move into Hobson's room, symbolizing Arthur finding Fairchild a worthy successor to his dearest friend at last]].
* StalkerWithACrush: Susan's ''really'' intent on finally marrying Arthur, even though they haven't seen each other since the day they were to be wed and he never loved her to begin with. She still has the engagement ring...which she wears on a chain around her neck...and when she and her father learn where Arthur and Linda are now staying, goes down to the apartment to taunt Linda with the news that Daddy got him fired from the hardware store job and a TheReasonYouSuck speech. She'd probably be even worse about this if not for the fact that she's been in therapy during the SequelGap (telling Arthur that she's down to three visits a week).
* TookALevelInJerkass: Susan. In the first film, she's a WellIntentionedExtremist at her worst and really doesn't have a hostile bone in her body. The sequel plays up WomanScorned, even having her mock Linda for being barren when she's "as fertile as the Napa Valley." At the end, [[spoiler:she does come to realize the depths of Arthur's love for Linda and makes a Heel-Face Turn that allows a happy ending]].
* TwistedChristmas: Arthur and Linda lose their fortune just as the Christmas season's underway. Things go from bad to worse for them to the point that within days Arthur's ''homeless''. Luckily, that's when [[spoiler:the Spirit Advisor arrives]] and things begin turning around.
* WalkingSpoiler: A ''really'' unconventional case with [[spoiler:Arthur's valet Hobson]], who [[spoiler:dies at the end of the first film's second act. His appearance here is as a Spirit Advisor who may or may not be a hallucination]].
* WorthLivingFor: After being delivered a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, Arthur asks [[spoiler:Spirit Advisor Hobson]] what he has to live for now that he's in his DarkestHour. The answer? "Your son", which reminds Arthur that he and Linda were striving to adopt a child when all the trouble began, and still had a chance even then. The denouement adds a twist to this: [[spoiler:Arthur is cooing over said child at last -- only to be informed it's a girl. And then Linda reveals she's pregnant...]]
----
[[caption-width-right:267:No one should ever have to bathe alone... or sober.]]
->''"When you get caught between the moon and New York City\\
I know it's crazy, but it's true\\
If you get caught between the moon and New York City\\
The best that you can do,\\
[[FollowYourHeart The best that you can do is fall in love]]."''
-->--The chorus of "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" by '''Music/ChristopherCross'''
''Arthur'' (1981) is the story of IdleRich Arthur Bach (Creator/DudleyMoore), who comes from a wealthy family, and as such, he has never really had to grow up. He spends most of his time [[TheAlcoholic drinking]] and just generally enjoying himself. His father disapproves of his behavior, but is willing to continue to bankroll his son's activities as long as he goes through with the arranged marriage that he has set up for Arthur. The problem is, not only is Arthur ''not'' in love with his fiancee, he's just found love with a working-class girl (Creator/LizaMinnelli) from Queens. HilarityEnsues as he tries to live his life his own way without getting cut off from the money.
A box-office sensation, this RomanticComedy was the biggest solo success of Dudley Moore's career, and Sir Creator/JohnGielgud, one of the most respected stage actors of the 20th century, won an Academy Award for his role as Hobson, Arthur's valet. "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" won the Best Original Song award and made it to Number One on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The film was followed by an unsuccessful sequel (''Arthur 2: On the Rocks'') in 1988, which picks up the story four years later.
And while it has nothing to do with [[WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}} cartoon aardvarks]], it ''is'' the nearest thing we're ever likely to get to a Creator/PGWodehouse adaptation in the top-ten grossers of the year department.
[[Film/Arthur2011 Remade in 2011]] with Creator/RussellBrand in the title role and a DenserAndWackier tone.
----
!!The original film provides examples of:
* TheAlcoholic: As a functioning "funny drunk" who ''really'' doesn't want to give up the bottle, this trope is ''mostly'' PlayedForLaughs with the title character. In the British TV special ''An Audience with Dudley Moore'', Moore stated that he didn't see Arthur as an alcoholic, but rather as someone who loves to drink for fun and who actually can stop if he wants to. This [[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-toast-to-dudley-moores_b_701057 retrospective points out]] that this interpretation is supported by the film, as Arthur is often using booze specifically for DrowningMySorrows or LiquidCourage and he [[spoiler:forgoes drinking for ''an entire month'' just to take care of Hobson]]. But within just a few years of its release alcoholism and alcohol abuse in general became regarded as major public health issues in the U.S. and elsewhere, so ''Arthur 2: On the Rocks'' had to address this by having the character sober up as part of his CharacterDevelopment. The unsuccessful stage musical adaptation of the early 1990s heavily reduced his drinking.
* AnnoyingLaugh: Plenty of characters likely quickly grow tired of Arthur's cackling laugh. Too bad for them he's TheHyena, especially when he's trying to make them laugh with him. Works on a meta level too; when critic Scott Weinberg revisited the film for the podcast ''Podcast/EightiesAllOver'', he admitted that as much as he enjoyed Dudley Moore's performance, ''that laugh'' got on his nerves.
* ArrangedMarriage: One that Arthur's ''initially'' willing to go with just to keep his fortune -- and then he meets Linda.
* AwardBaitSong:
** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4rT9C5aV5A Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)]]" plays several aspects of this trope straight (feel-good with soothing and mellow start, builds and builds starting with the second chorus, has a showboating saxophone -- rather than guitar -- solo for the bridge), but not others. It's '''very''' specific to the events of the movie, bookends it by being played under both sets of credits, and is co-written/performed by Christopher Cross, who had just won five Grammy Awards a few months prior. The song and movie were both such big hits that to this day they're joined at the hip, and more than most post-1960s movie theme songs it's become a standard; Barry Manilow, Dionne Warwick, Shirley Bassey, Ronan Keating, Music/AlvinAndTheChipmunks, and the cast of ''Series/{{Glee}}'' have all covered it. The song's also popular in Japan (and usually covered by female artists). By way of the JukeboxMusical ''The Boy from Oz'', even Creator/HughJackman has belted it out!
