Roger Daltrey as Tommy However, the gesture-song which seems to feature real sign language was only a parody of signs. Age was also not quite accurately portrayed as Daltrey was only three years younger than his on-screen mother Ann-Margret and four years younger than his character’s stepfather Oliver Reed.

The album was mostly composed by guitarist Pete Townshend, and is a rock opera that tells the story of Tommy Walker, a “deaf, dumb and blind” boy, including his experiences with life and his relationship with his family. The original album has sold 20 million copies and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

No one had tried it before. Ken wanted me to look up and pretend that I don’t see anything until it hits me. And when the beans hit me, it just THREW me.

Elton John
The song was performed by Elton John in Ken Russell’s 1975 film adaptation of Tommy. This version was released in 1975 as a promotional single only in the US, and in 1976 in the UK, where it reached number 7.

When the parents leave, Ernie takes advantage of Tommy’s blindness, deafness, and dumbness by sexually molesting him, in an attempt to do it behind his parents’ back so no one would know about it and he can get away with it. It works at first until it backfires when Frank returns and overhears it.

Tommy (1975 film)

Tommy is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Paul Attanasio that aired on CBS from February 6 to May 7, 2020. In May 2020, the series was canceled after one season.

All the actors – including famous non-singers Jack Nicholson and Oliver Reed – perform their own songs.

Born during the First World War, he becomes blind, deaf and dumb after seeing a murder by his parents in a mirror, becomes a pinball champion, reaches a state of grace, regains his senses and starts his own religion, is eventually discarded by his disciples somewhere in the far distant future, finds himself as isolated …

Pete Townshend
Pinball Wizard/Composers

Cast (in credits order) verified as complete Oliver Reed Frank Ann-Margret Nora Roger Daltrey Tommy Elton John The Pinball Wizard Eric Clapton The Preacher

Reed plays Nora’s new boyfriend Frank who becomes like a father to Tommy and helps raise him along with Nora. Since Reed was no singer at all and almost incapable of singing, he experienced serious issues recording his songs. Townshend was very frustrated with the actor and the only way to finish his parts was to record his songs in small bits.

As Nora tries several things to bring Tommy out of his psychosomatic disabilities, he, now a young man, discovers pinball. Playing by intuition he becomes a pinball master, which makes him–and Nora and Frank by association–rich and famous.

Daltrey was cast at Russell’s specific request, over the wishes of Daltrey’s own management. In December it was announced Ann-Margret would play Tommy’s mother. Ann-Margret was cast because, according to Russell, “I needed a superb singer.”.