Tommy (1975)

Director:

Ken Russell

Writers:

Pete Townshend (album)
Pete Townshend (story)
(more)

Release Date:

26 March 1975 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Musical

Tagline:

Your senses will never be the same

Plot:

A psychosomatically deaf, dumb and blind boy becomes a master pinball player and the object of a religious cult because of that.

Plot Keywords:

Pinball | Murder | Holiday Camp | Widow | Post War

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Oliver Reed	...	Frank Hobbs
Ann-Margret	...	Nora Walker
Roger Daltrey	...	Tommy Walker
Elton John	...	Local Lad
Eric Clapton	...	The Preacher
John Entwistle	...	Himself
Keith Moon	...	Uncle Ernie
Paul Nicholas	...	Cousin Kevin
Jack Nicholson	...	The Specialist
Robert Powell	...	Captain Walker
Pete Townshend	...	Himself
Tina Turner	...	The Acid Queen
Arthur Brown	...	The Priest
Victoria Russell	...	Sally Simpson
Ben Aris	...	Reverend Simpson
Mary Holland	...	Mrs. Simpson
Gary Rich	...	Rock Musician
Dick Allan	...	President Black Angels
Barry Winch	...	Young Tommy
Eddie Stacey	...	Bovver Boy
Liza Strike	...	Vocal Chorus (voice)
Gillian McIntosh	...	Vocal Chorus (voice)
Simon Townshend	...	Vocal Chorus / Newsboy (voice)
Vicki Brown	...	Vocal Chorus / Nurse #2 (voice)
Mylon LeFevre	...	Vocal Chorus (voice)
Kit Trevor	...	Vocal Chorus (voice)
Billy Nicholls	...	Vocal Chorus (voice)
Helen Shappel	...	Vocal Chorus (voice)
Jeff Roden	...	Vocal Chorus (voice)
Paul Gurvitz	...	Vocal Chorus (voice)
Margo Newman	...	Vocal Chorus / Nurse #1 (voice)
Alison Dowling	...	Vocal Chorus / Young Tommy (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jennifer Baker	...	Nurse #1 (uncredited)
Susan Baker	...	Nurse #2 (uncredited)
Imogen Claire	...	Nurse at the Specialist's Practice (uncredited)
Christine Hewett	...	Lady in Black Beauty Chocolate Commercial (uncredited)
Juliet King	...	Handmaiden to the Acid Queen (uncredited)
Gillian Lefkowitz	...	Handmaiden to the Acid Queen (uncredited)
James Payne	...	Man in strip club collecting a program (uncredited)
Alex 'Alien' Russell	...	(uncredited)
Ken Russell	...	Cripple (uncredited)

Directed by
Ken Russell

Writing credits
Pete Townshend		(album)
Pete Townshend		(story)
Ken Russell		(screenplay)

Produced by
Harry Benn	....	associate producer
Ken Russell	....	producer
Christopher Stamp	....	executive producer
Robert Stigwood	....	producer
Beryl Vertue	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Dick Bush
Robin Lehman		(special material)
Ronnie Taylor

Film Editing by
Stuart Baird

Art Direction by
John Clark

Costume Design by
Shirley Russell

Makeup Department
George Blackler	....	makeup artist
Joyce James	....	hair stylist
Peter Robb-King	....	makeup artist

Production Management
John Comfort	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jonathan Benson	....	assistant director

Art Department
Terry Ackland-Snow	....	assistant art director
Jack Carter	....	construction manager
Paul Dufficey	....	set designer
Christopher Hobbs	....	sculptor
Tim Hutchinson	....	set designer
Harry Newman	....	property master
Bryn Siddall	....	buyer
Ian Whittaker	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Iain Bruce	....	sound recordist
Charlie McFadden	....	boom operator
John Mosely	....	quintophonic sound developer
Bill Rowe	....	dubbing mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Bob Bremner	....	gaffer
Eddie Collins	....	camera operator
Dickie Lee	....	key grip
Robin Lehman	....	camera operator: special material
Brian Smith	....	best boy
Malcolm Vinson	....	focus puller

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Richard Pointing	....	wardrobe supervisor
Leonard Pollack	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Sati Tooray	....	colorist