** The ''Arthur -- The Album''-only song "It's Only Love", a Stephen Bishop number that's a WithLyrics version of the underscore cue of the same title, fits this trope even more than "Arthur's Theme" does -- it has a soothing and mellow start, a touching tone, isn't especially plot-specific, and has an electric guitar solo for the bridge, though it has a subdued finish.
** The sequel has "Love Is My Decision", performed and co-written by Chris de Burgh (who was coming off of "The Lady in Red" at the time). This one is a straight-up SillyLoveSong, there's sparkly synth, and the wrap-up is BIG -- but at the same time it's even more film-specific because the first-person lyrics are clearly from the perspective of Arthur himself. The first verse even includes multiple call backs to the original "Arthur's Theme" in its lyrics.
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Hobson is constantly sarcastic and dismissive towards Arthur, going so far as to curse him behind his back. But it's nothing compared to his ire for others who speak ill of his employer. And Arthur [[spoiler:stays by Hobson's bed without touching a drop of alcohol until Hobson's death]].
-->'''Executive:''' He gets all that money. Pays his family back by... by being a stinking drunk. It's enough to make you sick.
-->'''Hobson:''' [[ObfuscatingStupidity I really wouldn't know, sir. I'm just a servant.]] ''({{beat}})'' On the other hand, [[PrecisionFStrike go screw yourself.]]
* BadassBoast: "Don't SCREW with me, Burt!" Preceded by an ArmorPiercingSlap.
* BandageWince: After Arthur has endured [[spoiler:a beating and near-murder at Burt's hands, and has come to from passing out]], Linda attends to him with an AfterActionPatchUp. Being a {{Manchild}}, he doesn't take her efforts to clean his wounds well, but they can't help but laugh about it.
* BathtubScene: One of the more famous non-{{Fanservice}} examples comes early on as Arthur takes a lavish bubble bath, playing up his IdleRich {{Manchild}} nature and further establishing his relationship with Hobson. Photos from this scene turned up quite a bit in the print advertising campaign for the film, including several posters; one staged publicity still even has Dudley Moore doing a BathKick! The sequel has similar scenes (the sequel's scene provides the above page image).
* BettyAndVeronica: The ArrangedMarriage variation on the trope is in play here: Susan is a rich, nice (at least superficially) but boring Betty, while Linda is a working-class, feisty, brunette Veronica.
* BlackComedyBurst: Twice.
** When Arthur is asking the prostitute Gloria about her life, she tells him that her mother died when she was six and her father raped her when she was twelve. Arthur replies to this with "So you had six relatively good years?" Realizing he's crossed a line, he promptly apologizes and then sardonically refers to his strained relationship with his father with "Listen, my father screwed me too..."
** Burt's clearly established as a KnightTemplarParent who's actually killed a man well before the climax, but even so, [[spoiler:his actually attempting to murder both Arthur and Linda, who are ''terrified'', with a cheese knife]] is a pretty startling moment for a RomanticComedy.
* BlackSheep: Arthur is this to the otherwise respectable Bach family because he doesn't take life seriously, can ''really'' annoy others with his hijinks, is self-destructive in his pursuit of pleasure, and provides a lot of TabloidMelodrama for the New York City press. The ArrangedMarriage is intended to force him to become responsible and respectable at last. On the other hand, in this family being the black sheep ''also'' means having a sense of humor and not being ruthless.
* {{Bookends}}: The movie starts and ends with Arthur being driven around New York City and/to Central Park in particular in his Rolls-Royce. At the beginning, it's at night and he's with a hooker he's picked up for a one-night stand; at the end, it's daytime and [[spoiler:it's with Linda, who is now his fiance]]. Along with this, "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" plays under both the opening and closing credits, and because the final shot is specifically focused on the VanityLicensePlate of the Rolls as it starts, it allows the movie to both open and CloseOnTitle!
* TheCavalry: In the climax, [[spoiler:Stanford and Martha Bach]] serve as this, [[spoiler:the latter rescuing Arthur and Linda from ''being murdered'' by Burt]]. For bonus points the latter character goes on to [[spoiler:promise Arthur that he won't lose his inheritance if he marries Linda]].
* CharacterDevelopment: Arthur comes to realize he needs to start taking life more seriously and be less self-centered if he wants to find true happiness. Due to the specifics of the SurprisinglyHappyEnding, he doesn't have to mature ''that much'', but the sequel picks up where this film leaves off a few years later when he has to EarnYourHappyEnding.
* ChekhovsGag: The story Burt tells an increasingly nervous Arthur about his killing a burglar with a knife when he was eleven sets up [[spoiler:Burt grabbing a knife in the climax so he can kill Arthur and Linda]].
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: How Burt Johnson became a SelfMadeMan, more specifically a millionaire by the time he was 18. He puts his skills to "good" use in the sequel in service of destroying Arthur and Linda's happiness. It's also implied in the first film that the Bach family has tendencies towards this, as Arthur (who as the BlackSheep is disconnected from work much less corruption) points out to his father that "[Burt's] a criminal!" but Stanford replies that they ''all'' are in one way or another. This is furthered by Martha's later comments that the family is ruthless by nature.
* CoattailRidingRelative: PlayedForLaughs. Linda's unemployed father Ralph is thrilled to learn a millionaire is interested in her and takes the news of Arthur breaking off the relationship to go through with the ArrangedMarriage to Susan ''much'' harder than Linda does. He's similarly upset upon overhearing that Linda will not accept the $100,000 dollars Arthur subsequently offers her.
* CrashIntoHello: Subverted -- Arthur thinks he's done this before realizing he's crashed into a ''hedge''.
* DirtyOldWoman: Martha, Arthur's grandmother, asks him "Isn't it wonderful to be promiscuous?" when he visits her and explains his romantic travails to her, and she goes on to suggest he marry Susan and carry on an affair with Linda. In the sequel, in response to being told by her doctor that she needed exercise, she hires a terribly fit twenty-something male instructor...whom she watches go through a workout routine. She tells Arthur that she started with just twenty minutes a day of this but now can go a full hour, and she hasn't felt so good in years.
