name	Arthur
director	Steve Gordon
producer	Robert GreenhutCharles H. Joffe
writer	Steve Gordon
starring	Dudley MooreLiza MinnelliJohn Gielgud
music	Burt Bacharach
cinematography	Fred Schuler
editing	Susan E. Morse
studio	Orion Pictures
distributor	Warner Bros.
released
runtime	97 minutes
language	English
budget	$7 million
gross	$95,461,682 }}

''Arthur '' is a 1981 comedy film written and directed by Steve Gordon. The film stars Dudley Moore as the eponymous Arthur Bach, a drunken New York City millionaire who is on the brink of an arranged marriage to a wealthy heiress, but ends up falling for a common working-class girl from Queens. It was the first and only film directed by Gordon, who died in 1982 of a heart attack at age 44.

''Arthur'' earned nearly $96 million domestically, making it the fourth highest grossing film of 1981. It was notable for its title song, "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)", co-written by Christopher Cross, Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager and Peter Allen, and was performed by Christopher Cross. The film was nominated for a total of four Academy Awards. John Gielgud won Best Supporting Actor and the theme song won Best Original Song.

''Arthur'' was followed by a 1988 sequel, ''Arthur 2: On the Rocks,'' which was enough of a failure for star Dudley Moore to disown it. A remake starring Russell Brand was released in April 2011; Arthur (2011 film).

Plot[link]

Arthur Bach (Dudley Moore) is a spoiled, alcoholic from New York City who likes to be driven in his chauffeured limousine through Central Park. He is heir to his father Stanford's (Thomas Barbour) $750 million fortune, which he is told will only be his if he marries the upper class Susan Johnson (Jill Eikenberry). He does not love Susan, but his family feels she will make him finally grow up. Arthur reluctantly agrees to the arranged marriage, but he meets a working-class Queens waitress, Linda Marolla (Liza Minnelli), and despite her being a shoplifter, is attracted to her.

Arthur struggles with his promise to marry Susan. While visiting his grandmother Martha (Geraldine Fitzgerald), Arthur shares his feelings for Linda, but is warned again that he will be disowned. His valet, Hobson (John Gielgud), who has been more like a father to him than Arthur's real father, realizes that Arthur is beginning to grow up and secretly encourages Linda to attend Arthur's engagement party, telling Linda he recognizes when a young man is in love. Hobson is hospitalized and Arthur rushes to his side. After several weeks, Hobson dies and then Arthur, who'd been sober that whole time, goes on a drinking binge. On his wedding day, he visits the diner where Linda works and proposes to her. At the church, he jilts Susan, resulting in her abusive father, Burt Johnson (Stephen Elliott), attempting to stab Arthur with a cheese knife, though he is prevented by Martha.

Arthur tells those in the church that there will be no wedding and passes out. Linda attends to his wounds and they discuss living a life of poverty. A horrified Martha tells Arthur that he can have his fortune because no Bach has ever been working class. Arthur declines, but at the last minute, talks privately to Martha. When he returns to Linda's side, he tells her that he declined again – Martha's dinner invitation, he means, but he did take the money. Arthur's pleased chauffeur Bitterman (Ted Ross) drives the couple through Central Park.

Cast[link]

Dudley Moore as Arthur Bach

Liza Minnelli as Linda Marolla

John Gielgud as Hobson

Geraldine Fitzgerald as Martha Bach

Jill Eikenberry as Susan Johnson

Stephen Elliott as Burt Johnson

Thomas Barbour as Stanford Bach

Ted Ross as Bitterman

Barney Martin as Ralph Marolla

Paul Gleason as Executive

Phyllis Somerville as Saleslady

Lou Jacobi as Plant store owner

Mark Margolis (''uncredited'') as Wedding guest

Production[link]

For the role of Arthur, Steve Gordon had originally considered George Segal; however, after the success of ''10'', Segal was replaced with Dudley Moore, who had also stepped in when Segal withdrew from the lead role of ''10''. Conversely, Barbra Streisand replaced Moore with Segal while filming ''The Mirror Has Two Faces''.

Bud Cort reportedly accepted the role of Arthur at one point, but he dropped out before production began.

Reception[link]

The film received critical acclaim upon its release. It currently holds a 90% "Fresh" rating the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes.

Remake[link]

It was first reported in 2008 that ''Arthur'' was to be remade by Warner Bros. with the British actor/comedian Russell Brand in the lead role. Brand confirmed this during his March 10, 2009 appearance on ''The Howard Stern Show''. On April 22, 2010 it was announced that Helen Mirren would star opposite Brand, taking on John Gielgud's part. On June 11, the Hollywood Reporter announced that Jennifer Garner and Nick Nolte had also joined the cast. Garner plays the heiress while Nolte is her ruthless father. Greta Gerwig stars as a charismatic tour guide that Arthur falls in love with. Jason Winer directed the remake and Peter Baynham penned the script. Filming began in July 2010. It was released in the U.S. on April 8, 2011.

This film was also remade in India twice, as the Hindi language film ''Sharaabi'' starring Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role and in Kannada as ''Nee Thanda Kanike''.

Awards and nominations[link]

Academy Awards[link]

;Wins

Best Actor in a Supporting Role – John Gielgud

Best Original Song – Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross and Peter Allen for "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" which was performed by Cross

;Nominations

Best Actor in a Leading Role – Dudley Moore

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen – Steve Gordon

Honors[link]

The film is #10 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies," and #53 on the American Film Institute's ''100 Years... 100 Laughs''.

American Film Institute lists

AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs:

*"Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" - #79

References[link]

External links[link]

Category:1981 films Category:1980s comedy-drama films Category:1980s romantic comedy films Category:American films Category:American comedy-drama films Category:American romantic comedy films Category:English-language films Category:Best Musical or Comedy Picture Golden Globe winners Category:Best Song Academy Award winners Category:Films about alcoholism Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winning performance Category:Films set in New York City Category:Orion Pictures films Category:Warner Bros. films

ca:Arthur, el solter d'or de:Arthur – Kein Kind von Traurigkeit es:Arthur (película) fr:Arthur (film, 1981) hr:Arthur (1981.) it:Arturo (film 1981) no:Arthur (film) pl:Artur (film) pt:Arthur (filme) ru:Артур (фильм) fi:Arthur (elokuva) sv:En brud för mycket

name	Arthur
director	Jason Winer
producer	Larry BreznerKevin McCormickChris BenderMichael Tadross
screenplay	Peter Baynham
story	Steve Gordon
based on
starring	Russell BrandHelen MirrenJennifer GarnerLuis GuzmánGreta GerwigNick Nolte
music	Theodore ShapiroMark Ronson
cinematography	Uta Briesewitz
editing	Brent White
studio	MBST EntertainmentBenderSpinkLangley Park Productions
distributor	Warner Bros. Pictures
released
runtime	107 minutes
country
language	English
budget	$40 million
gross	$45,735,397 }}

''Arthur'' is a 2011 comedy film written by Peter Baynham and directed by Jason Winer. It is a remake of the 1981 film written and directed by Steve Gordon. It stars Russell Brand in the title role, with Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner, Greta Gerwig and Nick Nolte in supporting roles.

Plot[link]

Boozy Arthur Bach (Russell Brand) and his chauffeur, Bitterman (Luis Guzmán), dress up in Batman and Robin suits for a formal dinner hosted by Arthur's mother, Vivienne (Geraldine James). The dinner is intended to announce Arthur as the new chairman of her corporation, Bach Worldwide. Upon driving to the dinner in a Batmobile, intoxicated and being chased by police, Arthur is arrested and released the next day.

Vivienne and her shrewd assistant Susan (Jennifer Garner) arrange a plan to have Susan marry Arthur to allow her to be in control of the company, leaving stable leadership. Arthur refuses, but is told that he will be completely cut off from the $950 million inheritance if he does not marry Susan. Arthur reluctantly agrees and asks Susan's father, Burt Johnson (Nick Nolte), for permission to marry his daughter. Burt agrees after putting Arthur to a table saw and warning him not to embarrass Susan. The next day, Arthur meets Naomi (Greta Gerwig), an illegal tour guide who Arthur takes an interest in to due to her free-spirited nature. He arranges his wedding while sneaking around on dates with Naomi. Arthur's nanny, Lillian Hobson (Helen Mirren) – who normally dislikes all of Arthur's choices in women – gets to know and like Naomi. Arthur learns that Naomi would like to have her children's book about the Statue of Liberty published. Arthur attempts to find employment and other options so that he would be able to keep seeing Naomi and not need the $950 million, but to no avail. Hobson takes Arthur to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, where he complains about it being depressing and making him want to drink, then he proclaims he is going to drink while accidentally bragging about his money, and turns to leave the meeting. Hobson stands up and takes the bullet for Arthur, giving his humiliating introduction in his place. Arthur, touched, states if only she would drink in his place as well, he would be set.

