Editing George Harrison (section)

==Film production and HandMade films==
{{Main|HandMade Films}}
Harrison helped finance Ravi Shankar's documentary ''[[Raga (film)|Raga]]'' and released it through [[Apple Films]] in 1971.{{sfn|Lavezzoli|2006|p=187}} He also produced, with Apple manager [[Allen Klein]], the ''Concert for Bangladesh'' film.{{sfn|Dawtrey|2002|p=204}} In 1973, he produced the feature film ''[[Little Malcolm]]'',{{sfn|Badman|2001|p=90}} but the project was lost amid the litigation surrounding the former Beatles ending their business ties with Klein.{{sfn|Clayson|2003|p=346, 370}}

In 1973, [[Peter Sellers]] introduced Harrison to [[Denis O'Brien (producer)|Denis O'Brien]]. Soon after, the two went into business together.{{sfn|Harry|2003|p=211}} In 1978, to produce ''[[Monty Python's Life of Brian]]'', they formed the film production and distribution company HandMade Films.<ref>{{harvnb|Davies|2009|pp=362–363}}; {{harvnb|Doggett|2009|p=262}}.</ref> Their opportunity for investment came after [[EMI Films]] withdrew funding at the demand of their chief executive, [[Bernard Delfont]].{{sfn|Harry|2003|pp=211–212}} Harrison financed the production of ''Life of Brian'' in part by mortgaging his home, which Idle later called "the most anybody's ever paid for a cinema ticket in history".<ref name="grdn">{{cite news |last1=Barber |first1=Nicholas |title=How George Harrison – and a very naughty boy – saved British cinema |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/apr/03/george-harrison-beatle-monty-python-life-of-brian-handmade-studios |access-date=3 April 2019 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=3 April 2019 |archive-date=3 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403113955/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/apr/03/george-harrison-beatle-monty-python-life-of-brian-handmade-studios |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Doggett|2009|p=262}} The film grossed $21&nbsp;million at the box office in the US.{{sfn|Harry|2003|p=211}} The first film distributed by HandMade Films was ''[[The Long Good Friday]]'' (1980), and the first they produced was ''[[Time Bandits]]'' (1981), a co-scripted project by [[Monty Python]]{{'}}s [[Terry Gilliam]] and [[Michael Palin]].{{sfn|Harry|2003|p=212}} The film featured a new song by Harrison, "[[Dream Away (George Harrison song)|Dream Away]]", in the closing credits.<ref name="grdn"/>{{sfn|Inglis|2010|p=83}} ''Time Bandits'' became one of HandMade's most successful and acclaimed efforts; with a budget of $5&nbsp;million, it earned $35&nbsp;million in the US within ten weeks of its release.{{sfn|Inglis|2010|p=83}}

Harrison served as [[Film producer|executive producer]] for 23 films with HandMade, including ''[[A Private Function]]'' (1984), ''[[Mona Lisa (1986 film)|Mona Lisa]]'' (1986), ''[[Shanghai Surprise]]'' (1986), ''[[Withnail and I]]'' (1987) and ''[[How to Get Ahead in Advertising]]'' (1989).{{sfn|Dawtrey|2002|p=204}} He made [[cameo appearance]]s in several of these films, including a role as a [[nightclub singer]] in ''Shanghai Surprise'', for which he recorded five new songs.{{sfn|Leng|2006|p=244}} According to Ian Inglis, "[Harrison's] executive role in HandMade Films helped to sustain British cinema at a time of crisis, producing some of the country's most memorable movies of the 1980s."{{sfn|Inglis|2010|p=xvi}} Following a series of [[box office bomb]]s in the late 1980s, and excessive debt incurred by O'Brien which was [[loan guarantee|guaranteed]] by Harrison, HandMade's financial situation became precarious.{{sfn|Sellers|2013|p={{page needed|date=May 2020}}}}{{sfn|Dawtrey|2002|p=207}} The company ceased operations in 1991<ref name="grdn"/> and was sold three years later to Paragon Entertainment, a Canadian corporation.{{sfn|Harry|2003|pp=214–15}} Afterwards, Harrison sued O'Brien for $25&nbsp;million for fraud and negligence, resulting in an $11.6&nbsp;million judgement in 1996.<ref>Morris, Chris. "George Harrison Wins $11.6 Mill. In Suit Vs. Ex-Partner" ''Billboard'' 3 February 1996: 13</ref><ref name="grdn"/>