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Ken Russell dead: director dies in his sleep
Maverick director, Ken Russell, best known for ‘Women in Love’ and ‘Tommy’, dies aged 84.
Celebrated British film director Ken Russell has died peacefully in his sleep, aged 84, his son Alex Verney-Elliott said Monday.
"My father died peacefully," Verney-Elliott said. "He died with a smile on his face."
Russell’s films included ‘Women in Love’, ‘Tommy’ and ‘The Devils’. He found fame with a new generation after appearing in ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ in 2007.
Speaking to Yahoo! Movies, Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese said Ken Russell was a "fearless" film maker who made films with a "frankness" and "power".
Born in Southampton in 1927, Ken Russell served in the Royal Air Force before moving into television documentaries.
[See also: Ken Russell's best films]
His first film was farce ‘French Dressing’, but his big break was ‘Billion Dollar Brain’ - the sequel to the Michael Caine Harry Palmer spy thriller ‘The Ipcress File’.
The director’s films were often controversial; ‘Women in Love’ featured an infamous scene showing Oliver Reed and Alan Bates wrestling nude.
However it was his most critically lauded effort and earned him an Oscar nomination for ‘Best Director’ and star Glenda Jackson a ‘Best Actress’ Academy Award.
Religious drama ‘The Devils’, which featured a scene showing Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave sexualising the crucifixion, also caused an uproar and was initially rejected by the studio.
Ken Russell's biggest commercial success was ‘Tommy’, a trippy rock opera based around the songs of The Who and starring lead singer Roger Daltrey.
His other credits include ‘Lisztomania’, ‘Altered States’, ‘Savage Messiah’ and ‘Crimes of Passion’ and 1991 drama ‘Whore’.
The last film effectively ended Russell’s career as a mainstream film maker, and he fell from the limelight in the 1990s.
[See also: Scorsese pays tribute to "fearless" Ken Russell]
He was reduced to making films in his garden starring drama students - such as 'The Fall of the Louse of Usher: A Gothic Tale for the 21st Century' - but was re-introduced to the public when he appeared in ‘Celebrity Big Brother in 2007.
The series featured the infamous Jade Goody race row, and Russell walked out after four days following arguments with the reality star.
Ken Russell is survived by wife Lisi Tribble and his five children from his first marriage to Shirley Russell.
