Editing Monty Python's Life of Brian (section)

===Pre-production===
There are various stories about the origins of ''Life of Brian''. Shortly after the release of ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]'' (1975), Eric Idle flippantly suggested that the title of the Pythons' forthcoming feature would be ''Jesus Christ: Lust for Glory'' (a play on the UK title for the 1970 American film ''[[Patton (film)|Patton]], Patton: Ordeal and Triumph'').<ref name="From Fringe to Flying Circus">{{cite book |author=Wilmut, Roger |date=1980 |title=From Fringe to Flying Circus |location= London |publisher=Eyre Methuen Ltd |isbn=0-413-46950-6 |pages=247–250}}</ref> This was after he had become frustrated at repeatedly being asked what it would be called, despite the troupe not having given the matter of a third film any consideration. However, they shared a distrust of organised religion, and, after witnessing the critically acclaimed ''Holy Grail''{{'}}s enormous financial turnover, confirming an appetite among the fans for more cinematic endeavours, they began to seriously consider a film lampooning the [[Christianity in the 1st century|New Testament era]] in the same way that ''Holy Grail'' had lampooned [[Arthurian legend]]. All they needed was an idea for a plot. Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam, while promoting ''Holy Grail'' in [[Amsterdam]], had come up with a sketch in which Jesus' cross is falling apart because of the idiotic carpenters who built it and he angrily tells them how to do it correctly. However, after an early [[brainstorming]] stage, and despite being non-believers, they agreed that Jesus was "definitely a good guy" and found nothing to mock in his actual teachings: "He's not particularly funny, what he's saying isn't mockable, it's very decent stuff", said Idle later.<ref name="autobiography">{{cite book |author=Chapman, Graham |display-authors=4 |author2=Cleese, John |author3=Gilliam, Terry |author4=Idle, Eric |author5=Jones, Terry |author6=Palin, Michael |author7=with McCabe, Bob |date=2003 |title=The Pythons Autobiography by The Pythons |location= London |publisher=Orion Publishing Group |isbn=0-7528-5293-0 |pages=349–387}}</ref> After settling on the name Brian for their new protagonist, one idea considered was that of "the 13th disciple".<ref name="From Fringe to Flying Circus" /> The focus eventually shifted to a separate individual born at a similar time and location who would be mistaken for the Messiah, but had no desire to be followed as such.<ref name="Bevan">{{cite news |first=Nathan |last=Bevan |date=5 March 2011 |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/the-life-times-monty-pythons-1843865 |title=The life and times of Monty Python's Terry Jones |publisher=Western Mail |newspaper=Wales Online |access-date=19 August 2019 }}</ref>

The first draft of the screenplay, provisionally titled ''The Gospel According to St. Brian'', was ready by Christmas 1976.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Dark Knights & Holy Fools|last=McCabe|first=Bob|publisher=Universe Publishing|year=1999|isbn=0-7893-0265-9|location=New York|pages=77|lccn=98-75217}}</ref> The final pre-production draft was ready in January 1978, following "a concentrated two-week writing and water-skiing period in [[Barbados]]".<ref name="MONTYPYTHONSCRAPBOOK">{{cite book |author=Chapman, Graham |display-authors=etal |date=1979 |title=''Monty Python's The Life of Brian/MONTYPYTHONSCRAPBOOK'' |pages=scrapbook p. 4 |no-pp=true|title-link=Monty Python's The Life of Brian/MONTYPYTHONSCRAPBOOK }}</ref>

Python fan and former Beatle [[George Harrison]] set up [[HandMade Films]] along with [[Denis O'Brien (producer)|Denis O'Brien]] to help fund the film at a cost of £3&nbsp;million.<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}}</ref> Harrison put up the money for it as he "wanted to see the movie"—later described by Terry Jones as the "world's most expensive cinema ticket".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/oct/30/george-harrison-little-malcolm-handmade|title=Eunarchy in the UK: George Harrison's first movie|first=John|last=Patterson|date=30 October 2011|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> The original backers—[[EMI Films]] and, particularly, [[Bernard Delfont]]—had been scared off at the last minute by the subject matter.<ref name="From Fringe to Flying Circus" /><ref name="grdn"/> The very last words in the film are: "I said to him, 'Bernie, they'll never make their money back on this one'", teasing Delfont for his lack of faith in the project. Terry Gilliam later said, "They pulled out on the Thursday. The crew was supposed to be leaving on the Saturday. Disastrous. It was because they read the script ... finally."<ref name="Welease Bwian">
{{cite news |title=Welease Bwian |first=Robert |last=Sellers |url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/fridayreview/story/0,12102,922904,00.html#article_continue |date=28 March 2003 |work=The Guardian |location=UK |access-date=6 November 2006}}</ref> As a reward for his help, Harrison appears in a [[cameo appearance]] as Mr. Papadopoulos, "owner of the Mount", who briefly shakes hands with Brian in a crowd scene (at 1:08:50 in the film). His one word of dialogue (a cheery but out of place [[Scouse]] "'ullo") had to be dubbed in later by Michael Palin.<ref>Palin, Michael (2006). ''[[Diaries 1969–1979: The Python Years]]'', p. 563, Weidenfeld & Nicolson.</ref>