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George K. Arthur

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George K. Arthur
Born(1899-01-27)27 January 1899
Aberdeen, Scotland
Died30 May 1985(1985-05-30) (aged 86)
New York City, US
OccupationActor
Years active1919-1958

Arthur George Brest (27 January 1899 – 30 May 1985), known professionally as George K. Arthur, was an English actor and producer, born in Aberdeen, Scotland,.[1] He appeared in more than 50 films between 1919 and 1935, and is best known as the diminutive half of the comedy team of Dane & Arthur.

Screen career

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Arthur projected a friendly, amiable personality on screen, which earned him light-comedy character roles in silent films. In 1927 he was working at the prestigious Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio, where producer Harry Rapf decided that the 5' 6" Arthur would make a good foil for 6' 3" character actor Karl Dane. Dane & Arthur's first feature was Rookies (1927), and the team went on to make a series of economical and well-received features until the end of the silent-film era.

George K. Arthur's British-accented speaking voice did not pose a problem for the new talking pictures, but Karl Dane's Danish accent was considered too thick to be easily understood.[2] MGM discontinued the Dane & Arthur series after the silent feature China Bound (1929); their only talking film for MGM was The Hollywood Revue of 1929, in which they had only a brief guest appearance with very little dialogue.

Although Dane & Arthur had made their reputations as silent comedians, they did star in 10 sound comedies, albeit less prestigious short subjects. Producer Larry Darmour made six for RKO release in 1930–31,[3] and Paramount made four more in 1931–32.[4] Dane & Arthur also toured on Paramount's vaudeville circuit in 1931. After their Paramount commitments were fulfilled, Dane & Arthur went their separate ways.

George K. Arthur returned to character roles, often for MGM, through 1935.

Career changes

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After retiring as an actor Arthur remained with MGM, accepting a job in the sales department of the studio's New York film exchange.[5] While in New York he hosted a weekly 15-minute radio program for WQXR, in which he offered commentary and interviews as a Broadway "first nighter".[6] He had become an American citizen and enlisted in the U. S. Air Force. During World War II he organized shows for the troops.

Arthur later became a producer and distributor of short films.[7] He won an Academy Award for Best Short Film in 1957, for the film The Bespoke Overcoat; and received an additional nomination in the same category the year prior, for On the Twelfth Day.[8]

Selected filmography

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References

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  1. ^ "The Modern Screen Directory (Players)". The Modern Screen Magazine. 1 (1): 6. November 1930. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  2. ^ Petersen Balogh, Laura (2009). Karl Dane: A Biography and Filmography. McFarland. p. 149. ISBN 978-0-786-45436-5.
  3. ^ Motion Picture News, "Darmour Signs Dane, Arthur for 2-Reelers," May 3, 1930, p. 15.
  4. ^ Movie Age, "Dane-Arthur Begin: Team to Make Two-Reel Comedies for Para.", July 7, 1931, p. 7.
  5. ^ Boxoffice, July 6, 1940, p. 59.
  6. ^ Radio Life, April 1, 1937, p. 8.
  7. ^ Thompson, Howard (19 January 1958). "ARTHUR'S NEW ART; Former Actor Triumphs In Short Film Field". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  8. ^ "The 29th Academy Awards (1957) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
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