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1921 Update



> In an effort to clarify the story "1921" was changed to "1951" in the
> "Tommy" film

Yellow:

I've always thought it was changed to update the story, making it more
relevant to the likely movie-goers. So that Rock guest stars (including
The Who) could perform, thereby increasing its chances of success. And
so Russell could include his social criticisms and the many Who History
in-jokes, which would have been quite out of place if the story was set
30 years earlier.
Still, you may be correct (have you seen or read anything about
this?)...since even in the original story, Sally Simpson married "a Rock
musician she met in California." For this to happen, assuming Tommy is
at least 3 years old in 1921 (in order to understand what he saw) and
we're talking about the earliest possible Rock musician (about 1956),
Tommy would have been a "pinball messiah" at age 38. Possible, but it
complicates matters. Tommy's parents would have been about 60, and is it
likely they've been trying (without success) to "awaken" Tommy for 35
years? And just now finally getting him to a doctor who can cure the
boy? "BOY," did I hear him say? And wasn't it the Pinball Wizard who
called Tommy a "deaf dumb and blind kid?"
So some clarification certainly was in order...

- -- 

            Cheers                ML

 "There's a million ways to laugh/And every one's a path..."

            Pete Townshend