Arthur goes to see Naomi at her house and tells her the truth – that he is engaged to Susan. Naomi then tells him to leave. Back home, Arthur calls for Hobson, only for Bitterman to come and tell him that she is in bed with a headache. Later, Hobson goes to Naomi and asks her to give Arthur another chance, but she again falls ill and is taken to a hospital. Naomi calls Arthur to tell him what has happened. He comes to the hospital, meets Naomi and is about to make up with her, but Susan arrives and tells Naomi that Arthur bought the publishing company that was working on her book. Upset, Naomi leaves the hospital. Hobson comes home and Arthur decides to be her caregiver, and the two begin to get along better. But a few days later, Hobson dies, and Arthur reverts back to alcoholism and partying to numb the pain of losing her, being dumped by Naomi and getting married to Susan.

At his wedding, Arthur gets drunk and finds Hobson's last letter to him which tells him to follow his heart. Arthur decides, during the vows, not to proceed with the marriage. Susan and her father become belligerent and begin punching him, which makes Vivienne realize that Susan is only after her company. She still wants her to be Arthur's wife, so she warns him that if he pursues Naomi, he will still be cut off. Arthur strips nearly naked to be rid of all dependency on his mother's money, and runs to Naomi's apartment, and tells her that he just lost his mum, referring to Hobson. She says she can't replace her. She is still upset with him and turns down his offer of getting back together.

Six months later, Arthur is now sober. He goes to a bookshop to buy Naomi's book – which she has dedicated to him – and sees an advertisement for her book reading at a library. Arthur goes to the library, and this time, she takes him back. Arthur gets back his inheritance because he manages the company's charity. The two leave the library and Bitterman drives them through the city in the Batmobile with the police following in pursuit.

Cast[link]

Russell Brand as Arthur Bach – a childish man who is to marry Susan in order to get his $950 million inheritance, but ends up falling in love with Naomi.

Helen Mirren as Lillian Hobson – Arthur's nanny who has been looking after Arthur since he was a child due to Vivienne being too busy with the family business.

Jennifer Garner as Susan Johnson – the woman Arthur is supposed to marry in order to get his inheritance.

Greta Gerwig as Naomi Quinn – a free-spirited tour guide and Arthur's real love interest.

Luis Guzmán as Bitterman – Arthur's chauffeur and best friend.

Nick Nolte as Burt Johnson – Susan's father and Arthur's nemesis.

Geraldine James as Vivienne Bach – Arthur's mother and the owner of Bach Worldwide, who will give her son his inheritance only if he marries Susan.

Evander Holyfield as himself

Jennie Eisenhower as Alexis

Christina Calph as Tiffany

John Hodgman as Dylan's Candy Bar Store Manager

Production[link]

In December 2008, Warner Bros. announced they were developing a remake of the 1981 film with Russell Brand to play the title character. In February 2009 it was announced that Peter Baynham, the writer of ''Borat'', was working on a script.

In March 2010 it was announced that Jason Winer, best known for directing episodes of ''Modern Family'', was chosen as director, making it his first feature film. Helen Mirren, who had previously worked with Brand in ''The Tempest'' (2010), joined the cast in April. Greta Gerwig was cast as Arthur's love interest in May, with Nick Nolte and Jennifer Garner joining the following month.

One scene takes place at Dylan's Candy Bar, a New York City candy store founded by New Yorker Dylan Lauren, the daughter of Ralph Lauren Also one was filmed in Union Station.

Russell Brand's clothing in the film was inspired by Lapo Elkann.

Release[link]

Box Office[link]

''Arthur'' finished third in the U.S. box office following its first week of release with an intake of $12,222,756 from 3,276 screens, opening in third place. It had its UK premiere at the O2 in London on 19 April. At the end of its 28-day release, the film earned $32,854,846 in the United States and $12,700,000 in other markets, for a worldwide total of $45,735,397.

Reception[link]

The movie received mixed reviews.Thelma Adams of ''Us Weekly'' called it "a laugh-out-loud romp – and [Russell Brand's] best screen role to date." Cinemablend stated "...despite all the odds against him [Russell Brand's] proved himself as a winning movie presence.." Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, stating that the film "is a fairly close remake of the great 1981 Dudley Moore movie, with pleasures of its own." Richard Roeper also enjoyed the film, giving it a "B", and although he thought parts of the film were difficult to understand, said, "The new ''Arthur'' is a likable comedy with a good heart." It received a 36 out of 100 rating on metacritic, which gave it the description of 'generally unfavorable'. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a score of 26% based on 174 reviews with an average score of 4.4/10.

Awards and Nominations[link]

2011 Teen Choice Awards

*Choice Movie: Actor Comedy - Russell Brand (nominated)

32nd Golden Raspberry Awards

*Worst Actor - Russell Brand (nominated)

*Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel (nominated)

References[link]

External links[link]

Category:2010s comedy-drama films Category:2011 films Category:English-language films Category:American comedy-drama films Category:American romantic comedy films Category:Directorial debut films Category:Film remakes Category:Films about alcoholism Category:Films set in New York City Category:Warner Bros. films

ca:Arthur (pel·lícula de 2011) de:Arthur (Film) es:Arthur (película de 2011) fa:آرتور (فیلم) fr:Arthur, un amour de milliardaire it:Arturo (film 2011) nl:Arthur (2011) pl:Arthur (film 2011) ru:Артур. Идеальный миллионер sv:Arthur (film)

Name	Nicolette Larson
Background	solo_singer
Born	July 17, 1952
Birth place	Helena, Montana
Died
Death place	Los Angeles, California
Instrument	VocalsGuitar
Genre	CountryPopLullaby
Occupation	Singer
Years active	1978–1997
Label	Warner Bros.MCA
Associated acts	Steve Wariner, Neil Young }}

Nicolette Larson (July 17, 1952 – December 16, 1997) was an American pop singer. She is perhaps best known for her work in the late 1970s with Neil Young, as well as her 1978 cover of Young's "Lotta Love". The song, her debut single, was a Number One Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks hit and #8 pop hit that year. It was followed by four more Adult Contemporary hits, two of which were also minor pop hits.

By 1985, she shifted her focus to country music, charting six times on the Hot Country Singles (now Hot Country Songs) charts. Her only Top 40 country hit was "That's How You Know When Love's Right", a duet with Steve Wariner. She died in 1997 of cerebral edema and liver failure.

Early life and career[link]

Nicolette Larson was born in Helena, Montana. Her father's employment with the U.S. Treasury Department necessitated frequent relocation for Larson's family. She graduated from high school in Kansas City, Missouri where Larson attended the University of Missouri for three semesters and also worked at waitressing and office jobs before giving in to the pursuit of a musical career she'd dreamed of since singing along to the radio as a child. Larson eventually settled in San Francisco where she worked in a record store; her volunteer work as support staff for the Golden Gate Country Bluegrass Festival brought encouragement for her vocal ambitions and she began performing in Bay Area showcases, eventually making her professional debut opening for Eric Andersen at a club in Vancouver BC. In 1975 Larson auditioned for Hoyt Axton who was producing Commander Cody with the result that Larson also performed with "Hoyt Axton and The Bananna Band" during their gig opening for Joan Baez on the 1975 "Diamonds and Rust" tour and accrued her first recording credit on the 1975 Commander Cody album ''Tales From the Ozone'': Larson would also provide background vocals for Commander Cody albums in 1977 and 1978. Other early session singing credits for Larson were for Hoyt Axton and Guy Clark in 1976 and in 1977 for Mary Kay Place, Rodney Crowell, Billy Joe Shaver, Jesse Colin Young, Jesse Winchester and Gary Stewart.

