History Trivia / TheDevils

** It was also briefly on [=FilmStruck=] successor [[Creator/TheCriterionCollection The Criterion Channel]] around Halloween, 2019, but has since been removed. It occasionally appears on Shudder.

** Creator/GlendaJackson was the original choice for Sister Jeanne des Anges, as she had also played it in the John Whiting play the film is partly based on. She turned it down, saying that she didn't want to get typecast as sexually frustrated women in Ken Russell films.

** Still not available on DVD in the US; the main sources for obtaining the film either are the US edit VHS tape, importing the partially restored BFI DVD from the UK, or pirating it online. It has shown up on streaming services, as detailed below.

* HostilityOnTheSet: Throughout the shoot, Creator/KenRussell and Creator/OliverReed clashed frequently, and by the time principal photography had finished, the two were hardly on speaking terms.

** Creator/GlendaJackson was the original choice for Sister Jeanne des Anges, but she turned it down, saying that she didn't want to get typecast as neurotic women in Ken Russell films.

** It was also briefly on [=FilmStruck=] successor [[Creator/TheCriterionCollection The Criterion Channel]] around Halloween, 2019, but has since been removed. As of September 2020, it’s still on Shudder.

* WordOfGod: Creator/KenRussell denies the story that a technician misunderstood a direction from him and detonated explosives too soon for the final scene -- saying that he himself pressed the button without telling the camera team.

* NoExportForYou: The film has never been released on Blu-Ray or DVD in the United States (it was briefly available as a digital download, but it is no longer available). It was also briefly available to stream on Filmstruck, but the service itself was shut down in late November 2018.

* {{Jossed}}: Creator/KenRussell denies the story that a technician misunderstood a direction from him and detonated explosives too soon for the final scene -- saying that he himself pressed the button without telling the camera team.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Creator/KenRussell cut the infamous "Rape of Christ" scene and original ending personally after showing a rough cut to John Trevelyan, the Secretary of the British Board of Film Censors, who said those scenes would be impossible to pass. Despite this the British Censors demanded further cuts of 89 seconds to make some of the sex and violence less explicit. They then proceeded to pass it with an X certificate to a storm of protest. The real damage was done by Creator/WarnerBros, who hacked the film to near incoherence. For example, any trace of pubic hair was removed, cutting 6 minutes to release it with an R rating. They then proceeded to get their hands on all copies of the British version and cut them to match the R version, preventing the film being seen in anything close to its original form for decades. For years the cut footage was presumed to be lost forever, until most of it was ultimately recovered; but while the "rape of Christ" sequences have been restored, the original ending (with Sister Jeanne using the charred bone of Grandier as a dildo) has yet to be found and possibly remains lost forever, though this might be for [[NauseaFuel the best]]. The director's cut is occasionally seen at film festivals in the UK but Warner Bros. have repeatedly denied requests for it to be released on DVD.

* ChannelHop: Creator/UnitedArtists announced the film in August 1969, with Robert Sole to produce under a three picture deal with the studio, and Creator/KenRussell to direct.[1] Filming was set to start in May 1970. However, after United Artists executives read the screenplay, they "refused to touch it," abandoning plans to fund the production. At the time, production designer Derek Jarman had already constructed some of the sets for the film. It was subsequently acquired by Creator/WarnerBros, who signed on in March 1970 to distribute the film.

* AwesomeDearBoy: According to WordOfGod Vanessa Redgrave was [[HamAndCheese having a lot of fun]] playing a sexually frustrated nun.

* DyeingForYourArt: Oliver Reed had his hair cut off, and shaved his beard and eyebrows for the climax. Especially notable because he grew the facial hair out to hide his scars.
* EnforcedMethodActing: Vanessa Redgrave wore a prosthetic hump to help keep in character.

* {{Jossed}}: Ken Russell denies the story that a technician misunderstood a direction from him and detonated explosives too soon for the final scene -- saying that he himself pressed the button without telling the camera team.

