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Savage Messiah: Ken Russell => Savage Messiah: Ken Russell => Topic started by: Iain Fisher on November 14, 2012, 09:36:10 PM

Title: The human blackbird in The Devils
Post by: Iain Fisher on November 14, 2012, 09:36:10 PM
Harry Fielder , the actor who played the blackbird who gets shot in The Devils

www.turnipnet.com/aitch/aitch/1971.htm (http://www.turnipnet.com/aitch/aitch/1971.htm)

"One of the make up girls pours some rice crispies into a bowl... Then glue is applied one side of my face, shoulders and body and the rice is stuck on.
After that they’re painted yellow, red and a few other colours and it looks like I’ve got the plague...  Later on at the back lot they’ve dug a huge crater and filled it up with raggedly dressed dummies and I’m going to lay on the top.. This is the plague pit and I’m starring. Murrey Melvin was blessing our poor disfigured bodies."

and on playing the bird

"Now in theory it’s quite easy to do. You float in the pond then sink into three foot of water whilst holding a plastic bottle of air in one hand and another one of blood in the other hand…(Simple) as you sink you squeeze the bottles and the air and blood rise to the surface.
(Now here’s the rub)
The giant crows feathers wont let me sink."

He was also an extra in Billion Dollar Brain, The Music Lovers, Savage Messiah, Lisztomania, Valentino as well as lots of other films.
Title: Re: The human blackbird in The Devils
Post by: BoyScoutKevin on November 21, 2012, 09:41:51 PM
It seems to be the day to say thank-you, so thank-you for providing the link to that article.

The blackbird scene from "The Devils" has always been, for me, the most memorable scene in that film, and one of the most memorable scenes in any of Ken's films.

And looking at Harry Fielder's credits, he seems to have appeared in six of Ken's films. Excluding Oliver Reed, has any actor and/or extra appeared in more of Ken's films?

Thank-you again.