* DeadpanSnarker: Hobson. Oh, so very much.
-->"It's been a distinct pleasure meeting you;...it's been a most memorable afternoon. Usually one must go to a bowling alley to meet a woman of your stature."
** Arthur and Linda also get in their shots.
-->'''Susan:''' A real woman could stop you from drinking.
-->'''Arthur:''' It'd have to be a real '''''big''''' woman.
* DiningInTheBuff: Arthur drinks a martini in the bath.
* DoubleFeature: In the U.K., this film was so popular that it was teamed up with Moore's previous hit ''Film/{{Ten}}'' as a double bill late in the run (both being Orion releases).
* DrowningMySorrows: During his dinner date/proposal to Susan, as she tells him he must give up the bottle, Arthur explains that she should accept him as he is and notes "Everyone who drinks is not a 'poet'. Maybe some of us drink because we're not poets." Later after [[spoiler:Hobson dies, and as he faces his wedding to Susan in just a few hours]], he goes to a bar to do this, [[spoiler:having abstained from alcohol entirely while he was taking care of his dearest friend]].
* ExpositoryThemeTune: "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" sums up the movie's plot and theme in its first verse and chorus, and the ''second'' verse is solely devoted to describing Arthur's personality.
* FinancialAbuse: Stanford and Martha intend to cut Arthur off from his inheritance if he doesn't marry a woman he doesn't love. While Arthur has never ''earned'' money in his life and is the family shame, that's still a cruel thing for a father to do to his son or a grandmother to their grandson (granted [[spoiler:Martha ultimately relents]]). In the sequel, Burt goes much further with this trope by not only cutting Arthur and Linda off from the Bach family fortune to get {{Revenge}} upon them, but ensuring that Arthur can't earn a living no matter how hard he tries, leaving marriage to Susan his only option just to survive.
* FollowYourHeart: The chorus of "Arthur's Theme", quoted at the top of this page, counts as this.
* ForeignRemake: This movie was the basis for no less than ''three'' Indian films: ''Sharaabi'' (1984), ''Nee Thanda Kanike'' (1985, specifically a remake of ''Sharaabi''), and ''Tumsa Nahin Dekha: A Love Story'' (2004). The first and last films are UsefulNotes/{{Bollywood}} productions.
* ForYourOwnGood: Arthur's family and Susan all believe that pushing him into an ArrangedMarriage with her despite his objections will be good for him because it will finally force him to grow up, and because they know he can't survive in the real world as he is. [[spoiler:Hobson, however, comes to realize that Arthur pursuing his interest in Linda holds more potential to change him in a positive way.]] In the sequel, Martha tells Arthur that not only can't she help him when he is cut off from the family fortune, his being reduced from RichesToRags at last might be the best thing for him, as she always believed the ArrangedMarriage was the best option. [[spoiler:But when he approaches her again, asking for help in standing up to Burt, she's impressed enough by his determination to give him enough information about the villain's shady past for him to pick up a plan from there.]]
* FunPersonified: Arthur is determined to live life to the fullest and take others along for the ride, but has the misfortune of having a terminally humorless father who wants him to marry a woman who's just as straitlaced. Part of the reason he and Linda fall in love is that she appreciates his lighthearted qualities. Ironically, ''this'' is what paves the way for his CharacterDevelopment into someone who takes life seriously to ''some'' degree when everyone else around him believes the ArrangedMarriage is what will do it.
* GrandeDame: Arthur's grandmother Martha, who is on the more intelligent and more ruthless end of the trope.
* HatesBeingAlone: Arthur admits to this early on. Because his family and social circle don't share his lighthearted sensibilities, this trope factors into both his close friendship with Hobson and his freewheeling sex life. Falling in love with Linda and not being able to pursue her due to the ArrangedMarriage planned for him only makes his inner ache all the greater, and then [[spoiler:he learns Hobson is dying]]....
* HealthcareMotivation: Used as a cover story. Arthur and Linda claim to Susan, when she catches them together at the engagement party, that rather than being lovers he is simply helping Linda financially because she has a terribly sick husband named Harold, who was a friend of his in prep school but lost all his money, and "their" child needs an operation on top of that. Susan falls for it. [[spoiler:Upon Linda revealing to Susan at the wedding that she's Arthur's true love, the jilted bride asks "What about Harold?" Linda, realizing just how well Susan bought the lie, only manages to say "Oh, you poor thing..." before matters escalate thanks to Burt.]]
* TheHyena: Arthur's cackling laugh is heard before he's seen as the movie begins. He laughs as punctuation to his jokes, he laughs after he tumbles out of his car at the Plaza, he laughs '''in his sleep'''...
* IconicOutfit: Arthur's tuxedo and top hat, waistcoat optional. The ''Series/{{Glee}}'' performance of "Arthur's Theme" in the episode "What the World Needs Now" bears this out, with all of the guys dressed in this manner.
* IdleRich: Arthur is very much this, which is why the threat of losing his inheritance is enough for him to initially agree to the ArrangedMarriage with Susan. Susan herself is this thanks to her adoring father only wanting the best for her, only she's more responsible about it; the sequel gives her a high-end job as curator of the family's art gallery.
* IfIHadANickel: When Gloria asks Arthur "How rich are you?", he replies "I wish I had a dime for every dime I have."
* InadequateInheritor: Stanford regards Arthur (his only child and thus heir) to be this, and is determined to make him at least become respectable and responsible. The method of doing this is forcing Arthur into an arranged marriage by threatening to render him RichesToRags if he objects. [[spoiler:When Arthur becomes a runaway groom, however, his ''grandmother'' decides that rather than see a member of the clan become working class she'll let him keep his fortune and have children with the woman he loves, figuring ''they'' will be worthy heirs to the family legacy]].
