Tommy (1975 film)

Tommy is a 1975 British psychedelic musical fantasy drama film written and directed by Ken Russell and based on The Who's 1969 rock opera album Tommy about a psychosomatically deaf, mute, and blind boy who becomes a pinball champion and religious leader. The film featured a star-studded ensemble cast, including the members of The Who themselves (most notably, lead singer Roger Daltrey, who plays the title role), Oliver Reed, Ann-Margret, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Jack Nicholson, Robert Powell and Tina Turner.

An independent production by Russell and Robert Stigwood, Tommy was released by Columbia Pictures in the US on 19 March 1975 while in the UK it was released by Hemdale Film Corporation on 26 March 1975. Ann-Margret received a Golden Globe Award for her performance and was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Pete Townshend was also nominated for an Oscar for his work in scoring and adapting the music for the film. The film was shown at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival, but was not entered into the main competition. In 1975, the film won the award for Rock Movie of the Year in the First Annual Rock Music Awards. the film was a box office success but received mixed reviews upon release.