Larson's work with Emmylou Harris — the album ''Luxury Liner'' (1977) prominently showcased Larson on the cut "Hello Stranger" — led to her meeting Harris' associate and friend Linda Ronstadt who became friends with Larson. In the spring of 1977 Larson was at Ronstadt's Malibu home when neighbor Neil Young phoned to ask Ronstadt if she could recommend a female vocal accompanist, and Ronstadt suggested Larson, becoming the fifth person that day to put Larson's name forward to Young. Young came over to meet Larson who recalled: "Neil ran down all the songs he had just written, about twenty of them. We sang harmonies with him and he was jazzed."

The following week Ronstadt and Larson cut their vocals for Young's ''American Stars 'n Bars'' album at Young's La Honda ranch — the two women were billed on the album as the Saddlebags — and in November 1977 Young invited Larson to Nashville to sing on the sessions for his ''Comes a Time'' album, an assignment which led to Larson's being signed to Warner Brothers, an affiliate of Young's home label Reprise. Larson continued her session singing career into 1978 accruing credit on recordings by Marcia Ball, Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris' (''Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town'') and Norton Buffalo. Larson also contributed vocals to the Doobie Brothers' ''Minute by Minute'' whose producer Ted Templeman would be responsible for Larson's debut album ''Nicolette''.

1978–1983[link]

Larson's work with Commander Cody had led to her being signed to the C&W; division of Warner Bros. Records. However her debut album ''Nicolette'', released September 29, 1978, was an eclectic mix of rock, C&W; and R&B; which recalled Maria Muldaur's eponymous debut from 1973. Despite the release of her album so late in the year, Larson was acclaimed Female Vocalist of 1978 by ''Rolling Stone'' who opined no one else could sound as if she were having so much fun on an album and ''Nicolette'' reached #15 on Billboard's album chart aided by the hit single "Lotta Love" a Neil Young composition. Larson's "Lotta Love" peaked at #8 the week of 10 February 1979, the same week the single off ''Comes a Time'': "Four Strong Winds" a duet with an unbilled (on the single) Larson, debuted on the Hot 100 on its way to a #61 peak. (A track from the ''Comes a Time'' sessions featuring Larson: "Sail Away", was included on the otherwise live Neil Young album ''Rust Never Sleeps'' released in 1979.)

Warner Brothers also issued the limited edition (50000 copies) promo-only ''Live at the Roxy'' album comprising a December 20, 1978 concert given by Larson at the Sunset Boulevard nightclub. Larson was also featured on the ''No Nukes'' album recorded in September 1979 at Madison Square Garden backed by the Doobie Brothers in her performance of "Lotta Love"; Larson can be seen in the ''No Nukes'' film but her performance was not included.

Like Maria Muldaur, Larson would be unable to consolidate the commercial success augured by her debut: the second single off ''Nicolette'', "Rhumba Girl"¹ just missed becoming a major hit for Larson at #48 and her second album ''In the Nick of Time'' released November 1979 failed to showcase Larson's voice attractively. Don Shewey in ''Rolling Stone'' opined: "Larson's rough-edged, down-home tone is definitely appealing — especially when she backs up the likes of Neil Young and Steve Goodman [whose ''High and Outside'' album featured a duet with Larson: "The One That Got Away"] — but as a soloist, her limited vocal resources are "severely taxed" — "It's symptomatic of Nicolette Larson's problems as a performer that the finest singing on ''In the Nick of Time'' is by Michael McDonald. 'Let Me Go, Love'...McDonald's entrancing vocal presence...so overshadows Larson's that she seems to be playing second fiddle rather than sharing the lead. Elsewhere, Larson is dwarfed by Ted Templeman's typically luxurious production".

Released as the album's lead single "Let Me Go Love" was only a peripheral hit reaching #35 in February 1980 — that year Larson would be heard more on the airwaves via guest appearances on "Say You'll Be Mine" by Christopher Cross and the Dirt Band's "Make a Little Magic". Larson had enough residual popularity from her debut for ''In the Nick of Time'' to become a moderate success. However without the boost of a major hit Larson's commercial decline was evidenced by the muted impact of her 1981 and 1982 album releases: ''Radioland'', which was her last album produced by Templeman, and ''All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go'' even though both releases showed Larson back in strong vocal form. Larson almost had a hit with her remake of "I Only Want to Be With You" (#53) perhaps the least effective track on ''All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go''; that album was produced by Andrew Gold.

Larson had continued her session singing career accruing credits on releases by Tom Johnston, Linda Ronstadt (''Mad Love''), Graham Nash, John Stewart, Albert Hammond and Rita Coolidge. Larson again backed the Doobie Brothers on their ''One Step Closer'' album - she can be heard on the hit "Real Love" - and a song Larson co-wrote with John McFee and Patrick Simmons entitled "Can't Let It Get Away" was a 1981 single release for the Doobie Brothers in Japan; the song was also featured on the Doobie Brothers' ''Farewell Tour'' album (1983). Larson also contributed a harmony vocal on the track "Could This Be Magic" on the Van Halen album ''Women and Children First'' (1980) to thank Eddie Van Halen for contributing a guitar solo to the ''Nicolette'' album track "Can't Get Away From You" against David Lee Roth's wishes. (Larson would be the maid of honor at Eddie Van Halen's marriage to Valerie Bertinelli.)

Larson's recording of the Burt Bacharach/Carole Bayer Sager song "Fool Me Again" was featured on the bestselling soundtrack album for the 1981 film ''Arthur'' despite not being heard in the film: Larson was also featured on the soundtrack album for ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' (1983) with the track "Summer Hearts".

¹"Rhumba Girl" was written by Jesse Winchester who introduced it as "Rhumba Man" on his ''Nothing But a Breeze'' album; although Larson had been a session singer on ''Nothing But a Breeze'' she had not sung on "Rhumba Man" first hearing the song at a live performance by Winchester.

1983–1997[link]

Larson's appearance in a touring production of the C&W; musical ''Pump Boys and Dinettes'' garnered enough positive reaction for MCA Nashville to sign her in 1983: the Nashville music community was so enthused about Larson's C&W; cross-over that the Academy of Country Music named her the Best New Female Vocalist in 1984 before she'd had any MCA Nashville releases. In fact Larson's MCA debut ''...Say When'' was not released until 1985 and the C&W; career it ushered in proved anti-climactic with only one of Larson's six MCA single releases becoming a significant hit: her duet with Steve Wariner entitled "That's How You Know When Love's Right" — taken from the April 1986 album release ''Rose of My Heart'' — reached #9 C&W.; Larson's MCA albums — produced by Emory Gordy, Jr. and Tony Brown — attracted little critical attention: in a ''Stereo Review'' critique headed "No No Nicolette" which characterized Larson as a faded Pop star for whom C&W; music represented "the Last Chance Saloon", Alanna Nash opined Larson sounded as if she were reading lyrics off cue cards. Nash's review of ''Rose of My Heart'' — in which Nash stated her earlier review had drawn a response from Larson's manager implying Nash had taken "etiquette lessons from the Marquis de Sade" — granted that Larson's interpretive skills showed improvement.

Larson's final mainstream album release was ''Shadows of Love'' a 1988 recording made for the Italian CGD label and produced by Carlo Stretti and Ernesto Taberelli. In 1990 Larson participated in the Festival di Sanremo duetting with Grazia Di Michele on the song "Me and My Father".

Larson's final album was the self-produced ''Sleep, Baby, Sleep'' comprising music for children and released on Sony in 1994.

Larson's further session vocal credits comprised work with Paul Barrere and the Bluesbusters, Jimmy Buffett, Carlene Carter, Robert Forman, the Georgia Satellites, Marc Jordan, Troy Newman, Dolly Parton, Guthrie Thomas and "Weird Al" Yankovic. In 1992 Larson reunited professionally with Neil Young to sing on his ''Harvest Moon'' album; in 1993 Larson was featured on Young's ''Unplugged''. Larson also provided vocal accompaniment on "The Little Drummer Boy" and "Greensleeves" the two tracks Neil Young contributed to ''Seven Gates: A Christmas Album by Ben Keith and Friends'' (1994).

In 1988, Larson contributed to the soundtracks of the films ''Renegade'' and ''Twins'' with respectively the tracks "Let Me Be the One" and "I'd Die For this Dance"; the latter was performed live onscreen by Larson accompanied by Jeff Beck.

