Born Arthur Veary Treacher in Brighton, East Sussex, England, he was the son of a lawyer. He established a stage career after returning from World War I, and by 1928, he had come to America as part of a musical-comedy revue called Great Temptations. When his film career began in the early 1930s, Treacher was Hollywood's idea of the perfect butler, and he headlined as the famous butler Jeeves in Thank You, Jeeves! (1936) and Step Lively, Jeeves! (1937)--based on the P.G. Wodehouse character. He played a butler in numerous other films including: Personal Maid's Secret (1935), Mister Cinderella (1936), Bordertown (1935), and Curly Top (1935). By the mid 1960s, Treacher was a regular guest on The Merv Griffin Show (1962). The image of the proper Englishman served him well, and during his later years, he lent his name to a fast-food chain known as Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips.

Filmography

• 1964How to Avoid Friendship — Narrator
• 1964Mary Poppins — Constable
• 1963How to Live with a Neurotic Dog — Narrator
• 1962How to Win on the Thruway — Narrator
• 1962Self Defense... for Cowards — Narrator
• The Beverly Hillbillies — Arthur Pinckney
• Shirley Temple's Storybook — Graves the Butler
• Climax! — Bishop Thornley
• 1954Kraft Television Theatre: Alice in Wonderland — The Cheshire Cat
• 1950Love That Brute — Quentin, Hanley's Butler
• 1949That Midnight Kiss — Hutchins
• 1948The Countess of Monte Cristo — Hotel Managing Director
• The Philco Television Playhouse — Uncle Fred
• 1947Fun on a Weekend — Benjamin O. Moffatt
• 1947Slave Girl — Thomas Griswold
• 1945Delightfully Dangerous — Jeffers
• 1945National Velvet — Race Patron
• 1945Swing Out, Sister — Chumley
• 1945That's the Spirit — Masters
• 1944Chip Off the Old Block — Quentin
• 1944In Society — Pipps, Butler
• 1943Forever and a Day — Second Air Raid Watcher
• 1943The Amazing Mrs. Holliday — Henderson
• 1942Star Spangled Rhythm — Arthur Treacher
• 1940Brother Rat and a Baby — Snelling
• 1940Irene — Bretherton
• 1939Barricade — Upton Ward
• 1939Bridal Suite — Lord Helfer
• 1939The Little Princess — Bertie Minchin
• 1938Always in Trouble — Rogers
• 1938Mad About Music — Tripps
• 1938My Lucky Star — Whipple
• 1938Up the River — Darby Randall
• 1937Heidi — Andrews
• 1937She Had to Eat — Carter
• 1937Step Lively, Jeeves! — Jeeves
• 1937Thin Ice — Nottingham
• 1937You Can't Have Everything — Bevins
• 1936Anything Goes — Sir Evelyn Oakleigh
• 1936Hearts Divided — Sir Harry
• 1936Mister Cinderella — Watkins, Randolph's Butler
• 1936Satan Met a Lady — Anthony Travers
• 1936Stowaway — Atkins
• 1936Thank You, Jeeves! — Jeeves
• 1936The Case Against Mrs. Ames — Griggsby
• 1936Under Your Spell — Botts
• 1935A Midsummer Night's Dream — Epilogue
• 1935Bright Lights — Wilbur
• 1935Cardinal Richelieu — Agitator
• 1935Curly Top — The Butler
• 1935David Copperfield — Donkey Man (uncredited)
• 1935Go Into Your Dance — Latimer
• 1935Going Highbrow — Waiter
• 1935Hitch Hike Lady — Mortimer Wingate
• 1935I Live My Life — Gallup, Mrs. Gage's Butler
• 1935Let's Live Tonight — Ozzy Featherstone
• 1935Magnificent Obsession — Horace
• 1935No More Ladies — Lord Knowleton
• 1935Orchids to You — Roger Morton
• 1935Personal Maid's Secret — Owen
• 1935Remember Last Night? — Clarence Phelps
• 1935Splendor — Major Ballinger
• 1935The Daring Young Man — Col. Baggott
• 1935The Nitwits — Man with Tennis Equipment
• 1935The Winning Ticket — Horse Race Announcer
• 1935The Woman in Red — Major Albert Casserly (uncredited)
• 1934Desirable — Butler
• 1934Fashions of 1934 — The Duchess' Butler (uncredited)
• 1934Forsaking All Others — Johnson (Uncredited)
• 1934Gambling Lady — Pryor (uncredited)
• 1934Here Comes the Groom — Butler
• 1934Hollywood Party — Durante's Butler (uncredited)
• 1934School for Romance — Diana's suitor
• 1934The Captain Hates the Sea — Major Warringforth
• 1934The Key — Merriman
• 1929The Battle of Paris — Harry

Appearances as themselves (6)

• 1993Shirley Temple: America's Little Darling — Self (archive footage)
• The Merv Griffin Show — Self
• The Mike Douglas Show — Self
• Tonight Starring Jack Paar — Self
• Down You Go — Self - Panelist
• The Colgate Comedy Hour — Self