** Ken Russell wanted Sister Jeanne to be the main focus character, covering the real woman's journey after Grandier was executed -- wherein she became a national celebrity and convinced priests that she'd received the stigmata. He really wanted to include a scene depicting her death -- after which she was beheaded and the head placed in a glass casket in her own convent.
** Glenda Jackson was the first choice for Sister Jeanne but she turned the part down, as she was tired of playing sexually neurotic women in Ken Russell's films. There's also implications suggesting that the loss of Sister Jeanne's post-Grandier storyline above influenced this.
** Supermodel Twiggy and her manager/boyfriend Justin de Villeneuve were to cameo in the court scene. But once the nuns started stripping, the two walked off the set. They'd only filmed one shot.

** As of late 2017, a 109-minute "restored Director's Cut" began appearing on streaming services Shudder and FilmStruck only to be removed within months (in the case of FilmStruck, because the entire service was discontinued). Before it vanished, however, it was quickly ripped and pirated -- possibly by those who suspected this very thing would happen.
** It was also briefly on FilmStruck successor The Criterion Channel around Halloween, 2019, but has since been removed. As of September 2020, it’s still on Shudder.

** Still not available on DVD in the US; the main sources for obtaining the film either are the US edit VHS tape, importing the partially restored BFI DVD from the UK, or pirating it online.

** As of late 2017, a 109-minute "restored Director's Cut" began appearing on streaming services Shudder and Filmstruck only to be removed within months (in the case of Filmstruck, because the entire service was discontinued). Before it vanished, however, it was quickly ripped and pirated -- possibly by those who suspected this very thing would happen.

* BannedInChina: The film didn't have a chance in Italy with its blasphemous content and was banned. Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed were also threatened with three years in prison if they ever visited the country.
* CreatorBacklash: Ken Russell was hugely annoyed at being forced to cut the scene of the rape of Christ, feeling it undermined the point of the story. But "short of burning the entire film, what else could I do?"
* CreatorBreakdown: Ken Russell's marriage fell apart during the filming of this.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Creator/KenRussell cut the infamous "Rape of Christ" scene and original ending personally after showing a rough cut to John Trevelyan, the Secretary of the British Board of Film Censors, who said those scenes would be impossible to pass. Despite this the British Censors demanded further cuts of 89 seconds to make some of the sex and violence less explicit. They then proceeded to pass it with an X certificate to a storm of protest. The real damage was done by Warner Bros. who hacked the film to almost incoherence, for example any trace of pubic hair was removed, cutting 6 minutes to release it with an R rating. They then proceeded to get their hands on all copies of the British version and cut them to match the R version, preventing the film being seen in anything close to its original form for decades. For years the cut footage was presumed to be lost forever, until most of it was ultimately recovered; but while the "rape of Christ" sequences have been restored, the original ending (with Sister Jeanne using the charred bone of Grandier as a dildo) has yet to be found and possibly remains lost forever, though this might be for [[NauseaFuel the best]]. The director's cut is occasionally seen at film festivals in the UK but Warner Bros. have repeatedly denied requests for it to be released on DVD.

* {{Jossed}}: Ken Russell denies the story that a technician misunderstood a direction from him and detonated explosives too soon for the final scene - saying that he himself pressed the button without telling the camera team.

** Part of the problem is that Warner Brothers studio owns the US rights to the film and it has been stated that there are people in the studio who find the film to be blasphemous and not worth the shitstorm they fear would be unleashed if it ever saw the light of day in the US as far as the religious right's reaction. Furthermore, any release that the film has would be the heavily butchered US edit, as Warner Brother's contract is for that version and not the recently "restored" version.
** Similarly the rights to the documentary on the making/restoration of the film "Hell on Earth". It's been stated that Warner Brothers has no interest in the documentary whatsoever in the US.
** As of late 2017, a 109-minute "restored Director's Cut" began appearing on streaming services Shudder and Filmstruck only to be removed within months (in the case of Filmstruck, because the entire service was discontinued). Before it vanished, however, it was quickly ripped and pirated--possibly by those who suspected this very thing would happen.