Larson also contributed to the seasonal albums ''Tennessee Christmas '' (1987) with "One Bright Star", ''Acoustic Christmas'' (1988) with "Christmas is a Time for Giving" and ''Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'' (1989) with "Nothing But a Child" and "One Bright Star".

While it was recorded in 1978, ''Live at the Roxy'' was given its first full release in 2006. It was released by Rhino.

Personal life[link]

Through her early work with Emmylou Harris, Larson met guitarist/songwriter Hank DeVito with a resultant marriage and divorce. In the early 1980s, Larson was engaged to Andrew Gold, an affiance which ended soon after the completion of Larson's 1982 album release ''All Dressed Up and No Place to Go'' which Gold had produced. Larson was married to legendary session drummer Russ Kunkel from 1990 until her death; the couple's daughter Elsie May Larson-Kunkel was born in 1990.

Death[link]

Larson died on December 16, 1997 in Los Angeles as a result of complications arising from cerebral edema triggered by liver failure. According to her friend Astrid Young, Larson had been showing symptoms of depression and her fatal seizure "was in no small way related to her chronic use of Valium and Tylenol PM".

Larson is buried in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.

A benefit concert was held in Larson's honor the following February, with tribute concerts staged on the tenth anniversary of her death in December 2007 and also the following year.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

{|class="wikitable" !rowspan="2"|Year !rowspan="2"|Album !colspan="3"|Chart Positions !colspan="2"|Certifications |- !width="50"|US !width="50"|US Country !width="50"|CAN !RIAA !CRIA |- |1978 |''Nicolette'' |align="center"|15 |align="center"| |align="center"|1 |align="center"|Gold |align="center"|Gold |- |1979 |''In the Nick of Time'' |align="center"|47 |align="center"| |align="center"|71 | | |- |1979 |''Live At The Roxy'' (only as Promo) |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| | | |- |1981 |''Radioland'' |align="center"|62 |align="center"| |align="center"| | | |- |1982 |''All Dressed Up & No Place To Go'' |align="center"|75 |align="center"| |align="center"| | | |- |1985 |''...Say When'' |align="center"| |align="center"|48 |align="center"| | | |- |1986 |''Rose of My Heart'' |align="center"| |align="center"|40 |align="center"| | | |- |1987 |''Shadows of Love'' |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| | | |- |1994 |''Sleep, Baby, Sleep'' |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| | | |- |1999 |''The Very Best of Nicolette Larson'' |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| | | |- |2006 |''A Tribute to Nicolette Larson: Lotta Love Concert'' |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| | | |- |2006 |''Live At The Roxy'' (recorded in 1979) |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| | | |}

Singles[link]

{|class="wikitable" !rowspan="2"|Year !rowspan="2"|Single !colspan="6"|Chart Positions !rowspan="2"|Album |- !width="45"|US Country !width="45"|US !width="45"|US AC !width="45"|CAN Country !width="45"|CAN !width="45"|CAN AC |- |1978 |"Lotta Love" |align="center"| |align="center"|8 |align="center"|1 |align="center"| |align="center"|4 |align="center"|1 |rowspan=3|''Nicolette'' |- |rowspan=3|1979 |"Rhumba Girl" |align="center"| |align="center"|47 |align="center"|38 |align="center"| |align="center"|15 |align="center"|4 |- |"Give a Little" |align="center"| |align="center"|104 |align="center"|19 |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |- |"Let Me Go, Love"^A |align="center"| |align="center"|35 |align="center"|9 |align="center"| |align="center"|85 |align="center"|32 |rowspan=3|''In the Nick of Time'' |- |rowspan=2|1980 |"Dancin' Jones" |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |- |"Back in My Arms" |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |- |rowspan=4|1981 |"Ooo-Eee" |align="center"| |align="center"|110 |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |rowspan=3|''Radioland'' |- |"When You Come Around" |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |- |"Radioland" |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |- |"Fool Me Again" |align="center"| |align="center"|105 |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |''Arthur'' (soundtrack) |- |1982 |"I Only Want to Be With You" |align="center"| |align="center"|53 |align="center"|15 |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"|8 |''All Dressed Up & No Place To Go'' |- |rowspan=3|1985 |"Only Love Will Make Love Right" |align="center"|42 |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"|33 |align="center"| |align="center"| |rowspan=3|''...Say When'' |- |"When You Get a Little Lonely" |align="center"|46 |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"|41 |align="center"| |align="center"| |- |"Building Bridges" |align="center"|72 |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |- |rowspan=3|1986 |"Let Me Be the First" |align="center"|63 |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |rowspan=3|''Rose of My Heart'' |- |"That's How You Know When Love's Right" (w/ Steve Wariner) |align="center"|9 |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"|9 |align="center"| |align="center"| |- |"That's More About Love (Than I Wanted to Know)" |align="center"|49 |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |align="center"| |}

^A Reached #96 on the Black Singles chart.

References[link]

External links[link]

Nicolette Larson memorial and tribute website

Find A Grave Profile

Performing with Neil Young (Farm Aid 1986)

Lotta Love - A Tribute to Nicolette Larson (MySpace)

Category:1952 births Category:1997 deaths Category:American country singers Category:American female singers Category:Deaths from edema Category:Disease-related deaths in California Category:Musicians from Montana Category:People from Helena, Montana

de:Nicolette Larson fr:Nicolette Larson it:Nicolette Larson nn:Nicolette Larson pt:Nicolette Larson

Arthur Bloch (born 1948) is an American writer, author of the Murphy's Law books. He has also written a self-help satire called ''Healing Yourself with Wishful Thinking''. Since 1986 he has been the producer/director of the ''Thinking Allowed'' PBS television series.

The proper title of the book is ''Murphy's Law, and Other Reasons Why Things Go WRONG!''. The word 'Wrong' is printed upside-down on the book's cover (for obvious reasons).

References [link]

Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:American humorists

it:Arthur Bloch hu:Arthur Bloch

King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and his historical existence is debated and disputed by modern historians. The sparse historical background of Arthur is gleaned from various sources, including the ''Annales Cambriae'', the ''Historia Brittonum'', and the writings of Gildas. Arthur's name also occurs in early poetic sources such as ''Y Gododdin''.

The legendary Arthur developed as a figure of international interest largely through the popularity of Geoffrey of Monmouth's fanciful and imaginative 12th-century ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' (''History of the Kings of Britain''). Some Welsh and Breton tales and poems relating the story of Arthur date from earlier than this work; in these works, Arthur appears either as a great warrior defending Britain from human and supernatural enemies or as a magical figure of folklore, sometimes associated with the Welsh Otherworld, Annwn. How much of Geoffrey's ''Historia'' (completed in 1138) was adapted from such earlier sources, rather than invented by Geoffrey himself, is unknown.

Although the themes, events and characters of the Arthurian legend varied widely from text to text, and there is no one canonical version, Geoffrey's version of events often served as the starting point for later stories. Geoffrey depicted Arthur as a king of Britain who defeated the Saxons and established an empire over Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Norway and Gaul. Many elements and incidents that are now an integral part of the Arthurian story appear in Geoffrey's ''Historia'', including Arthur's father Uther Pendragon, the wizard Merlin, Arthur's wife Guinevere, the sword Excalibur, Arthur's conception at Tintagel, his final battle against Mordred at Camlann and final rest in Avalon. The 12th-century French writer Chrétien de Troyes, who added Lancelot and the Holy Grail to the story, began the genre of Arthurian romance that became a significant strand of medieval literature. In these French stories, the narrative focus often shifts from King Arthur himself to other characters, such as various Knights of the Round Table. Arthurian literature thrived during the Middle Ages but waned in the centuries that followed until it experienced a major resurgence in the 19th century. In the 21st century, the legend lives on, not only in literature but also in adaptations for theatre, film, television, comics and other media. However, the Arthur in films and television is clearly depicted as living during a much later period – the costumes used in such dramatizations resemble those of people living in the 12th century more than they do those used during the 5th or 6th.

Debated historicity[link]

The first datable mention of King Arthur is in a 9th century Latin text. The ''Historia Brittonum'', a 9th-century Latin historical compilation attributed in some late manuscripts to a Welsh cleric called Nennius, lists twelve battles that Arthur fought. These culminate in the Battle of Mons Badonicus, or Mount Badon, where he is said to have single-handedly killed 960 men. Recent studies, however, question the reliability of the ''Historia Brittonum''. The historical basis for the King Arthur legend has long been debated by scholars. One school of thought, citing entries in the ''Historia Brittonum'' (''History of the Britons'') and ''Annales Cambriae'' (''Welsh Annals''), sees Arthur as a genuine historical figure, a Romano-British leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons sometime in the late 5th to early 6th century.