Music Department
Richard Bailey	....	musician: drums
Howie Casey	....	musician
Phil Chen	....	musician: bass
Eric Clapton	....	musician: guitar
Dave Clinton	....	musician
Ray Cooper	....	musician
Geoff Daley	....	musician
Graham Deakin	....	musician: drums
Bob Efford	....	musician
John Entwistle	....	musician: bass, brass
Martyn Ford	....	music arranger
Nicky Hopkins	....	music arranger
Nicky Hopkins	....	musician: piano
Elton John	....	musician: piano
Davey Johnstone	....	musician: guitar
Kenney Jones	....	musician: drums
Mike Kelly	....	musician: drums
Keith Moon	....	musician: drums
Dee Murray	....	musician: bass
Ron Nevison	....	music recordist
Tony Newman	....	musician: drums
Nigel Olsson	....	musician: drums
Caleb Quaye	....	musician: guitar, lead guitar
Mick Ralphs	....	musician: guitar
Terry Rawlings	....	music editor
Alan Ross	....	musician: acoustic guitar
Ronnie Ross	....	musician
Fuzzy Samuels	....	musician: bass
Gerald Shaw	....	musician: theatre organ
Chris Stainton	....	musician: organ and acoustic guitar
Tony Stevens	....	musician: bass
Ray Thomas	....	musician: drums
Pete Townshend	....	musical director
Pete Townshend	....	musician: arp synthesizer, guitar, keyboards, piano
Dave Wintour	....	musician: bass
Ron Wood	....	musician: guitar

Other crew
Lee Bolon	....	location manager
Ricky Green	....	location manager
Gillian Gregory	....	choreographer
Kit Lambert	....	original album producer
Kay Mander	....	continuity
Ken Messenger	....	flyer
James Payne	....	utility stand-in
Dave Raymond	....	flyer
Pete Townshend	....	synthesizer programmer

Thanks
Bill Curbishley	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Robert Stigwood Organization (RSO)
• Hemdale Film

Distributors

• Sandrew Film & Teater (1975) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Seven Keys (1975) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Valio-Filmi (1977) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (USA)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• DNC Home Entertainment (2005) (Italy) (DVD)
• EuroVideo (West Germany) (VHS)
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Hemdale Film Distribution (1975)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1997) (Finland) (TV)
• PolyGram Video
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2001) (Finland) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1988) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Effects Associates
• Nobby Clarke Camera Effects

Other Companies

• Birdman Sports Promotion, Limited  our thanks to
• Bluesell Railway Preservation Society  our thanks to
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Polydor  soundtrack
• The City of Portsmouth  our thanks to
• The National Trust, Lake District  our thanks to

Also Known As:

The Who's Tommy
Tommy by 'The Who' (USA) (complete title)
Tommy: The Movie (USA) (promotional title)

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Quintaphonic (5 channel Dolby Stereo) | Dolby

Certification:

Italy:T | Japan:PG-12 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-15 (uncut) (2001) | New Zealand:R16 | Denmark:15 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1977) | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | UK:15 | Singapore:PG | Ireland:15 | UK:AA (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK

Company:

Robert Stigwood Organization (RSO)

Trivia:

All of the movie was filmed to a pre-recorded soundtrack except for the "Pinball Wizard" sequence in which The Who really did play in front of the theatre audience (Elton John's band, however, is featured on the soundtrack). When the fans rush the stage at the end of the sequence, that wasn't scripted but caused by the excitement The Who's live performance generated, particularly when Pete Townshend started to smash his guitar.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the climactic "Listening to You" where Roger (Tommy) is running and crawling through water (clearly soaked), the camera shot changes to meet Tommy as he emerges over the top of the mountain completely dry.

Quotes:

Acid Queen: If your child ain't all he should be now, This girl will put him right. I'll show him what he could be now, Just give me one night! I'm the Gypsy, the Acid Queen, Pay me before I start. I'm the Gypsy, and I'm guaranteed To mend his aching heart.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Operation Double 007 (#6.8)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Acid Queen

It helps to have an appreciation for Ken Russell, not Pete Townsend

This is a Ken Russell movie, make no mistake. It is relentlessly twisted, ugly, savage (for a sometimes humorous effect) and trippy. Russell may be the oldest flower child of all time. Surreal plot concerns a deaf-dumb-and-blind boy becoming the new Messiah to a pinball-crazed population, and the film has been accused of being too literal to The Who's rock opera source material. In this age of lavish music videos, it has also been tagged as archaic. Though nobody seems to care anymore how a film was perceived in its time, I would say the picture still succeeds in doing what was originally intended: shake an audience up with freaky visuals and propulsive music (nicely arranged). It also does something else: creates actual characters from the music, a plus due in part to the fine acting of Ann-Margret as Tommy's glamorous mother, Roger Daltrey as Tommy, Oliver Reed as Tommy's stepfather (Reed is hammy but quite game, while the role is designed as both a villain and a hero), and Tina Turner, an extremely scary presence as the Acid Queen. "Tommy" has some bummer scenes, and Russell's love for degradation occasionally made me wince, but it is a real cinematic experience. Whether it involves or alienates the viewer depends on their appreciation for the English director's constant penchant for the bizarre. **1/2 from ****