Arthur (1981 Steve Gordon & scr)

Have we really not seen this since 2012? I don't believe it. Dudley is fun clowning around - viz. scene where he balances glass on car bumper - and many of his scenes are improvised, such as the meeting with the scary Burt Johnson (Stephen Elliott - 'Where's the rest of this moose? This is a tough room') but actually he's rather good in sober moments - and indeed he seems too pissed for too long in places. But that is a cavil and let's face it, he's out-acted first by Liza Minnelli - who's great - and especially by John Gielgud - who's fantastic, and won an Oscar ('They smile at lunch time' is I think my favourite line).

Steve Gordon at least lived long enough to see his film become a huge success - he would not have liked the sequel (or the remake). Something reassuringly old-fashioned about it too, e.g. the florist's line 'She gave me a smile and by Baltimore I was a dead duck'. Also scene where Arthur goes to the wrong flat is almost like a W.C. Fields moment. (And, moment with horse - The Lady Eve?) Lovely, funny, insane writing - in a way it's the forerunner of Pretty Woman.

With Geraldine Fitzgerald as Aunt Martha, Ted Ross as Bitterman, Jill Eikenberry the unfortunate Susan Johnson, Barney Martin the useless father.

Shot in a diffused style by Fred Schuler. Burt Bacharach wrote the music including for the Oscar-winning theme song 'Best That You Can Do'.