Editing Ken Russell (section)

===Three films in 1971===
He followed ''Women in Love'' with a string of innovative adult-themed films which were often as controversial as they were successful. ''[[The Music Lovers]]'' (1971), a biopic of [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Tchaikovsky]], starred [[Richard Chamberlain]] as a flamboyant [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Pyotr Tchaikovsky]] and Glenda Jackson as his wife. The score was conducted by [[André Previn]].

He followed it with ''[[The Devils (film)|The Devils]]'' (1971), a film so provocative that the production company, [[Warner Bros.]], refused to release it, unless cuts were made.<ref name=BBCObit>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-10701521|title=Ken Russell: A true British original|publisher=BBC|date=28 November 2011|access-date=28 November 2011}}</ref> Inspired by [[Aldous Huxley]]'s book ''[[The Devils of Loudun]]'' and using material from [[John Whiting]]'s play ''The Devils'', it starred [[Oliver Reed]] as a priest who stands in the way of a corrupt church and state. Helped by publicity over the more sensational scenes, featuring sexuality among nuns, the film topped British box office receipts for eight weeks. In the United States, the film, which had already been cut for distribution in Britain, was further edited but never widely released theatrically in anything like its original state; the original, uncut version has only been shown in the U.S. at film festivals and art houses.<ref name="THE DEVILS | American Cinematheque">{{Cite web |url=http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/the-devils |title=THE DEVILS {{!}} American Cinematheque |access-date=6 November 2016 |archive-date=11 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311140253/http://americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/the-devils |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2017, [[AMC Networks]]-owned horror film streaming service [[Shudder (streaming service)|Shudder]] premiered the uncut version of the film for the first time on streaming.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rife|first=Katie|title=Ken Russell's widely banned The Devils makes a surprise appearance on Shudder |url=http://www.avclub.com/article/ken-russells-banned-masterpiece-devils-makes-surpr-252125|publisher=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=15 March 2017|access-date=16 March 2017}}</ref>

British film critic [[Alexander Walker (critic)|Alexander Walker]] described the film as "monstrously indecent" in a television confrontation with Russell, leading the director to hit him with a rolled up copy of the ''[[Evening Standard]]'', the newspaper for which Walker worked.<ref name="Jeffries">Stuart Jeffries [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/apr/28/ken-russell-the-devils "Ken Russell interview: The last fires of film's old devil"], ''The Guardian'', 28 April 2011</ref> The uncut version of the film remains censored.

Russell followed ''[[The Devils (film)|The Devils]]'' with a reworking of the period musical ''[[The Boy Friend (1971 film)|The Boy Friend]]'' (1971), for which he cast the model [[Twiggy]], who won two [[Golden Globe Awards]] for her performance: one for Best Actress in a musical comedy, and one for the best newcomer. The film was heavily cut and shorn of two musical numbers for its American release; it was not a big success.