The other text that seems to support the case for Arthur's historical existence is the 10th-century ''Annales Cambriae'', which also link Arthur with the Battle of Mount Badon. The ''Annales'' date this battle to 516–518, and also mention the Battle of Camlann, in which Arthur and Medraut (Mordred) were both killed, dated to 537–539. These details have often been used to bolster confidence in the ''Historia'''s account and to confirm that Arthur really did fight at Mount Badon. Problems have been identified, however, with using this source to support the ''Historia Brittonum'''s account. The latest research shows that the ''Annales Cambriae'' was based on a chronicle begun in the late 8th century in Wales. Additionally, the complex textual history of the ''Annales Cambriae'' precludes any certainty that the Arthurian annals were added to it even that early. They were more likely added at some point in the 10th century and may never have existed in any earlier set of annals. The Mount Badon entry probably derived from the ''Historia Brittonum''.

This lack of convincing early evidence is the reason many recent historians exclude Arthur from their accounts of sub-Roman Britain. In the view of historian Thomas Charles-Edwards, "at this stage of the enquiry, one can only say that there may well have been an historical Arthur [but ...] the historian can as yet say nothing of value about him". These modern admissions of ignorance are a relatively recent trend; earlier generations of historians were less sceptical. Historian John Morris made the putative reign of Arthur the organising principle of his history of sub-Roman Britain and Ireland, ''The Age of Arthur'' (1973). Even so, he found little to say about a historical Arthur.

Partly in reaction to such theories, another school of thought emerged which argued that Arthur had no historical existence at all. Morris's ''Age of Arthur'' prompted archaeologist Nowell Myres to observe that "no figure on the borderline of history and mythology has wasted more of the historian's time". Gildas' 6th-century polemic ''De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae'' (''On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain''), written within living memory of Mount Badon, mentions the battle but does not mention Arthur. Arthur is not mentioned in the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' or named in any surviving manuscript written between 400 and 820. He is absent from Bede's early 8th-century ''Ecclesiastical History of the English People'', another major early source for post-Roman history that mentions Mount Badon. Historian David Dumville has written: "I think we can dispose of him [Arthur] quite briefly. He owes his place in our history books to a 'no smoke without fire' school of thought ... The fact of the matter is that there is no historical evidence about Arthur; we must reject him from our histories and, above all, from the titles of our books."

Some scholars argue that Arthur was originally a fictional hero of folklore—or even a half-forgotten Celtic deity—who became credited with real deeds in the distant past. They cite parallels with figures such as the Kentish totemic horse-gods Hengest and Horsa, who later became historicised. Bede ascribed to these legendary figures a historical role in the 5th-century Anglo-Saxon conquest of eastern Britain. It is not even certain that Arthur was considered a king in the early texts. Neither the ''Historia'' nor the ''Annales'' calls him "''rex''": the former calls him instead "''dux bellorum''" (leader of battles) and "''miles''" (soldier).

Historical documents for the post-Roman period are scarce, so a definitive answer to the question of Arthur's historical existence is unlikely. Sites and places have been identified as "Arthurian" since the 12th century, but archaeology can confidently reveal names only through inscriptions found in secure contexts. The so-called "Arthur stone", discovered in 1998 among the ruins at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall in securely dated 6th-century contexts, created a brief stir but proved irrelevant. Other inscriptional evidence for Arthur, including the Glastonbury cross, is tainted with the suggestion of forgery. Although several historical figures have been proposed as the basis for Arthur, no convincing evidence for these identifications has emerged.

Name[link]

The origin of the name Arthur remains a matter of debate. Some suggest it is derived from the Roman ''nomen gentile'' (family name) ''Artōrius'', of obscure and contested etymology (but possibly of Messapic or Etruscan origin). Some scholars have suggested it is relevant to this debate that the legendary King Arthur's name only appears as ''Arthur'', or ''Arturus'', in early Latin Arthurian texts, never as ''Artōrius'' (though it should be noted that Classical Latin Artōrius became Arturius in some Vulgar Latin dialects). However, this may not say anything about the origin of the name ''Arthur'', as ''Artōrius'' would regularly become ''Art(h)ur'' when borrowed into Welsh.

Another possibility is that it is derived from a Brittonic patronym ''*Arto-rīg-ios'' (the root of which, ''*arto-rīg-'' "bear-king" is to be found in the Old Irish personal name ''Art-ri'') via a Latinized form Artōrius. Less likely is the commonly proposed derivation from Welsh ''arth'' "bear" + (g)wr "man" (earlier ''*Arto-uiros'' in Brittonic); there are phonological difficulties with this theory—notably that a Brittonic compound name ''*Arto-uiros'' should produce Old Welsh ''*Artgur'' and Middle/Modern Welsh ''*Arthwr'' and not ''Arthur'' (in Welsh poetry the name is always spelled ''Arthur'' and is exclusively rhymed with words ending in ''-ur'' - never words ending in ''-wr'' - which confirms that the second element cannot be ''[g]wr'' "man").

An alternative theory, which has gained only limited acceptance among professional scholars, derives the name Arthur from Arcturus, the brightest star in the constellation Boötes, near Ursa Major or the Great Bear. Classical Latin ''Arcturus'' would also have become ''Art(h)ur'' when borrowed into Welsh, and its brightness and position in the sky led people to regard it as the "guardian of the bear" (which is the meaning of the name in Ancient Greek) and the "leader" of the other stars in Boötes.

A similar first name is Old Irish ''Artúr'', which is believed to be derived directly from an early Old Welsh or Cumbric ''Artur''. The earliest historically attested bearer of the name is a son or grandson of Áedán mac Gabráin (d. AD 609).

Medieval literary traditions[link]

The creator of the familiar literary persona of Arthur was Geoffrey of Monmouth, with his pseudo-historical ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' (''History of the Kings of Britain''), written in the 1130s. The textual sources for Arthur are usually divided into those written before Geoffrey's ''Historia'' (known as pre-Galfridian texts, from the Latin form of Geoffrey, ''Galfridus'') and those written afterwards, which could not avoid his influence (Galfridian, or post-Galfridian, texts).

Pre-Galfridian traditions[link]

The earliest literary references to Arthur come from Welsh and Breton sources. There have been few attempts to define the nature and character of Arthur in the pre-Galfridian tradition as a whole, rather than in a single text or text/story-type. One recent academic survey that does attempt this, by Thomas Green, identifies three key strands to the portrayal of Arthur in this earliest material. The first is that he was a peerless warrior who functioned as the monster-hunting protector of Britain from all internal and external threats. Some of these are human threats, such as the Saxons he fights in the ''Historia Brittonum'', but the majority are supernatural, including giant cat-monsters, destructive divine boars, dragons, dogheads, giants and witches. The second is that the pre-Galfridian Arthur was a figure of folklore (particularly topographic or onomastic folklore) and localised magical wonder-tales, the leader of a band of superhuman heroes who live in the wilds of the landscape. The third and final strand is that the early Welsh Arthur had a close connection with the Welsh Otherworld, Annwn. On the one hand, he launches assaults on Otherworldly fortresses in search of treasure and frees their prisoners. On the other, his warband in the earliest sources includes former pagan gods, and his wife and his possessions are clearly Otherworldly in origin.

