Robert Arthur

Robert Arthur (November 1, 1909 – October 28, 1986) was an American screenwriter and producer best known for his long association with Universal Studios.

Early life and career Born in New York as Robert Arthur Feder, he attended Southwestern University as well as the last, Francis in the Haunted House (1956). He also wrote the story for Francis Goes to the Races.

Arthur produced Louisa (1950) which starred Ronald Reagan who became a good friend. In 1965 Arthur said this was his favorite movie.

He signed Stanley Shapiro who wrote several commercially successful comedies for Arthur including The Perfect Furlough (1958), Operation Petticoat (1959), Lover Come Back (1961) and That Touch of Mink (1962).

In 1965, he signed a "lifetime" contract with Universal. At that time, 5 of Universal's top 10 highest-grossing films had been produced by Arthur - Operation Petticoat, That Touch of Mink, Come September, Lover Come Back and Shenandoah (1965).

Arthur died in 1986 at the age of seventy-six and was interred in Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. Lew Wasserman said Arthur as ""a true professional, a fine man and good friend. His associates at Universal will miss his talents and his warmth."

Personal life Arthur was married to Goldie Appleby, who served as an executive secretary to Irving Thalberg at MGM and to Samuel Goldwyn during World War II. They were married for forty-seven years, until his death. Goldie Arthur died on December 24, 1998, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, following a stroke.

Filmography (producer unless otherwise specified)

Meet the Boy Friend (1937) - story only New Moon (1940) - screenplay only Chip Off the Old Block (1944) - story only Buck Privates Come Home (1947) The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap (1947) Are You with It? (1948) Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) For the Love of Mary (1948) Mexican Hayride (1948) Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer Boris Karloff (1949) The Gal Who Took the West (1949) Bagdad (1949) Francis (1950) Buccaneer's Girl (1959) Curtain Call at Cactus Creek (1959) Louisa (1950) Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950) Francis Goes to the Races (1951) - story only The Golden Horde (1951) Starlift (1951) The Story of Will Rogers (1952) The Big Heat (1953) The Black Shield of Falworth (1954) Ricochet Romance (1954) The Long Gray Line (1955) Lady Godiva of Coventry (1955) A Day of Fury (1956) Francis in the Haunted House (1956) Pillars of the Sky (1956) Kelly and Me (1956) Mister Cory (1957) The Midnight Story (1957) Man of a Thousand Faces (1957) Flood Tide (1958) A Time to Love and a Time to Die (1958) The Perfect Furlough (1958) Operation Petticoat (1959) The Great Impostor (1960) Come September (1960) Lover Come Back (1961) That Touch of Mink (1962) The Spiral Road (1962) For Love or Money (1963) Captain Newman, M.D. (1963) The Brass Bottle (1964) Bedtime Story (1964) Father Goose (1964) Shenandoah (1965) A Very Special Favor (1965) A Man Could Get Killed (1966) Blindfold (1966) The King's Pirate (1967) Hellfighters (1968) Sweet Charity (1969) One More Train to Rob (1971)