Beans, psychedelics, pinball — few movies capture the chaos of 1970s rock and roll quite like Tommy. Adapted for the big screen from The Who’s blockbuster 1969 album of the same name, Ken Russell’s jukebox musical has its high-concept themes — religion, capitalism, exploitation — but really, it’s the wildest film of the decade and, according to Ultimate Classic Rock, the best rock movie of 1975.
View this post on Instagram“In adapting The Who's rock opera for the big screen, director Ken Russell created a tighter plot than the one found on the album — through some new songs by Pete Townshend and re-ordering of the existing ones,” UCR writes. “Although Russell's approach to the visuals turned it into overblown camp, it’s nonetheless a spectacle to watch.”
Released in March 1975, Tommy was unlike anything moviegoers had ever seen or would see again — well, until September when The Rocky Horror Picture Show was released. Translating Townshend’s original album for the big screen, the film follows the journey of a man from deaf, blind, and mute pinball superstar to reluctant cult messiah. Fame, worship, celebrity, and manipulation are all explored, while a soundtrack featuring the film’s rock star cast sounds off.
Roger Daltrey, The Who’s frontman, stars as the titular character. He’s supported by Elton John as the Pinball Wizard, Tina Turneras the Acid Queen, Eric Clapton as The Preacher, Jack Nicholson as The Specialist, and Ann-Margret as Nora Walker, Tommy’s glamorous and dramatic mother. With explosive interpretations of The Who’s songs, standouts include “Pinball Wizard,” performed by John; “The Acid Queen,” performed by Turner; and “See Me, Feel Me,” performed by Daltrey.
Fans of the film will tell you that even wilder than Turner and her drug-filled syringes and John in his platform Doc Martens is the scene involving Ann-Margret and gallons of baked beans. The scene begins with the actress dancing around an all-white bedroom with a bottle of bubbly, belting out a cover of “Champagne,” then ends with the beauty riding waves of gushing baked beans. It’s a chaotic scene that actually sent the star to the hospital.
“When I threw the champagne bottle at the TV set, it really smashed,” she recalled in a 2011 interview with Entertainment Weekly, explaining how she accidentally got cut during filming. “So they took me away, put loads of towels on me. And here I come into the hospital, looking like a drowned person in this silver knit shrinking catsuit with blood all over. There were 27 stitches.”
Rolling around in a side dish has its perks: The role scored the actress an Oscar nomination and Golden Globe win. The film was also a success at the box office, making an estimated $35 million against a $5 million budget. But for Tommy creator Townshend, the film’s massive cultural impact came with more complicated feelings.
In a 2013 Rolling Stone interview, he revealed, “I didn’t ever realize the difference between being what you would call a film star and a rock star. It was enormously different. It was very hard to deal with for a year or two after that. … It was just crazy. People just treat you so differently.” He added, “[People] would call me Tommy, and it would really get on my tits.”
Hope he won't mind a few more flowers.
Tommy is available to rent or buy on Prime Video.
Related: 1971 Bittersweet Classic With Soulful Soundtrack Ranked Among Greatest Rock Movies
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