* IncurableCoughOfDeath: Comes ''just'' before TheReveal that [[spoiler:Hobson, Arthur's valet, is dying]].
* IWantGrandkids: Implied at the end by Martha. [[spoiler:She announces that there will never be any working-class Bachs and notes that Arthur's ''children'' could become senators, even presidents, before revealing that she'll let him keep his fortune and marry Linda]]. In the original screenplay, [[spoiler:Arthur and Linda bring up the issue of their children's fates and how that would reflect on the rest of the family to convince Martha to not cut him off]].
* TheJeeves: Hobson -- very literally, and very directly, according to WordOfGod.
* KnightTemplarParent: Burt Johnson, being an ''extremely'' ruthless man by nature, does not want to see his daughter unhappy and warns Arthur that he's this upon their first meeting. When Arthur decides to be a [[RunawayBride runaway groom]] in the first movie's climax, Burt responds by [[spoiler:beating Arthur up and then trying to murder him ''and'' Linda with a cheese knife; he is only stopped by Martha]]. In the sequel, the passing of four years hasn't quelled his fury any and he seizes control of the Bach family business, cuts Arthur and Linda off from their rightful fortune, and sabotages all of Arthur's attempts to find work -- all to force him into a position where giving up Linda and marrying Susan at last is the only hope Arthur has to survive. [[spoiler:When Arthur finally stands up to him, Burt again threatens to kill him -- but Susan, realizing how much Arthur truly loves Linda, makes a Heel-Face Turn and even threatens to reveal to her mother that Daddy's been having an affair. In the face of his daughter's rebellion, Burt stands down and Arthur's fortunes are quickly restored]].
* LateArrivalSpoiler: The core of the first film's ending -- Arthur and Linda get together -- tends to be officially spoiled because the premise of the sequel hinges on the villain doing everything he can to undo it, not to mention that this sort of RomanticComedy tends to end happily in the first place. It's more pronounced in the DVD era because the two movies have been packaged together more than once (indeed, the only Blu-Ray edition contains both films). However, the ''specifics'' of the ending and the first film's major plot twist ([[spoiler:Hobson is terminally ill and dies at the end of Act Two]]) are routinely concealed, which also preserves the identity of the WalkingSpoiler character in the second film.
* LaughingAtYourOwnJokes: This is one of Arthur's defining quirks, hand-in-hand with being TheHyena.
* LiquidCourage: During his bath, Arthur tells Hobson that he doesn't intend to go to his imminent meeting with his humorless father Stanford sober. (The second film has a CallBack to this under similar circumstances.) He also drinks (''while driving!'') when he goes to the Johnsons' mansion to meet Susan's father for the first time. This behavior is one of several suggestions that Arthur's alcoholism, while largely an outgrowth of his life-is-a-party outlook, is also rooted in personal unhappiness; see also DrowningMySorrows.
* LonelyRichKid: Though he's not actually a kid -- he's in his forties -- Arthur fits the trope otherwise to the point that it's brought up in his theme song and the soundtrack album-only song "Poor Rich Boy".
* LoopholeAbuse: Martha's solution to Arthur's dilemma? Marry Susan and have an affair with Linda!
* LoveableRogue: When Arthur first meets Linda, she's in the process of being caught shoplifting; Arthur saves her by helping convince the security guard that they're a couple and he'll be paying for the tie, which turns out to be a birthday gift for her father. Later, when the lovers are caught together by Susan at the engagement party, they claim that Linda is married to a terribly sick man, and Arthur is helping them out financially.
* ManChild: Arthur, because he never ''had'' to grow up, is this. While he uses his money to enjoy very adult pleasures, he also has a giant model train set in his bedroom, a PersonalArcade, and otherwise. Hobson often speaks to/disciplines him as one would a child. In the waiting room outside Stanford Bach's office, Hobson gives him a magazine to look at ("There are many pictures"), reminds him to sit up straight, and promises that they'll get ice cream once the meeting is done. Even the theme song brings it up: "Arthur, he does as he pleases/All of his life, his master's toys/And deep in his heart/He's just, he's just a boy".
* ManlyMenCanHunt: Burt Johnson is as macho as they come, as borne out by his first meeting with Arthur being in the former's trophy room. By comparison, amiable Arthur is not only intimidated by the setting but also winds up distracted by the stuffed-and-mounted moose head on one wall, noting "You must have ''hated'' this moose" (among other things). In the sequel, to reveal to Arthur that he's seized control of his family's fortune, Burt invites him to his private yacht, where he's busy skeet shooting as Arthur arrives.
* MarryForLove: Arthur states early on that he will gladly give up his fortune to do this...but at the time he's never been in love in his life, and he agrees to the ArrangedMarriage as soon as his father reminds him of how much money he'd lose. Even after falling in love with Linda it's hard for him to follow his heart, in part because ''everyone'' around him is reminding him he isn't fit for the poor life. But he ultimately decides he'd rather be poor and in love than rich and lonely.
* MarryThemAll: Grandma Martha's solution? "Marry Susan and cheat with the nobody from Queens!"
* MeetCute: She's shoplifting a tie from Bergdorf Goodman for her father's birthday, he regards it as ThePerfectCrime, becomes smitten with her, and decides to help her out when security catches her in the act. By the time they part ways he's passionately kissed her (ostensibly it's in the service of fooling the security guard, but...) and -- once she's confirmed he's not married -- she's given him her phone number.
* MicroMonarchy: Discussed and PlayedForLaughs: At the Plaza Hotel restaurant, Arthur claims to some family members who are also dining there that his date is ''Princess'' Gloria, who comes from a country so small that "they just had the whole place carpeted."
* NeverMessWithGranny: Martha! "Don't SCREW with me, Burt!"
* NiceHat: A disheveled Arthur arrives at the wedding and, having asked an older woman wearing a nice hat for directions to where Susan's waiting for him, says "What a lovely...", gets about two or three rows down, and adds "...hat." Linda arrives shortly afterwards and happens to ask the same woman for directions, and ''also'' notes how lovely her hat is. ("So I've been told.")
