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1995 Classic Widows A documentary for Melvyn Bragg about four composers. Russell uses the widows of the composers to tell their tale, but the documentary ends up like the sort of film Russell tried to avoid in his early BBC days- shots of buildings, gravestones, very serious musicians and talking heads. You long for a hut to explode into fire, or for Oliver Reed to capture the essence of the person.
The composers are Walton, Bernard George Stevens, Benjamin Frankel and Humphrey Searle and their widows are Susana Walton, Fiona Searle, Xenia Frankel and Bertha Stevens. Walton is a respected classical composer who also composed film music. The rest are neglected known only for their lightweight film music with Frankel´s work including the music for The Curse of the Werewolf with Oliver Reed and Searle's music including The Abominable Snowman. The widows talk to the camera but are rarely natural, being unused to film. The talking heads alternate with performance shots of the works being performed. The highlight is Humphrey Searle's wife talking of how her husband's work has been neglected, then saying direct to Ken (behind the camera) in an unscripted moment "Ken, what the f*ck do we do about it". Ken reacts to the spontaneity and they go to the pub to discuss it more. In some countries, for example Australia, this scene was censored.
Russell interviewed 13 widows before choosing the final four. His interest was particularly to promote unknown composers. Disappointingly Bertha Stevens does not tell of the help by Grateful Dead to promote her husband's work. Russell says (in Neil Evans interview in Classic CD) "I used to get hold of records during the war to accompany silent films... I would play them in my father's garage. Bliss's march from Things to Come went wonderfully with Fritz Lang's Metropolis". Hetty Baynes, later Russell's wife, appears in a short dance routine.
Xavier Russell is editor, and Alf Russell (i.e. Ken) is one of the photographers. Director of Photography is Hong Manley. Russell also presents a CD of the compositions featured on the programme, which helps promote the musicians featured. Earlier in his career he helped struggling composer Peter Maxwell Davies. All images from the film. 1997 In Search of the English Folk Song Ken Russell directs, writes and presents. A lightweight piece with Russell explaining to his dog Nipper then his producer Maureen Murray that he wants to find the true English folk song.
His journey is an excuse to meet people and hear them performing. These range from unknowns to the famous including Fairport Convention and Donovan. The first performers are a rock band with Russell filming them using a Camcorder. One of them has a father who writes folk songs and so the quest begins. Barry Lowe writes songs about Native Americans, and Russell would later use him as an actor on Lion's Mouth. Another folk singer seen through a window by Russell seems to be a witch. He is about to go when she evolves into a blonde girl. She sings naked behind a fence, or on top of a rocking horse (compare with A British Picture). This leads to Greenham Common with some of the Greenham Common women (who spent years outside a military base protesting against nuclear weapons). Finally Russell reaches Glastonbury folk festival and the performance of Edward II has Russell at his best, the performance cut with surreal shots of the carnival with human bananas and camels. And finally Russell is back home with Nipper, singing songs as the dog yawns. Maureen Murray produces (and appears) and the editor was Sean Mackenzie. The performers are:
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