* RealitySubtext: Oliver Reed stated that the film's harshness was heavily influenced by UsefulNotes/TheTroubles in Northern Ireland at the time.

** Ken Russell wanted Sister Jeanne to be the main focus character, covering the real woman's journey after Grandier was executed - wherein she became a national celebrity and convinced priests that she'd received the stigmata. He really wanted to include a scene depicting her death - after which she was beheaded and the head placed in a glass casket in her own convent.
** Glenda Jackson was the first choice for Sister Jeanne but she turned the part down - as she was tired of playing sexually neurotic women in Ken Russell's films. There's also implications suggesting that the loss of Sister Jeanne's post-Grandier storyline above influenced this.

** Spike Milligan was originally cast as Baron de Laubardemont but Ken Russell felt he couldn't convince in such a dark role, and recast him.

** Glenda Jackson was the first choice for Sister Jeanne but she turned the part down - as she was tired of playing sexually neurotic women in Ken Russell's films.

* NoExportForYou: The film has never been released on Blu-Ray or DVD in the United States (it was briefly available as a digital download, but it is no longer available). It was also briefly available to stream on Filmstruck, but the service itself was shut down in late November 2019.

** Still not available on DVD in the US; the main sources for obtaining the film either are the US edit VHS tape, importing the partially restored BFI DVD from the UK, or pirating it online

* DyeingForYourArt: Oliver Reed had his hair cut off, and shaved his beard and eyebrows for the climax.

* BannedInChina: The film didn't have a chance in Italy with its blasphemous content and was banned.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Still not available on DVD in the US; the main sources for obtaining the film either are the US edit VHS tape, importing the partially restored BFI DVD from the UK, or pirating it online

* NoExportForYou: The film has never been released on Blu-Ray or DVD in the United States (it was briefly available as a digital download, but it is no longer available). Considering that the film is based on a true story about nuns gone crazy, and the Christian Right is one of the most powerful political groups in the country, the film's American distributor Creator/WarnerBros. has long been accused of suppressing its release to avoid being called "anti-Christian" by conservatives. Creator/GuillermoDelToro has referred to Warner Bros.' actions as pure censorship.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Russell cut the infamous "Rape of Christ" scene and original ending personally after showing a rough cut to John Trevelyan, the Secretary of the British Board of Film Censors, who said those scenes would be impossible to pass. Despite this the British Censors demanded further cuts of 89 seconds to make some of the sex and violence less explicit. They then proceeded to pass it with an X certificate to a storm of protest. The real damage was done by Warner Bros. who hacked the film to almost incoherence, for example any trace of pubic hair was removed, cutting 6 minutes to release it with an R rating. They then proceeded to get their hands on all copies of the British version and cut them to match the R version, preventing the film being seen in anything close to its original form for decades. For years the cut footage was presumed to be lost forever, until most of it was ultimately recovered; but while the "rape of Christ" sequences have been restored, the original ending (with Sister Jeanne using the charred bone of Grandier as a dildo) has yet to be found and possibly remains lost forever, though this might be for [[NauseaFuel the best]]. The director's cut is occasionally seen at film festivals in the UK but Warner Bros. have repeatedly denied requests for it to be released on DVD.

* ExecutiveMeddling: While Russell cut the infamous "Rape of Christ" scene personally, the film suffered major edits from British censors, then by American censors (whose cuts ironically were nowhere ''near'' as bad as what the British censors did to the film). For years the cut footage was presumed to be lost forever, until most of it was ultimately recovered; but while the "rape of Christ" sequences have been restored, the original ending (with Sister Jeanne using the charred bone of Grandier as a dildo) has yet to be found and possibly remains lost forever, though this might be for [[NauseaFuel the best]].