** Played straight with Arthur himself; he has a top hat he likes to wear when he's on the town...and when he's bathing, as seen in the page image above taken from the sequel.
* NiceToTheWaiter: For someone who's never worked a day in his life, Arthur is kind and generous to his servants and pretty much anyone who ''does'' work (doormen, waiters, florists, hospital attendants, prostitutes...), having much more amiable relations with them than with his humorless peers and family members. This is most obvious in his best friend being his valet Hobson, who has long been his ParentalSubstitute.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: This happens, mostly offscreen, to [[spoiler:poor Arthur]] in the climax when [[spoiler:Burt finds out he's dumped Susan. And Burt tries to finish him ''and'' Linda off with a knife]]. To add insult to injury, [[spoiler:Arthur has to go straight from this to telling the waiting audience in the chapel that the wedding's off]].
* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: The English actor Dudley Moore plays Arthur, a New Yorker. Then again, Arthur's role model and father figure is his QuintessentialBritishGentleman [[TheJeeves Jeeves]]! (The role ''was'' intended for an American actor, but Moore felt he couldn't pull off an American accent.) It's also possible that Arthur's mother was English, too.
* NotHyperbole: Burt's menacing threats to Arthur over what will happen if he so much as ''dares'' to make Susan unhappy fall under this, culminating in [[spoiler:Burt attempting to murder him ''and'' Linda]].
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Arthur assumes that because Susan has a generally bland personality, she won't be too bothered when he [[spoiler:jilts her at the altar]]. Susan proceeds to prove Arthur wrong in spectacular fashion.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: When Hobson suggests that Linda is a GoldDigger and that carrying on an affair with her would save Arthur a fortune in prostitutes, Arthur angrily tells him never to speak of her that way again and leaves Hobson's bedroom in a huff...then returns to apologize, noting that he's '''never''' told him off before. Hobson accepts the apology, but also realizes that Arthur's unusual behavior is an indication that he really is in love with Linda. He may even have made the insulting comments specifically to see what effect they would have on Arthur.
* ParentalSubstitute: Arthur's mother is never seen (a sole offhand mention in the sequel can be interpreted as suggesting she passed away some time ago), and he has a bad relationship with his father. Enter Hobson, who effectively raised Arthur. Even though he's frequently annoyed and frustrated by Arthur's antics, Hobson is the only person in his inner circle who genuinely loves him for who he is, and ultimately has a hand in Arthur and Linda getting together despite everything. Arthur even straight up refers to him as his father after [[spoiler:he passes away]].
* ThePerfectCrime: Arthur regards Linda stealing the tie as this, or at least close to it, because (most) women don't wear ties. Hobson snarks that it would be this trope if she ''murdered'' the tie instead.
* PersonalArcade: Arthur has a pinball machine in his bathroom and an arcade machine in his bedroom. (His big date with Linda includes a visit to an arcade, too.)
* PleaseWakeUp: Subverted. Arthur tells Hobson to wake up and stop pretending to die when he arrives to find him melodramatically dealing with a cold. [[spoiler:After Hobson dies, Arthur, drunk, tells another wino, how Hobson went to sleep -- and never woke up.]]
* PrecisionFStrike: Hobson, and it's more notable because he's played by Sir John Gielgud.
-->'''Hobson:''' Perhaps you would like me to come in there and wash your dick for you, you little shit?
** Arthur gets one in as well.
--->'''Arthur:''' Susan... you're such an asshole!
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Hobson berates Arthur for whining that he's never been loved and has been a failure in his life, calling him a "spoiled little bastard" -- and tops it off by angrily telling him ''he'' loves him. He then tells him that he really should marry Susan, because he'll never find love as a poor drunk ("Poor drunks have very few teeth", for one thing) and Hobson loves him too much to want to see him suffer in that way.
* RefrainFromAssuming: The theme is not called "When You Get Caught Between the Moon and New York City", or even just "The Moon and New York City". It's called "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)".
* RefugeInAudacity: Linda Marolla steals a necktie at Bergdorf-Goodman's. The store detective witnesses the theft and follows her out into the street, where he confronts her. After making a snarky comment, she goes on the defensive, [[BavarianFireDrill pretending she is some kind of official]], pulling out a pad and pencil and demanding the detective's name and address. When this fails to intimidate the detective, she ''yells for someone to find her a cop'', at which point Arthur -- who has witnessed all of this and is enamored with her audacity (and by extension her) -- steps in and saves her bacon.
* TheReveal: Midway through the second act, it is revealed that [[spoiler:Hobson is terminally ill]], a detail that underscores a major character's actions and ultimately sets up the events of Act Three via [[spoiler:his death]].
* RewrittenPopVersion: A variation. Peter Allen, who contributed the line "When you get caught between the moon and New York City" to the lyrics of "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)", was a performer as well as songwriter, and years after his death warranted his own JukeboxMusical, ''The Boy from Oz''. By dropping the second verse (which is specifically about Arthur) and tweaking the lyrics of the first, the song was turned into a falling-in-love duet for Allen and...Liza Minnelli, who was his wife for a few years in TheSixties / TheSeventies and went on to play Linda in this film. This version of the song is titled "Best That You Can Do".
* RichesToRags: The prospect of this hangs over Arthur in the first film, and goes on to become the premise of the sequel.
* RichInDollarsPoorInSense: Arthur has a vague-at-best understanding of working-class life, as seen at the end as he discusses the prospect of married life with Linda and enthusiastically ponders such activities as riding the subway, getting a job, and eating "cheap, disgusting food". This becomes a major theme in the sequel as he goes from RichesToRags, though part of his struggle comes from the antagonist deliberately sabotaging his efforts to find work or a place to live.
