Arthur's screen personality was nebulous enough to allow him to play the romantic lead in the Lon Chaney vehicle The Monster (1925).

With the coming of sound, Arthur developed his first comedic image, an effeminate character in films such as The Desert Song (1929), She Couldn't Say No (1930), Penrod and Sam (1931) and The Ghost Walks (1934).

When the Production Code took effect on July 1, 1934, the overtly homosexual characters played by Arthur were toned down in Hollywood movies.

This served him well in low-budget films like The Natzy Nuisance, Ellis Island and Danger on the Air, as well as big budget pictures like Crime and Punishment and Road to Singapore.

Arthur is perhaps most remembered for his appearances as Darla Hood's father in Hal Roach's Our Gang shorts.