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Arthur, the son of a traveling salesman and a department store merchandise demonstrator, had to support himself from a young age, selling newspapers and working for meager wages at a condiment factory. Although underage, he escaped this life by joining the Bugle Corps at the start of World War One. His work as a comedian and singer in army shows inspired him to pursue an acting career.
Back in civilian life, Arthur enrolled in a dramatic school run by the wife of the renowned Shakespearean actor and producer Sir Frank Benson through a government program. He chose a stage name by reversing his first and middle names and adding a meaningless initial 'K' to differentiate himself from another George Arthur. He made his professional debut as a spear-carrier in a production at the Memorial Theatre in Stratford-on-Avon and soon took on minor roles in Benson's West End Shakespeare productions.
When Arthur learned that American director Harold M. Shaw was in London adapting H.G. Wells's novel "Kipps" for film, he boldly convinced Shaw he was ideal for the lead role—and he was. Even before its release, the film was expected to be a success, and Arthur quickly became a sought-after film actor, mingling with visiting stars such as Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks.
Following the success of Kipps (1921), Arthur starred in two films with American actress Mae Marsh and dreamed of Hollywood. Leaving behind his newlywed wife, Milba Lloyd, who later worked for Cecil B. DeMille’s art department, Arthur sailed to America but was met with indifference from film producers. Seeking help, he turned to Chaplin, who secured him a role in a John Gilbert film at Fox. Arthur then persuaded director James Cruze to cast him prominently in the all-star film Hollywood (1923), now one of the most coveted lost silent films.
With a five-year contract from producer Pat Powers, Arthur believed he was established in Hollywood as a light comedian and juvenile actor, bringing his family from England. However, Powers's enterprise failed within months, forcing Arthur to run a grocery store and remodel houses to survive. Aspiring to produce his own film, he managed to raise funds for a very low-budget project. He enlisted aspiring director Josef von Sternberg, who co-wrote the script, and with a largely amateur cast, they created The Salvation Hunters (1925). Arthur showed the film to Chaplin, who shared it with Pickford and Fairbanks, leading United Artists to distribute it. The film was a critical success, launching Sternberg’s career and earning Arthur a contract with MGM.
Arthur’s acting career flourished. Separated from his first wife, he courted Renée Adorée and Jean Arthur and frequently visited San Simeon. MGM paired him with Karl Dane in a popular series of light comedies, which ended when Dane’s thick accent became an issue with the arrival of sound films. The duo continued briefly in vaudeville and short films for RKO and Paramount. Arthur also tried singing, composing, and novel writing, but by 1933 he struggled to find work. He secured bit parts at MGM but focused on producing theater. He opened a short-lived Grand Guignol theater in Hollywood, followed by a larger venture with E.E. Clive. After a final film role in Vanessa, Her Love Story (1935), he worked as a film salesman in Michigan and later as a theater critic for Station WQXR. He also published a modestly successful magazine guide to New York theater and nightlife.
After Pearl Harbor, Arthur, now a U.S. citizen, enlisted in the Air Force as a private. Shortly before deployment overseas, he remarried. During the war, he organized entertainment shows for the troops.
Upon returning, Arthur attempted to revive his magazine but met with little success. He reinvented himself once more as a producer and distributor of television short films, which provided a comfortable livelihood through the 1960s.