* RichSuitorPoorSuitor: Gender-flipped variant: Arthur is already rich but to ''stay'' that way he has to marry Susan, who is also wealthy. Too bad Linda is the woman he truly loves. [[spoiler:At the end he chooses Linda knowing he'll lose his fortune, but Martha relents on cutting him off so no one in her family will be working class.]]
* RomanticComedy: An example told from the male half's point of view.
* RunawayBride: Male version, with Arthur leaving Susan come the big day.
* SadClown: Even when things are at their worst for Arthur, he'll still crack jokes. In the sequel, when he's reduced to offering to wipe down car windows for money and encounters Bitterman chauffeuring Martha, he tells him "They said I'd never make it Bitterman, they said the city would eat me alive. But now look at me, I got my own pail and my own Squeegee sponge, I showed them ALL!"
* SarcasmFailure
* SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl: Gender-flipped: Linda is savvy while Arthur is energetic; she can keep him relatively grounded, he can give her a life full of fun. At the top of the sequel they have been HappilyMarried for four years.
* ScreenToStageAdaptation: A stage musical adaptation, ''Arthur -- TheMusical'', arrived at the turn of TheNineties and was intended for Broadway, but [[https://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/backstage.php?showid=11140#content only saw two regional productions]] before disappearing save for the duet "The Memory of Tonight", which appears on the ''Unsung Musicals, Vol. 2'' compilation as a studio recording. (Odd fun fact: two of the writers of this show were the couple who went on to create ''Series/{{Friends}}''.) Reviews and reports suggest that it was extremely faithful to the film's script, albeit with some AdaptationExpansion involving Linda's fledgling acting career (culminating in the first scene of Act Two seeing her in rehearsals for an Off-Off-Broadway musical about Attila the Hun), and Arthur's drinking significantly scaled back.
* ScrewballComedy: One of the more successful attempts at "neo-screwball".
* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: Arthur truly wants to MarryForLove rather than money from the beginning, but he's never truly been in love and when Stanford reminds him of ''how much'' money he'll be giving up if he doesn't marry Susan, he gives in to his demands. He meets Linda shortly after that though, and eventually chooses her over Susan. [[spoiler:Grandma Martha then lets up and says that no grandson of hers would be ''poor'', and they get to remain in the money after all -- but he was willing to choose love over money. He even convinces Linda and Bitterman that he'll ''still'' give up the money before revealing the truth ("I'm not crazy!").]]
** Earlier, as an especially drunk Arthur visits Linda shortly after he has gone through with his proposal to Susan, he offers her $100,000 to support her and her father. Appalled by the state he's in, she refuses to accept what she clearly sees as [[DontYouDarePityMe a pity payment at best]], pointing out that having a lot of money clearly hasn't done him much good. (Aaaaaand cue the wail of despair from her eavesdropping father!)
* SelfMadeMan: Burt Johnson is this and proud of it, having gone from RagsToRiches through determination and ruthlessness. In his introductory scene he tells Arthur how he once confronted a robber, ultimately killing him with a knife. Burt was ''eleven'' at the time.
* ServileSnarker: Arthur's valet, Hobson.
-->'''Arthur:''' Hobson, would you like to run my bath for me?\\
'''Hubson:''' It's what I live for, sir.
** Bitterman gets in his shots too.
--->'''Hooker:''' ''(on Arthur)'' Is there something ''wrong'' with him?\\
'''Bitterman:''' Yes.
* SharpDressedMan: Arthur wears elegant suits most of the time, though he relaxes the standard to nice sweaters for more casual occasions (this comes after his saying that he ''doesn't'' wear sweaters...but at the time he's going on a shopping spree to spite his father over forcing his hand in the arranged marriage and buys a bunch of them as part of it). His MeetCute with Linda takes place while he and Hobson are picking out clothes at the Fifth Avenue department store Bergdorf Goodman. The trope is more than justified given his wealth and status.
* SingingInTheShower: Variation -- Arthur cheerfully sings in the bathtub. In the first movie, it's "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"; in the second, it's a pastiche of "My Girl" that's cheekily about how much he loves himself.
* SnobsVersusSlobs: Arthur was born into the world of the snobs but has never fit in, and while he has a sense of class and decorum his behavior is akin to that of a slob (constantly drinking for pleasure, taking a hooker to the Plaza Hotel, etc.), much to his family's embarrassment. He's also NiceToTheWaiter, finding underlings and "common" people far more helpful to consult when it comes to his burgeoning interest in Linda -- an earthy working-class woman with a truly slovenly father. Arthur's peers, family, and valet look down upon Linda, but Hobson softens once he realizes Arthur is truly in love with someone for the first time in his life and willing to defend her honor, and as much as he wants Arthur to be comfortable via his inheritance, knows his true happiness lies in following his heart despite the risks.
* SophisticatedAsHell: Martha. She buys one of the most famous paintings in the world and mentions that the dealer "jerked her around" on the price. (Said painting is Vermeer's "Woman with a Pearl Necklace"; Martha misidentifies it as "Woman Admiring Pearls".)
* SpiritualSuccessor: It draws a lot of inspiration from Creator/PGWodehouse's Literature/JeevesAndWooster stories. Characters' names are changed so that the filmmakers can do their own thing with them. It also owes a debt to 1930s romantic comedies.
* SpotOfTea: Subverted when Hobson visits Linda at her and her father's apartment. He asks Ralph for a cup of tea and two aspirin -- but it's to get the dad out of the way so he can have a private conversation with her. When Ralph returns with the tea and pills Hobson even says "I despise tea!" by way of shooing him again. (As for the aspirin, that's for Linda. Hobson's just told her to come to Arthur's engagement party and even left an appropriate outfit behind for her.)
* StarCrossedLovers: Between the two films, Arthur and Linda are put through quite a bit even by the standards of a "love or money" story, but come through.
* {{Streetwalker}}: Arthur picks one of these up for a one-night stand in the opening sequence. Gloria's world-weary, admits to a dark past (to the point where Arthur joking about it and not getting the intended reaction is a rare time he realizes he's crossed a line), and clearly sees this evening as a (very profitable) job, but does seem to enjoy his company and sense of humor while it lasts.
