There was “something in the way he smiled that attracted me like no other [Beatle]”. For me, George Harrison wasn’t only the most handsome of the four, but also the most talented and creative. He might have been known as “the silent Beatle,” but let me tell you there was nothing quiet about him. On the contrary, as he once said, Beatle George was just a suit he wore at some moment in his life and that was it. It was a role he played, and I’m sure it had to do more with marketing than with personality. Take John, for instance. He was the creative mind, but also played the goofy member of the band, while harboring plenty of issues.
Once he was free from the creative limits and chains of the band, George felt he could do whatever he wanted with his life. And that leads us to the story of the blasphemous movie we were referring to. If George liked something, he did the impossible to get it. In 1979, he heard that the script for a movie from his favorite comedians and friends, the Monty Python, was being shut down for being too blasphemous. He was curious and asked if he could read it. He found the script hilarious and brilliant. So, as a fan, he was determined to be able to watch it.
As Michael Palin, one of the original members, said in the documentary of the Concert for George, when George watched the very first televised Monty Python show, he was so impressed that he sent a note to the BBC to congratulate them. Thus began a real fascination for the comedians’ work. Later on, they met and became very good friends often inviting him to appear on their shows. His short cameo in the Beatles’ parody The Rutles one of the most iconic ones.
So, back to the movie, he really wanted to see that movie he thought was perfect. He started thinking about how could they get the amount of money needed for its creation (4 million USD). He decided to mortgage his mansion and start a film company to produce it. Flash-forward to 1979 when one of the 10 best comedies of all times, according to The Guardian, was released under the title of Monty Python’s Life of Brian. As Eric Idle joked about, it was the “most anybody’s ever paid for a cinema ticket in history.”
I think that the Beatles’ wasn’t the best medium for George to develop his creativity. Yet, even in that situation, he composed really amazing songs. When the Beatles’ broke up, he blossomed musically and creatively. He no longer had rules to follow and could do literally whatever he wanted, even mortgaging his house to watch a movie. He was the first of the four Beatles to release a solo album. He’s acknowledged for being the creator of megastar benefit concerts with his unforgettable Concert for Bangladesh. He created one of the most impressive home gardens in his house, and ended up proving he was one of most versatile musicians of the last century. So, he wasn’t really silent after all. His works shout out greatness.
For more Beatles’ stories, take a look at the following:
The Beatles’ Song That Inspired One Of The Most Evil Minds In History
The Day The Beatles Had To Flee A Country For Insulting Its First Lady