One of the most famous Welsh poetic references to Arthur comes in the collection of heroic death-songs known as ''Y Gododdin'' (''The Gododdin''), attributed to the 6th-century poet Aneirin. In one stanza, the bravery of a warrior who slew 300 enemies is praised, but it is then noted that despite this "he was no Arthur", that is to say his feats cannot compare to the valour of Arthur. ''Y Gododdin'' is known only from a 13th-century manuscript, so it is impossible to determine whether this passage is original or a later interpolation, but John Koch's view that the passage dates from a 7th-century or earlier version is regarded as unproven; 9th- or 10th-century dates are often proposed for it. Several poems attributed to Taliesin, a poet said to have lived in the 6th century, also refer to Arthur, although these all probably date from between the 8th and 12th centuries. They include "Kadeir Teyrnon" ("The Chair of the Prince"), which refers to "Arthur the Blessed", "Preiddeu Annwn" ("The Spoils of Annwn"), which recounts an expedition of Arthur to the Otherworld, and "Marwnat vthyr pen[dragon]" ("The Elegy of Uther Pen[dragon]"), which refers to Arthur's valour and is suggestive of a father-son relationship for Arthur and Uther that pre-dates Geoffrey of Monmouth. Other early Welsh Arthurian texts include a poem found in the ''Black Book of Carmarthen'', "Pa gur yv y porthaur?" ("What man is the gatekeeper?"). This takes the form of a dialogue between Arthur and the gatekeeper of a fortress he wishes to enter, in which Arthur recounts the names and deeds of himself and his men, notably Cei (Kay) and Bedwyr (Bedivere). The Welsh prose tale ''Culhwch and Olwen'' (c. 1100), included in the modern Mabinogion collection, has a much longer list of more than 200 of Arthur's men, though Cei and Bedwyr again take a central place. The story as a whole tells of Arthur helping his kinsman Culhwch win the hand of Olwen, daughter of Ysbaddaden Chief-Giant, by completing a series of apparently impossible tasks, including the hunt for the great semi-divine boar Twrch Trwyth. The 9th-century ''Historia Brittonum'' also refers to this tale, with the boar there named Troy(n)t. Finally, Arthur is mentioned numerous times in the ''Welsh Triads'', a collection of short summaries of Welsh tradition and legend which are classified into groups of three linked characters or episodes in order to assist recall. The later manuscripts of the Triads are partly derivative from Geoffrey of Monmouth and later continental traditions, but the earliest ones show no such influence and are usually agreed to refer to pre-existing Welsh traditions. Even in these, however, Arthur's court has started to embody legendary Britain as a whole, with "Arthur's Court" sometimes substituted for "The Island of Britain" in the formula "Three XXX of the Island of Britain". While it is not clear from the ''Historia Brittonum'' and the ''Annales Cambriae'' that Arthur was even considered a king, by the time ''Culhwch and Olwen'' and the Triads were written he had become ''Penteyrnedd yr Ynys hon'', "Chief of the Lords of this Island", the overlord of Wales, Cornwall and the North.

In addition to these pre-Galfridian Welsh poems and tales, Arthur appears in some other early Latin texts besides the ''Historia Brittonum'' and the ''Annales Cambriae''. In particular, Arthur features in a number of well-known ''vitae'' ("Lives") of post-Roman saints, none of which are now generally considered to be reliable historical sources (the earliest probably dates from the 11th century). According to the ''Life of Saint Gildas'', written in the early 12th century by Caradoc of Llancarfan, Arthur is said to have killed Gildas' brother Hueil and to have rescued his wife Gwenhwyfar from Glastonbury. In the ''Life of Saint Cadoc'', written around 1100 or a little before by Lifris of Llancarfan, the saint gives protection to a man who killed three of Arthur's soldiers, and Arthur demands a herd of cattle as ''wergeld'' for his men. Cadoc delivers them as demanded, but when Arthur takes possession of the animals, they turn into bundles of ferns. Similar incidents are described in the medieval biographies of Carannog, Padarn and Eufflam, probably written around the 12th century. A less obviously legendary account of Arthur appears in the ''Legenda Sancti Goeznovii'', which is often claimed to date from the early 11th century although the earliest manuscript of this text dates from the 15th century. Also important are the references to Arthur in William of Malmesbury's ''De Gestis Regum Anglorum'' and Herman's ''De Miraculis Sanctae Mariae Laudensis'', which together provide the first certain evidence for a belief that Arthur was not actually dead and would at some point return, a theme that is often revisited in post-Galfridian folklore.

Geoffrey of Monmouth[link]

The first narrative account of Arthur's life is found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Latin work ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' (''History of the Kings of Britain''). This work, completed c. 1138, is an imaginative and fanciful account of British kings from the legendary Trojan exile Brutus to the 7th-century Welsh king Cadwallader. Geoffrey places Arthur in the same post-Roman period as do ''Historia Brittonum'' and ''Annales Cambriae''. He incorporates Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon, his magician advisor Merlin, and the story of Arthur's conception, in which Uther, disguised as his enemy Gorlois by Merlin's magic, sleeps with Gorlois's wife Igerna at Tintagel, and she conceives Arthur. On Uther's death, the fifteen-year-old Arthur succeeds him as King of Britain and fights a series of battles, similar to those in the ''Historia Brittonum'', culminating in the Battle of Bath. He then defeats the Picts and Scots before creating an Arthurian empire through his conquests of Ireland, Iceland and the Orkney Islands. After twelve years of peace, Arthur sets out to expand his empire once more, taking control of Norway, Denmark and Gaul. Gaul is still held by the Roman Empire when it is conquered, and Arthur's victory naturally leads to a further confrontation between his empire and Rome's. Arthur and his warriors, including Kaius (Kay), Beduerus (Bedivere) and Gualguanus (Gawain), defeat the Roman emperor Lucius Tiberius in Gaul but, as he prepares to march on Rome, Arthur hears that his nephew Modredus (Mordred)—whom he had left in charge of Britain—has married his wife Guenhuuara (Guinevere) and seized the throne. Arthur returns to Britain and defeats and kills Modredus on the river Camblam in Cornwall, but he is mortally wounded. He hands the crown to his kinsman Constantine and is taken to the isle of Avalon to be healed of his wounds, never to be seen again.

How much of this narrative was Geoffrey's own invention is open to debate. Certainly, Geoffrey seems to have made use of the list of Arthur's twelve battles against the Saxons found in the 9th-century ''Historia Brittonum'', along with the battle of Camlann from the ''Annales Cambriae'' and the idea that Arthur was still alive. Arthur's personal status as the king of all Britain would also seem to be borrowed from pre-Galfridian tradition, being found in ''Culhwch and Olwen'', the ''Triads'' and the Saints' Lives. In addition, many of the elements that Monmouth's King Arthur includes are strong parallels to "Culhwch and Olwen." The motifs and themes of loyalty, honor, giants, gift giving, wife-stealing, and magical creatures are prominent in both stories. Furthermore, Monmouth derived many of his character's names from "Culhwch and Olwen"; Sir Kay comes from "Kai"; Sir Bedivere is derived from "Bedwyr"; and lastly Sir Gawain is "Gwalchmei" in Welsh. Also, the heroines of both tales have similar names: the meaning of Guinever is "White Phantom", while Olwen equates with "of the white track." Finally, Geoffrey borrowed many of the names for Arthur's possessions, close family and companions from the pre-Galfridian Welsh tradition, including Kaius (Cei), Beduerus (Bedwyr), Guenhuuara (Gwenhwyfar), Uther (Uthyr) and perhaps also Caliburnus (Caledfwlch), the latter becoming Excalibur in subsequent Arthurian tales. However, while names, key events and titles may have been borrowed, Brynley Roberts has argued that "the Arthurian section is Geoffrey’s literary creation and it owes nothing to prior narrative." So, for instance, the Welsh Medraut is made the villainous Modredus by Geoffrey, but there is no trace of such a negative character for this figure in Welsh sources until the 16th century. There have been relatively few modern attempts to challenge this notion that the ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' is primarily Geoffrey's own work, with scholarly opinion often echoing William of Newburgh's late-12th-century comment that Geoffrey "made up" his narrative, perhaps through an "inordinate love of lying". Geoffrey Ashe is one dissenter from this view, believing that Geoffrey's narrative is partially derived from a lost source telling of the deeds of a 5th-century British king named Riotamus, this figure being the original Arthur, although historians and Celticists have been reluctant to follow Ashe in his conclusions.

Whatever his sources may have been, the immense popularity of Geoffrey's ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' cannot be denied. Well over 200 manuscript copies of Geoffrey’s Latin work are known to have survived, and this does not include translations into other languages. Thus, for example, around 60 manuscripts are extant containing Welsh-language versions of the ''Historia'', the earliest of which were created in the 13th century; the old notion that some of these Welsh versions actually underlie Geoffrey's ''Historia'', advanced by antiquarians such as the 18th-century Lewis Morris, has long since been discounted in academic circles. As a result of this popularity, Geoffrey's ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' was enormously influential on the later medieval development of the Arthurian legend. While it was by no means the only creative force behind Arthurian romance, many of its elements were borrowed and developed (e.g., Merlin and the final fate of Arthur), and it provided the historical framework into which the romancers' tales of magical and wonderful adventures were inserted.