* SurprisinglyHappyEnding: The denouement of the first film looks to end on a slightly bittersweet note, as [[spoiler:Arthur is all set to live the poor life with Linda and become a responsible working adult...but Martha won't have the "working" part and says he can have his inheritance no matter what]].
* TabloidMelodrama: Arthur's antics have been this for the N.Y.C. press for quite some time. The hooker whom he doesn't choose but is paid anyway tells his driver Bitterman that "I've seen his face in the papers -- that's Arthur Bach, isn't he?" The following day, Arthur's dalliance with Gloria at the Plaza Hotel warrants newspaper coverage as well, much to his father's disgust. A florist also recognizes Arthur from the papers, and Martha complains that every tryst her grandson has gets press attention. This is brought up again in the sequel, this time by adoption agent Mrs. Canby (who is concerned about his drinking).
* ToughRoom: Arthur deals with this '''constantly''' when it comes to his jokes. He even drops the trope name during his visit with Burt at the latter's mansion, having failed to make him or the butler smile. "This is a tough room -- I don't need to tell you that." "You", in this case, refers to a stuffed-and-mounted moose head on the wall he can't stop commenting on.[[note]]'''Arthur:''' ''(to Burt)'' Where is the rest of this moose?[[/note]]
* UnclePennybags: Arthur can be playfully generous with his money -- after he chooses to pick up Gloria in the opening scene, he tells Bitterman to pay the other hooker $100 because "she came in second."
* VanillaEdition: One of the very first DVD releases Warner Bros. put out, it wasn't even in its proper aspect ratio. The only widescreen edition available is the Blu-Ray, which packages it and its sequel together and was ''only'' brought out as a tie-in to the remake. Sadly justified as several of the principals had passed away or were too ill to participate in extras even in the late 1990s.
* VanityLicensePlate: Arthur's cars have them -- ARTHUR for his Rolls-Royce and [=ARTHUR2=] for his convertible. (His racecar has [=ARTHUR3=] on its side.) The final shot of the film starts as a close-up on the Rolls-Royce's rear plate, pulling back as it pulls away from the church, also serving as a variation on CloseOnTitle in the process. A similar shot ends up ''opening'' the sequel for bonus points.
* VideoFullOfFilmClips: "Arthur's Theme" has one -- one of the earliest examples of this trope and the first involving an Oscar-winning song.
* WaitingForABreak: Linda is an aspiring actress working as a diner waitress to pay the bills. Her acting skills get her out of trouble on three occasions -- first when she (with Arthur's help) convinces the security guard they're actually a couple, second when she convinces a guest at the engagement party that she was invited, and third when she and Arthur convince Susan that they are only alone in the stables to discuss a HealthcareMotivation sob story.
* WalkThisWay: The butler at the Johnsons' mansion uses the exact words to direct Arthur into Burt's trophy room. Arthur being Arthur, he obliges by mimicking his walk behind his back.
* WeddingSmashers: Just as Arthur and Susan's wedding ceremony is about to go on, [[spoiler:Arthur tells her it's off, she calls for Burt, he beats Arthur up and almost murders him ''and'' Linda, and are only saved by Martha]]. The waiting audience in the chapel is stunned to see [[spoiler:the bruised-and-bloody Arthur stumble up the aisle, announce that the wedding's off and he's poor now, and pass out]].
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Susan Johnson honestly believes she can change Arthur into a respectable, responsible person once they're married -- it's ICanChangeMyBeloved ''way'' in advance, given that he does not reciprocate her affections.
* WithLyrics: ''Arthur -- The Album'' has two songs that are this to cues from the Burt Bacharach underscore: Ambrosia's "Poor Rich Boy" ("Money") and Stephen Bishop's "It's Only Love".
* {{Yandere}}: Susan.
!!The sequel adds examples of:
* ArmorPiercingQuestion: At the end of his rope, Arthur goes with [[spoiler:Hobson's ghost(?)]] to the Johnsons' place to ask Susan's hand in marriage at last. When the doorman asks "Are you a friend of hers?" his companion points out that the question is this trope. Arthur realizes that he'd rather die lonely than live with Susan.
* BeardOfSorrow: Arthur has stubble once he reaches his DarkestHour.
* CrazyHomelessPeople: At the homeless shelter, Arthur's late-night conversation with [[spoiler:Spirit Advisor Hobson]] is interrupted by one of these, who is busy playing cards with his ''late'' uncle and wants quiet. Arthur's companion points out that [[spoiler:Arthur's technically little different from him at the moment]], suggesting this could be Arthur's ultimate fate if he doesn't pull himself through his DarkestHour.
* DarkestHour: Arthur's arrives when Linda leaves him and returns to her father, and refuses to see him -- not because she no longer loves him, but because she wants him to marry Susan and live a happy, comfortable life again. But he knows he could never be happy with Susan, and since he's now also homeless he's soon drunkenly wandering about the city and telling people about all he's lost. That's when [[spoiler:Hobson appears to help turn him around]].
* ADegreeInUseless: When Arthur and Linda are arguing about his getting a job, Linda points out that he went to Harvard and must have ''some'' marketable skill. He then reveals to her that his major was ''ballet''.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: Arthur's character arc: Burt manages to seize control of Arthur's family's business and leaves him and Linda penniless. ''Then'', while Linda is able to find work as a waitress again, Burt ensures first that the couple cannot stay with her father, and second that Arthur will never be able to hold down a legitimate job. The '''only''' hope he has of reclaiming his fortune is finally marrying Susan, but he cannot bear to do this. When Linda leaves him because IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy, Arthur ends up homeless and the sway of his alcoholism now threatens to destroy him. But having hit rock bottom, he subsequently pulls himself together, ultimately impressing [[spoiler:Susan Johnson]] enough to induce a HeelFaceTurn that saves the day.
