CineScope
Ken Russell picture

Ken Russell

Directing
Known For

84 Years Old

Henry Kenneth Alfred "Ken" Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was an English film director. He is known for his pioneering work in television and film, and for his controversial style. He has been criticized as being over-obsessed with sexuality and the church. His subject matter is often about famous composers, or based on other works of art which he adapts loosely. Russell began directing for the BBC, where he did creative adaptations of composers' lives which were unusual for the time. He also directed many feature films independently and for studios. He is best known for his Oscar-winning romantic drama Women in Love (1969), the notoriously controversial The Devils (1971), the rock musical Tommy (1975), and the science fiction film Altered States (1980). One noted admirer, British film critic Mark Kermode, attempting to sum up the director's achievement, called Russell; "somebody who proved that British cinema didn't have to be about kitchen-sink realism – it could be every bit as flamboyant as Fellini. He now makes very strange experimental films like Lion's Mouth and Revenge of the Elephant Man, and they are as edgy and out there as the work he made in the 1970s."

Born

Southampton, Hampshire, England, UK on 3rd July 1927

Died

27th November 2011

All Credits

The South Bank Show Image
The South Bank Show
Self
Celebrity Big Brother Image
Celebrity Big Brother
Self
Omnibus Image
Omnibus
Self
Waking the Dead Image
Waking the Dead
Gerry Raistrick
Agatha Christie's Marple Image
Agatha Christie's Marple
Rev Caleb Dane Calthrop
No Image
Plunder
Lady Chatterley Image
Lady Chatterley
Sir Michael Reid
No Image
Frank Stubbs Promotes
Self
The Lair of the White Worm Image
The Lair of the White Worm
Police Radio (voice) (uncredited)
Tommy Image
Tommy
Cripple (uncredited)
The Russia House Image
The Russia House
Walter
Whore Image
Whore
Waiter (uncredited)
Gothic Image
Gothic
Tourist
Valentino Image
Valentino
Rex Ingram (uncredited)
Twiggy Image
Twiggy
(archival footage)
Colour Me Kubrick Image
Colour Me Kubrick
The Man In Nightgown
The Who: The Kids Are Alright Image
The Who: The Kids Are Alright
Mr. Nice Image
Mr. Nice
Russell Miegs
Trapped Ashes Image
Trapped Ashes
Dr. Lucy (segment "The Girl with Golden Breasts")
Savage Messiah Image
Savage Messiah
Passenger getting off train in station (uncredited)
100 Greatest Sexy Moments Image
100 Greatest Sexy Moments
Self
Salome's Last Dance Image
Salome's Last Dance
Cappadocian
Brothers of the Head Image
Brothers of the Head
Himself
Vem Var Dracula Image
Vem Var Dracula
Self
The Aristofrogs Image
The Aristofrogs
No Image
Empire of the Censors
Self
The Real Oliver Reed Image
The Real Oliver Reed
Self
A Turnip Head's Guide To The British Cinema Image
A Turnip Head's Guide To The British Cinema
Self
Song of Summer Image
Song of Summer
Priest
The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch Image
The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch
Mr. Kirsch
Tales of Erotica Image
Tales of Erotica
Ken Russell's ABC of British Music Image
Ken Russell's ABC of British Music
Himself
A British Picture: Portrait of an Enfant Terrible Image
A British Picture: Portrait of an Enfant Terrible
Music for the Movies: Georges Delerue Image
Music for the Movies: Georges Delerue
Self
The Who: One Band's Explosive Story Image
The Who: One Band's Explosive Story
Self (archive footage)
Director of Devils Image
Director of Devils
Self
No Image
The Devils Original on-set footage
The Secret Life of Arnold Bax Image
The Secret Life of Arnold Bax
Sir Arnold Bax
The Real Blue Nuns Image
The Real Blue Nuns
Self
A Kitten for Hitler Image
A Kitten for Hitler
Santa
The Fall of the Louse of Usher Image
The Fall of the Louse of Usher
Dr. Calahari
Don’t Shoot the Composer Image
Don’t Shoot the Composer
Himself
Hell on Earth: The Desecration & Resurrection of The Devils Image
Hell on Earth: The Desecration & Resurrection of The Devils
Self
Ken Russell: A Bit of a Devil Image
Ken Russell: A Bit of a Devil
Self (archive footage)
10 Best Elgar Image
10 Best Elgar
Self (archive footage)
Alice in Russialand Image
Alice in Russialand
Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World Image
Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World
Captain Patterson
Ken Russell: In Search of the English Folk Song Image
Ken Russell: In Search of the English Folk Song
Himself
Elgar: Fantasy of a Composer on a Bicycle Image
Elgar: Fantasy of a Composer on a Bicycle
Narrator (voice)
No Image
Revenge of the Elephant Man
Walk With The Damned Image
Walk With The Damned
Hood
Your Honour, I Object! Guccione V Russell Image
Your Honour, I Object! Guccione V Russell
No Image
Boudica Bites Back
Roman Senator
No Image
Lion's Mouth
Ken
Vaughan Williams: A Symphonic Portrait Image
Vaughan Williams: A Symphonic Portrait
Self
No Image
Russell at Work
PuzzleFace Image
PuzzleFace
god