Romance traditions[link]

The popularity of Geoffrey's ''Historia'' and its other derivative works (such as Wace's ''Roman de Brut'') is generally agreed to be an important factor in explaining the appearance of significant numbers of new Arthurian works in continental Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries, particularly in France. It was not, however, the only Arthurian influence on the developing "Matter of Britain". There is clear evidence for a knowledge of Arthur and Arthurian tales on the Continent before Geoffrey's work became widely known (see for example, the Modena Archivolt), as well as for the use of "Celtic" names and stories not found in Geoffrey's ''Historia'' in the Arthurian romances. From the perspective of Arthur, perhaps the most significant effect of this great outpouring of new Arthurian story was on the role of the king himself: much of this 12th-century and later Arthurian literature centres less on Arthur himself than on characters such as Lancelot and Guenevere, Perceval, Galahad, Gawain, and Tristan and Isolde. Whereas Arthur is very much at the centre of the pre-Galfridian material and Geoffrey's ''Historia'' itself, in the romances he is rapidly sidelined. His character also alters significantly. In both the earliest materials and Geoffrey he is a great and ferocious warrior, who laughs as he personally slaughters witches and giants and takes a leading role in all military campaigns, whereas in the continental romances he becomes the ''roi fainéant'', the "do-nothing king", whose "inactivity and acquiescence constituted a central flaw in his otherwise ideal society". Arthur's role in these works is frequently that of a wise, dignified, even-tempered, somewhat bland, and occasionally feeble monarch. So, he simply turns pale and silent when he learns of Lancelot's affair with Guinevere in the ''Mort Artu'', whilst in Chrétien de Troyes's ''Yvain, the Knight of the Lion'' he is unable to stay awake after a feast and has to retire for a nap. Nonetheless, as Norris J. Lacy has observed, whatever his faults and frailties may be in these Arthurian romances, "his prestige is never—or almost never—compromised by his personal weaknesses ... his authority and glory remain intact." Arthur and his retinue appear in some of the ''Lais'' of Marie de France, but it was the work of another French poet, Chrétien de Troyes, that had the greatest influence with regard to the above development of the character of Arthur and his legend. Chrétien wrote five Arthurian romances between c. 1170 and c. 1190. ''Erec and Enide'' and ''Cligès'' are tales of courtly love with Arthur's court as their backdrop, demonstrating the shift away from the heroic world of the Welsh and Galfridian Arthur, while ''Yvain, the Knight of the Lion'' features Yvain and Gawain in a supernatural adventure, with Arthur very much on the sidelines and weakened. However, the most significant for the development of the Arthurian legend are ''Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart'', which introduces Lancelot and his adulterous relationship with Arthur's queen (Guinevere), extending and popularizing the recurring theme of Arthur as a cuckold, and ''Perceval, the Story of the Grail'', which introduces the Holy Grail and the Fisher King and which again sees Arthur having a much reduced role. Chrétien was thus "instrumental both in the elaboration of the Arthurian legend and in the establishment of the ideal form for the diffusion of that legend", and much of what came after him in terms of the portrayal of Arthur and his world built upon the foundations he had laid. ''Perceval'', although unfinished, was particularly popular: four separate continuations of the poem appeared over the next half century, with the notion of the Grail and its quest being developed by other writers such as Robert de Boron, a fact that helped accelerate the decline of Arthur in continental romance. Similarly, Lancelot and his cuckolding of Arthur with Guinevere became one of the classic motifs of the Arthurian legend, although the Lancelot of the prose ''Lancelot'' (c. 1225) and later texts was a combination of Chrétien's character and that of Ulrich von Zatzikhoven's ''Lanzelet''. Chrétien's work even appears to feed back into Welsh Arthurian literature, with the result that the romance Arthur began to replace the heroic, active Arthur in Welsh literary tradition. Particularly significant in this development were the three Welsh Arthurian romances, which are closely similar to those of Chrétien, albeit with some significant differences: ''Owain, or the Lady of the Fountain'' is related to Chrétien's ''Yvain''; ''Geraint and Enid'', to ''Erec and Enide''; and ''Peredur son of Efrawg'', to ''Perceval''. Up to c. 1210, continental Arthurian romance was expressed primarily through poetry; after this date the tales began to be told in prose. The most significant of these 13th-century prose romances was the Vulgate Cycle (also known as the Lancelot-Grail Cycle), a series of five Middle French prose works written in the first half of that century. These works were the ''Estoire del Saint Grail'', the ''Estoire de Merlin'', the ''Lancelot propre'' (or Prose ''Lancelot'', which made up half the entire Vulgate Cycle on its own), the ''Queste del Saint Graal'' and the ''Mort Artu'', which combine to form the first coherent version of the entire Arthurian legend. The cycle continued the trend towards reducing the role played by Arthur in his own legend, partly through the introduction of the character of Galahad and an expansion of the role of Merlin. It also made Mordred the result of an incestuous relationship between Arthur and his sister and established the role of Camelot, first mentioned in passing in Chrétien's ''Lancelot'', as Arthur's primary court. This series of texts was quickly followed by the Post-Vulgate Cycle (c. 1230–40), of which the ''Suite du Merlin'' is a part, which greatly reduced the importance of Lancelot's affair with Guinevere but continued to sideline Arthur, now in order to focus more on the Grail quest. As such, Arthur became even more of a relatively minor character in these French prose romances; in the Vulgate itself he only figures significantly in the ''Estoire de Merlin'' and the ''Mort Artu''.

The development of the medieval Arthurian cycle and the character of the "Arthur of romance" culminated in ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', Thomas Malory's retelling of the entire legend in a single work in English in the late 15th century. Malory based his book—originally titled ''The Whole Book of King Arthur and of His Noble Knights of the Round Table''—on the various previous romance versions, in particular the Vulgate Cycle, and appears to have aimed at creating a comprehensive and authoritative collection of Arthurian stories. Perhaps as a result of this, and the fact that ''Le Morte D'Arthur'' was one of the earliest printed books in England, published by William Caxton in 1485, most later Arthurian works are derivative of Malory's.

Decline, revival, and the modern legend[link]

Post-medieval literature[link]

The end of the Middle Ages brought with it a waning of interest in King Arthur. Although Malory's English version of the great French romances was popular, there were increasing attacks upon the truthfulness of the historical framework of the Arthurian romances—established since Geoffrey of Monmouth's time—and thus the legitimacy of the whole Matter of Britain. So, for example, the 16th-century humanist scholar Polydore Vergil famously rejected the claim that Arthur was the ruler of a post-Roman empire, found throughout the post-Galfridian medieval "chronicle tradition", to the horror of Welsh and English antiquarians. Social changes associated with the end of the medieval period and the Renaissance also conspired to rob the character of Arthur and his associated legend of some of their power to enthral audiences, with the result that 1634 saw the last printing of Malory's ''Le Morte d'Arthur'' for nearly 200 years. King Arthur and the Arthurian legend were not entirely abandoned, but until the early 19th century the material was taken less seriously and was often used simply as vehicle for allegories of 17th- and 18th-century politics. Thus Richard Blackmore's epics ''Prince Arthur'' (1695) and ''King Arthur'' (1697) feature Arthur as an allegory for the struggles of William III against James II. Similarly, the most popular Arthurian tale throughout this period seems to have been that of Tom Thumb, which was told first through chapbooks and later through the political plays of Henry Fielding; although the action is clearly set in Arthurian Britain, the treatment is humorous and Arthur appears as a primarily comedic version of his romance character.

John Dryden's masque ''King Arthur'' is still performed, largely thanks to Henry Purcell's music, though seldom unabridged.