* FallenOnHardTimesJob: Arthur ends up in two of these -- first as a hardware store clerk, and after he's forced out of that (though he isn't doing well in the one half-day he's there) a homeless car window washer.
* {{Flanderization}}: Arthur's childish pursuits are given more screen time than in the original, with a bathroom full of remote control toys, a toy basketball hoop, ''and'' a model train set an excellent example of this compared to the corresponding scenes in the first film. Before, while he certainly had toys lying about and a small PersonalArcade, he preferred to spend his days playing tennis and racing cars and his nights having one-night stands. To be fair he's now a married man who adores his wife, and she keeps him from driving when he's intoxicated, which is still most of the time. But no justification is given as to why he has seemingly become '''obsessed''' with getting everyone in his sight to laugh -- during the opening credits he leans out of his car backseat's window to pester a rich older gentleman in the car alongside his. ''While the cars are moving.'' He also keeps playing pranks on his new, terminally humorless butler Fairchild, such as giving him trick soap. In the denouement, he even [[spoiler:temporarily convinces him he's fired]]! Critic Drew [=McWeeny=], in a bonus episode of the ''80s All Over'' podcast, argues that ''Arthur 2'' Arthur is one of the most punchable movie characters of the decade (and compares him to Axel Foley in ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop 2'' in this regard -- both characters were likeable initially but succumbed to poor sequel characterization).
* HappilyEverAfter: The story ends on this note [[spoiler:with Babies Ever After as a bonus -- not only are Arthur and Linda able to adopt a baby at last, Linda is pregnant]].
* HeelFaceTurn: In the sequel, it's [[spoiler:Susan Johnson]] who steps into the breach to secure Arthur's victory.
* HopeSpot: Subversion in the climax. [[spoiler:The statute of limitations has passed on the crooked business deal Burt made that Arthur collects incriminating evidence about. But Arthur going to those lengths and then pleading with Burt to restore his and Linda's fortune when that doesn't work is enough to induce Susan's Heel-Face Turn]].
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: After Susan taunts her with TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, Linda leaves Arthur to live with her father again, telling him via a letter that he should forget her and marry Susan so he can have a comfortable life again -- and the family they wanted on top of that. Unfortunately, he loves Linda so much that he becomes homeless instead.
* LawOfInverseFertility: Arthur and Linda are HappilyMarried and were trying to have children during the SequelGap, but at the top of the film Linda has just been to a doctor's appointment and told she cannot bear them. They decide to adopt and make faster process than they're told to expect. Even with Burt's treachery imperiling their situation, [[spoiler:Spirit Advisor Hobson]] tells Arthur that his impending son is WorthLivingFor. [[spoiler:Just after Arthur comes back to Linda with his fortune restored, Mrs. Canby arrives with their adopted ''girl''. Arthur is happy but admits that someone predicted he'd have a son...and then Linda reveals she's pregnant]].
* OutOfGenreExperience: A crucial stretch shades into [[spoiler:Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane fantasy with the appearance of the dead Hobson to Arthur -- and only Arthur. He is either an actual Spirit Advisor or a hallucination resulting from Arthur's drinking, but either way he encourages his ward to pull himself together]].
* PrettyInMink: Linda has a mink coat and Susan has a black fox wrap.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech:
** Linda and Susan's confrontation in the not-so-new apartment is effectively a dueling pair of these. Susan wins by pointing out she's not only the one with the money, but fertile, making her the superior choice for Arthur's continued happiness. Linda makes her IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy decision after this.
** [[spoiler:Hobson]] delivers one to Arthur in the homeless shelter, pointing out that he's been dodging real responsibilities all his life but "parties don't last forever". However, this is followed by the character revealing what Arthur has WorthLivingFor as an incentive to pull himself together.
* SequelGap: Seven years (but only four in-universe).
* ShrineToTheFallen: Early on it's revealed that Arthur has the "bedroom kept as it was" variation in honor of [[spoiler:Hobson. At the end, when Fairchild finally manages to display a sense of humor and plays a prank on Arthur, Arthur tells him to pack his things and vacate his quarters...so he can move into Hobson's room, symbolizing Arthur finding Fairchild a worthy successor to his dearest friend at last]].
* StalkerWithACrush: Susan's ''really'' intent on finally marrying Arthur, even though they haven't seen each other since the day they were to be wed and he never loved her to begin with. She still has the engagement ring...which she wears on a chain around her neck...and when she and her father learn where Arthur and Linda are now staying, goes down to the apartment to taunt Linda with the news that Daddy got him fired from the hardware store job and a TheReasonYouSuck speech. She'd probably be even worse about this if not for the fact that she's been in therapy during the SequelGap (telling Arthur that she's down to three visits a week).
* TookALevelInJerkass: Susan. In the first film, she's a WellIntentionedExtremist at her worst and really doesn't have a hostile bone in her body. The sequel plays up WomanScorned, even having her mock Linda for being barren when she's "as fertile as the Napa Valley." At the end, [[spoiler:she does come to realize the depths of Arthur's love for Linda and makes a Heel-Face Turn that allows a happy ending]].
* TwistedChristmas: Arthur and Linda lose their fortune just as the Christmas season's underway. Things go from bad to worse for them to the point that within days Arthur's ''homeless''. Luckily, that's when [[spoiler:the Spirit Advisor arrives]] and things begin turning around.
* WalkingSpoiler: A ''really'' unconventional case with [[spoiler:Arthur's valet Hobson]], who [[spoiler:dies at the end of the first film's second act. His appearance here is as a Spirit Advisor who may or may not be a hallucination]].
* WorthLivingFor: After being delivered a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, Arthur asks [[spoiler:Spirit Advisor Hobson]] what he has to live for now that he's in his DarkestHour. The answer? "Your son", which reminds Arthur that he and Linda were striving to adopt a child when all the trouble began, and still had a chance even then. The denouement adds a twist to this: [[spoiler:Arthur is cooing over said child at last -- only to be informed it's a girl. And then Linda reveals she's pregnant...]]
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