---
name: "Denis O'Brien"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/denis-obrien"
fi1m_id: "denis-obrien"
imdb_id: "nm0639510"
tmdb_id: 61865
wikidata_id: "Q5257430"
roles: ["Producer"]
born: "12 September 1941"
died: "3 December 2021"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 7
average_fi1m_score: 77
average_as: "producer"
average_over: 7
updated: "2026-10-04T21:34:07.956820+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Denis O'Brien

## Identity

Denis O'Brien

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/denis-obrien
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** denis-obrien
- **IMDb ID:** nm0639510
- **TMDB ID:** 61865
- **Wikidata ID:** Q5257430
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_O%27Brien_(producer), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5257430, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0639510/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/61865

Producer. Born 12 September 1941 in St. Louis. Died 3 December 2021.

## Details

- **Work:** Producer
- **Born:** 12 September 1941, St. Louis
- **Died:** 3 December 2021
- **Active:** 1979–1990
- **Average Fi1m score:** 77, as producer, over 7 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 88 (1), 1980s 79 (5), 1990s 54 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 80 to 75 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 2 under 60
- **Genres:** Comedy 5, Crime 3, Drama 3, Thriller 2, Adventure 1, Family 1
- **Screen time:** 12 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $89m across 7 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_O%27Brien_(producer), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5257430, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0639510/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/61865

## Biography

Denis O'Brien was an American attorney and film producer. He served as business manager to George Harrison from 1973 and, with Harrison, co-founded the production company HandMade Films in 1978.

O'Brien acted as executive producer on HandMade Films productions including *Monty Python's Life of Brian* (1979), *The Long Good Friday* (1980), *Time Bandits* (1981), *Mona Lisa* (1986) and *Withnail & I* (1987). He was credited as producer on *Nuns on the Run* (1990). HandMade Films ceased operations in 1991.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, nytimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (7)

- *Nuns on the Run* (1990), Fi1m 54, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/nuns-on-the-run.md)
- *Withnail & I* (1987), Fi1m 88, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/withnail-and-i.md)
- *Mona Lisa* (1986), Fi1m 83, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/mona-lisa.md)
- *The Missionary* (1982), Fi1m 57, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-missionary.md)
- *Time Bandits* (1981), Fi1m 80, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/time-bandits.md)
- *The Long Good Friday* (1980), Fi1m 88, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-long-good-friday.md)
- *Life of Brian* (1979), Fi1m 88, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/life-of-brian.md)

## Complete filmography (23)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Phantom* (2021), Executive Producer
- *Cold Dog Soup* (1990), Executive Producer
- *Nuns on the Run* (1990), Producer — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/nuns-on-the-run.md)
- *How to Get Ahead in Advertising* (1989), Executive Producer
- *Powwow Highway* (1989), Executive Producer
- *Checking Out* (1988), Executive Producer
- *The Raggedy Rawney* (1988), Executive Producer
- *Track 29* (1988), Executive Producer
- *Bellman and True* (1987), Executive Producer
- *Five Corners* (1987), Executive Producer
- *Withnail & I* (1987), Executive Producer — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/withnail-and-i.md)
- *Shanghai Surprise* (1986), Executive Producer
- *Mona Lisa* (1986), Executive Producer — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/mona-lisa.md)
- *Water* (1985), Executive Producer
- *A Private Function* (1984), Executive Producer
- *Bullshot* (1983), Executive Producer
- *Privates on Parade* (1983), Executive Producer
- *The Missionary* (1982), Executive Producer — Fi1m 57, [page](https://film.one/film/the-missionary.md)
- *Scrubbers* (1982), Executive Producer
- *Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl* (1982), Executive Producer
- *Time Bandits* (1981), Executive Producer — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/time-bandits.md)
- *The Long Good Friday* (1980), Executive Producer — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-long-good-friday.md)
- *Life of Brian* (1979), Executive Producer — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/life-of-brian.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/denis-obrien