Tennyson and the revival[link]

In the early 19th century, medievalism, Romanticism, and the Gothic Revival reawakened interest in Arthur and the medieval romances. A new code of ethics for 19th-century gentlemen was shaped around the chivalric ideals that the "Arthur of romance" embodied. This renewed interest first made itself felt in 1816, when Malory's ''Le Morte d'Arthur'' was reprinted for the first time since 1634. Initially the medieval Arthurian legends were of particular interest to poets, inspiring, for example, William Wordsworth to write "The Egyptian Maid" (1835), an allegory of the Holy Grail. Pre-eminent among these was Alfred Lord Tennyson, whose first Arthurian poem, "The Lady of Shalott", was published in 1832. Although Arthur himself played a minor role in some of these works, following in the medieval romance tradition, Tennyson's Arthurian work reached its peak of popularity with ''Idylls of the King'', which reworked the entire narrative of Arthur's life for the Victorian era. First published in 1859, it sold 10,000 copies within the first week. In the ''Idylls'', Arthur became a symbol of ideal manhood whose attempt to establish a perfect kingdom on earth fails, finally, through human weakness. Tennyson's works prompted a large number of imitators, generated considerable public interest in the legends of Arthur and the character himself, and brought Malory’s tales to a wider audience. Indeed, the first modernization of Malory's great compilation of Arthur's tales was published shortly after ''Idylls'' appeared, in 1862, and there were six further editions and five competitors before the century ended.

This interest in the "Arthur of romance" and his associated stories continued through the 19th century and into the 20th, and influenced poets such as William Morris and Pre-Raphaelite artists including Edward Burne-Jones. Even the humorous tale of Tom Thumb, which had been the primary manifestation of Arthur's legend in the 18th century, was rewritten after the publication of ''Idylls''. While Tom maintained his small stature and remained a figure of comic relief, his story now included more elements from the medieval Arthurian romances, and Arthur is treated more seriously and historically in these new versions. The revived Arthurian romance also proved influential in the United States, with such books as Sidney Lanier's ''The Boy's King Arthur'' (1880) reaching wide audiences and providing inspiration for Mark Twain's satiric ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' (1889). Although the "Arthur of romance" was sometimes central to these new Arthurian works (as he was in Burne-Jones's ''The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon'', 1881–1898), on other occasions he reverted back to his medieval status and is either marginalised or even missing entirely, with Wagner's Arthurian operas providing a notable instance of the latter. Furthermore, the revival of interest in Arthur and the Arthurian tales did not continue unabated. By the end of the 19th century, it was confined mainly to Pre-Raphaelite imitators, and it could not avoid being affected by the First World War, which damaged the reputation of chivalry and thus interest in its medieval manifestations and Arthur as chivalric role model. The romance tradition did, however, remain sufficiently powerful to persuade Thomas Hardy, Laurence Binyon and John Masefield to compose Arthurian plays, and T. S. Eliot alludes to the Arthur myth (but not Arthur) in his poem ''The Waste Land'', which mentions the Fisher King.

Modern legend[link]

In the latter half of the 20th century, the influence of the romance tradition of Arthur continued, through novels such as T. H. White's ''The Once and Future King'' (1958) and Marion Zimmer Bradley's ''The Mists of Avalon'' (1982) in addition to comic strips such as ''Prince Valiant'' (from 1937 onward). Tennyson had reworked the romance tales of Arthur to suit and comment upon the issues of his day, and the same is often the case with modern treatments too. Bradley's tale, for example, takes a feminist approach to Arthur and his legend, in contrast to the narratives of Arthur found in medieval materials, and American authors often rework the story of Arthur to be more consistent with values such as equality and democracy. The romance Arthur has become popular in film and theatre as well. T. H. White's novel was adapted into the Lerner-Loewe stage musical ''Camelot'' (1960) and the Disney animated film ''The Sword in the Stone'' (1963); ''Camelot'', with its focus on the love of Lancelot and Guinevere and the cuckolding of Arthur, was itself made into a film of the same name in 1967. The romance tradition of Arthur is particularly evident and, according to critics, successfully handled in Robert Bresson's ''Lancelot du Lac'' (1974), Eric Rohmer's ''Perceval le Gallois'' (1978) and perhaps John Boorman's fantasy film ''Excalibur'' (1981); it is also the main source of the material utilised in the Arthurian spoof ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail'' (1975).

Re-tellings and re-imaginings of the romance tradition are not the only important aspect of the modern legend of King Arthur. Attempts to portray Arthur as a genuine historical figure of c. 500 AD, stripping away the "romance", have also emerged. As Taylor and Brewer have noted, this return to the medieval "chronicle tradition"' of Geoffrey of Monmouth and the ''Historia Brittonum'' is a recent trend which became dominant in Arthurian literature in the years following the outbreak of the Second World War, when Arthur's legendary resistance to Germanic invaders struck a chord in Britain. Clemence Dane's series of radio plays, ''The Saviours'' (1942), used a historical Arthur to embody the spirit of heroic resistance against desperate odds, and Robert Sherriff's play ''The Long Sunset'' (1955) saw Arthur rallying Romano-British resistance against the Germanic invaders. This trend towards placing Arthur in a historical setting is also apparent in historical and fantasy novels published during this period. In recent years the portrayal of Arthur as a real hero of the 5th century has also made its way into film versions of the Arthurian legend, most notably the TV series ''Arthur of the Britons'' and the feature films ''King Arthur'' (2004) and ''The Last Legion'' (2007). The 2008 BBC series ''Merlin'' is a reimagining of the legend in which the future King Arthur and Merlin are young contemporaries. ''Camelot'' (2011) is an exclusive short series of episodes which depict Arthur in ancient Briton and his struggle for the throne. Also, a recent Disney film, ''Avalon High'' has been released, the story about a modern day King Arthur and his knights of the round table.

Legacy as a role model[link]

During the Middle Ages, Arthur was made a member of the Nine Worthies, a group of heroes encapsulating all the ideal qualities of chivalry. His life was thus proposed as a valuable subject for study by those aspiring to chivalric status. This aspect of Arthur in the Nine Worthies was popularised firstly through literature and was thereafter adopted as a frequent subject by painters and sculptors. Arthur has also been used as a model for modern-day behaviour. In the 1930s, the Order of the Fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table was formed in Britain to promote Christian ideals and Arthurian notions of medieval chivalry. In the United States, hundreds of thousands of boys and girls joined Arthurian youth groups, such as the Knights of King Arthur, in which Arthur and his legends were promoted as wholesome exemplars.

Legacy in popular culture[link]

Arthur's diffusion within contemporary culture goes beyond obviously Arthurian endeavours, with Arthurian names being regularly attached to objects, buildings and places. As Norris J. Lacy has observed, "The popular notion of Arthur appears to be limited, not surprisingly, to a few motifs and names, but there can be no doubt of the extent to which a legend born many centuries ago is profoundly embedded in modern culture at every level."

See also[link]

Historical basis for King Arthur

King Arthur's family

King Arthur's messianic return

Excalibur and Clarent, King Arthur's weapons

List of Arthurian characters

List of books about King Arthur

List of films based on Arthurian legend

Nine Worthies, of which Arthur was one

Notes[link]

References[link]

. . . . . . . . . Second ed. . . . . . . . 2nd. ed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (EBSCO subscription required for online access.) . . Conference paper. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 vols. . . . . . . . . . (JSTOR subscription required for online access.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 vols. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trans. Thomas Kerth. . Third, revised, ed. . . . . . .

External links[link]

. An excellent site detailing Welsh Arthurian folklore. . A detailed and comprehensive academic site, which includes numerous scholarly articles, from Thomas Green of Oxford University. . The only academic journal solely concerned with the Arthurian Legend; a good selection of resources and links. . Provides texts and translations (of varying quality) of Welsh medieval sources, many of which mention Arthur. . An interesting collection of articles on King Arthur by various Arthurian enthusiasts. . . Provides valuable bibliographies and freely downloadable versions of Arthurian texts. . An online peer-reviewed journal that includes regular Arthurian articles; see especially the first issue.

*"Arthur and Gorlagon", translated by Frank A. Milne, notes by Alfred Nutt. ''Folk-Lore''. Volume 15, 1904.

Category:5th-century births Category:6th-century deaths Category:Arthurian characters Category:British traditional history Category:Britons of the Southwest Category:Burials at Glastonbury Abbey Category:Medieval legends Category:Monarchs of Cornwall Category:Monomyths Category:Mythological kings Category:People in Cornish history Category:Sub-Roman Britain Category:Sub-Roman monarchs Category:Welsh monarchs Category:Welsh mythology Category:Cornish culture Category:People whose existence is disputed Category:Monty Python characters Category:Holy Grail

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