Name: Ken Russell
Birthdate: 3 July 1927

Known primarily for his exploration of sexual themes and his stylistic excesses, controversial British director Ken Russell first found himself artistically as a still photographer, contributing to such publications as PICTURE POST and ILLUSTRATED, after ineffectual forays into the ballet and theatrical worlds. He converted to Catholicism while shooting his first film, "Peepshow" (1956), then made "Amelia and the Angel" (1957) with the aid of the Catholic Film Institute, followed by "Lourdes" (1958), a conventional documentary about the legendary shrine.