General · EdgepediaOctober 3, 20265 min read

Arthur 2: On the Rocks

Arthur 2: On the Rocks is a 1988 American comedy film and the sequel to the 1981 film Arthur, directed by Bud Yorkin, written by Andy Breckman, and starring Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, and John Gielgud, who reprise their roles as Arthur Bach, Linda Marolla Bach, and Hobson.¹ Warner Bros. released it in the United States on 8 July 1988, after a world premiere in West Palm Beach, Florida on 5 July.¹

Key fact	Detail
Release	World premiere West Palm Beach, FL, 5 July 1988; Los Angeles and New York openings 8 July 1988¹
Principal cast	Dudley Moore (Arthur Bach), Liza Minnelli (Linda Marolla Bach), John Gielgud (Hobson), Stephen Elliott (Burt Johnson), Geraldine Fitzgerald (Martha Bach), Kathy Bates (Mrs. Canby)¹^•²
Filming	Began 30 November 1987 in New York City and Los Angeles³
Plot premise	Billionaire Burt Johnson seizes Arthur's $750 million inheritance to force him to divorce Linda and marry Susan; Arthur and Linda are meanwhile trying to adopt a baby⁴
Music	Score by Burt Bacharach; theme song "Love Is My Decision (Theme From Arthur 2 On the Rocks)" performed by Chris De Burgh⁵
US box office	$14.1 million⁶
Critical reception	13% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer from 24 reviews; 29% on the audience Popcornmeter⁶

Spoilers

Plot

Arthur Bach, a tippling Park Avenue heir, is happily married to Linda, the woman he chose over his wealthy fiancée Susan in the first film, and the two are trying to adopt a baby.⁴ Susan's father, the billionaire Burt Johnson, seizes control of Arthur's inheritance and leaves him broke and homeless unless he divorces Linda and marries Susan.⁴ Arthur loses his fortune for staying with Linda, and as their marriage suffers he plans to get his money back, but first he must sober up and get a real job.² Hobson, Arthur's manservant, who died in the first film, returns in a ghostly cameo.⁹ The film ends with Arthur recovering his fortune in a riches-to-rags-to-riches arc.¹⁰

Production

The film is a sequel to Arthur (1981) and is based on characters created by that film's writer-director Steve Gordon.¹ An item in the 15 October 1987 Hollywood Reporter reported that Bud Yorkin would direct a sequel starring Moore, Minnelli, and Gielgud.⁷ Although a 4 November 1987 trade item said principal photography would start in February 1988, a 15 December 1987 production chart, referring to the film as Arthur On the Rocks, announced that filming had begun on 30 November 1987 in New York City and Los Angeles.³

New York locations listed in studio production notes included the Apthorp Building on Broadway, the Americas Society on Park Avenue, the Tavern on the Green in Central Park, Lincoln Center, the Big Apple Circus, the Washington Square Methodist Church in Greenwich Village, the South Street Seaport, and the Entrepreneur II, a 130-foot yacht docked in the East River.³ Los Angeles filming was scheduled to start on 11 January 1988, with the Vine St. Bar & Grill in Hollywood used as a location.³ In a July 1988 interview, Dudley Moore said he had to persuade the owners of the original story to relinquish the sequel rights, and that contributions were made as production went along.⁸

Reception

The sequel was poorly received by critics. On Rotten Tomatoes it holds a 13% Tomatometer from 24 reviews and a 29% Popcornmeter score from more than 5,000 audience ratings.⁶ Roger Ebert, film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times, gave the film two stars, arguing that the opening scenes are as funny as the original but that the film loses its comic energy when Arthur grows, takes responsibility, and stops drinking, turning "from pure comedy into sitcom."⁴ Sheila Benson of the Los Angeles Times called the film "excruciating" and wrote that it obliterates the warmth and wit of the 1981 original, while praising Gene Callahan's production design.¹¹ A Christian Science Monitor review was titled "'Arthur 2' has everything going for it but a story."¹²

At the box office the film opened at No. 3 in its first weekend, according to a Los Angeles Times weekend report.¹³ Its US gross was $14.1 million.⁶ A December 1988 Los Angeles Times video column noted that the film, priced at $89.95 on VHS from Warner, "did not do stupendous business" in theaters and disappointed many fans of the original.¹⁴

Music

Burt Bacharach composed the sequel's score and co-produced and co-wrote its theme, "Love Is My Decision (Theme From Arthur 2 On the Rocks)," performed by Chris De Burgh.⁵ The soundtrack also licensed songs including "The Loco-motion" performed by Kylie Minogue, "Secret" by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, "Gravity" by Brenda Russell, and "Speed Of Light," written by Debbie Gibson and performed by Reimy.⁵

Versions and home media

Contemporary reviews gave conflicting running times: the Hollywood Reporter and Screen International listed 110 minutes, the Los Angeles Times 107 minutes, and The New York Times 112 minutes.¹ Later listings give 1 hour 52 minutes⁶ or 1 hour 53 minutes.² The film was rated PG and released in Dolby Stereo.¹ Warner Bros. copyrighted it on 11 August 1988 under number PA382757.¹ It reached DVD on 15 February 2005 and is available digitally, with rental from $3.99 and purchase from $9.99 on major US platforms as of 2026.¹⁵

References

Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026