They should've gotten someone who could actually sing for Bernie. When he's just gesturing and stuff it's okay, but as soon as he opens his mouth it's almost unbearable. Make him the child molester & give Keith Moon a better part.
Beware the cows, not all milk is enriched!
amen! But... instead of kicking keith moon out of his awesome job, why not just kick oliver reed out all together?
All people are equal, but some people are more equal then others
-Squealer, Animal Farm
What about Jack for the role of Bernie? and make Oliver the Specialist
sharePersonally, I like Oliver Reed playing the role. It was a weird choice and he does stand out because he cant sing...But this only adds to the film for me some how.
hjl
Star Wars Episode IV.V: The Holiday Special.
i agree hecklejecklelove, it wouldn't be Tommy without him
- Screws fall out all the time, the worlds' an imperfect place-
Yeah, it makes him seem more like he doesn't fit that he can't sing. He's not Tommy's father, he's just a substitute that's nowhere near as good, so doesn't sing well.
sharePersonally, I like Oliver Reed playing the role. It was a weird choice and he does stand out because he cant sing...But this only adds to the film for me some how.
That would be sweet. That's my vote. Actually I think Jack Nicholson would be good in Oliver Reed's part. And as for Keith Moon... His part is small and freaky enough, plus his voice sucks. I think we got a Keith Moon cult here!
shareAnswer : Because He's Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!
For not being a singer Oliver did a great job! He really added a lot to the film. All of his scenes are my favorite things in the film!
He was One of a Kind!
I know. I can't stand his voice and I don't get why they gave the part to him. I heard they went through a lot of audio problems because of it, too, so why didn't they just save all that time and energy and give the part to someone who could sing?
And I actually liked Moon's part. I think he played a psychopath quite well. :D
P.S: to those who were saying it wouldn't be proper without Oliver Reed, you would be saying the same thing if it was omeone else. If he'd never been given the part, then you would never prefer him over anyone.. it's all got to do with perspective.
"Why don't you have a big tall glass of Shut Up juice?" - Conan O'Brienshare
'P.S: to those who were saying it wouldn't be proper without Oliver Reed, you would be saying the same thing if it was omeone else. If he'd never been given the part, then you would never prefer him over anyone.. it's all got to do with perspective.'
While this is true, it is also true that it actually WAS Oliver Reed in Tommy, he was in the original 1975 film, and thus, because for many the film was their first taste of Tommy as a visual treat, it will be a favorite, and as such, all the actors who played their respective parts will forever be the best people for the job.
Its like saying that Harrison Ford playing Han Solo is only goodfor us because its all we've known...Or that Robert De nero is only good in Taxi Driver because its all we've known.
Sure, it is about perspective, but the perspective of Oliver Reed playing Tommy's Uncle in this film is the only one we have...And if there ever comes a time when its not the only one we have (if a remake is made) then Reed's performance in the original will be the one that most Tommy movie fans will love most because it is the first and features ALL of The (original) Who in there with him.
hjl
Star Wars Episode IV.V: The Holiday Special.
OMG are u deaf? she has the voice of an angel!!
I touched the soil and he loved me back
Amen To That Film Fan
shareOliver Reed, & Ken Russell had worked together in other films by Ken Russell. Peter Townshend was not happy at first either with Oliver's vocals. He did portray a good unemotional stepfather. He was all about greed, & using Tommy to his advantage.
shareHey, have a little respect people! Oliver Reed was a fine actor and he did a great job in Tommy. Don't be so darn harsh.
shareNo one could play a half-bad, half-good character better than he could. Which is really what Frank was.
sharei honestly think that they chose him because it shows that he isnt a good person. its almost like The Who wanted us to see uncle franks soul through his bad singing... if that makes any sense, then again i could just be looking to much into this. tell me if any of you agree
"Dead men tell no tales." Mr. Cotton's Parrot.
yo hoho and a bottle of RUM! Proud RUMRUNNER!
Actually, I think you made a pretty good(and amusing) point with what you said. I really can see where you're coming from with that.
YourSpace sucks!
I remember reading somewhere that he was plastered all the time too. Jack as the stepfather would have been interesting but Jack didn't really sing well either.
shareJack probably had the best pronounciation in his singing voice which i really liked.
SODA (Silence Of Douches Alliance) Founder
Join Today! You might get free college!
Jack sounds cool when he sings! :D
But Oliver Reed was pissing me off, especially in "Go To the Mirror", when he sustains "Ooh, I wish I kneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew", his pitch goes flat quick. :(
He's also out of key on the "Do You Think It's Alright". Good actor, bad singer.
I htought that even though Reed was a bad singer he did a great job of presenting his character, which is mor eimportant. Hell his off key moments and flats added to the step dad character cause his singing was so unstable like a relfection of wether he was good or bad for Tommy. I thought it was a nice touch.
He's a good actor but he can't sing to save his life. Note that the soundtrack album version of Go to the Mirror has Oliver's vocal mixed out.
He should have mimed to someone else's singing.
Peter Gabriel or Bryan Ferry in the lover role would have been really intersting.
Reed's character was not supposed to know how to sing well. The script was written that way.
share[deleted]
I saw it in the theatre when it came out, and no one laughed. Reed is not a singer, true, but he projects that character, each and every moment from beginning to end, with such force and clarity that his warbled shout makes perfect sense. It becomes Frank's warbled shout; Reed makes that man flesh and blood. Oliver Reed and Ann Margaret give incredibly detailed performances. They each convey the progression of time in the way they think, move, and even talk/sing. They are, indeed, the film's backbone; they provide focus. It's uncanny the way they are both able to portray subtle shifts of thought in the midst of a film that's anything but subtle. Oliver Reed commanded the screen like no other actor. A large man, Reed always seemed bigger than anyone else on screen; a powerhouse of a man. But there was also a softness, a sensitivity that came across in contrast to his physique. He was certainly not a singer, but his performance in TOMMY does not suffer. He acted it. And Reed was a great actor.
share
I agree with the posters that say Oliver played the part well, yes it was a complicated part....he had to show the good and the bad. Also, agree that his singing is horrible, BUT I ALWAYS thought that it was on purpose (for the character)? I guess I was wrong, LOL.
Anyway...my friends and I saw this mutiple times in the theatre, we were 12 when it came out and we were such huge WHO fans at the time. Great memories.
We didn't laugh at the bad singing during the movie, but MAN did we buzz about it after we left! Were like, What duh? was up with Jack and Oliver's singing!
"everyday above ground is a good one"~SFU
My only issue with him (and he was perfect, love the characterization) was how on earth could Ann-Margret fall for such an obviously slimy pig of a man. Once she stoops down to his lever (or lower) they're a match made in heaven, but in the early scenes just the pairing was too unbelievable.
sharei honestly think that they chose him because it shows that he isnt a good person. its almost like The Who wanted us to see uncle franks soul through his bad singing...
I agree about this. I alway figured it was in charachter that he couldn't sing. He's a tough, lazy and slighty slimy man, one who wouldn't have bothered to much to learn to sing well. His lack of singingabilities only shows the carelessness of the charachter. I think it's espessially fitting during "Do you think it's allright?". The way he flatly sings: "Yes, I think it's allright" while reading the paper, shows he doesn't care whether it's allright or not.
**********
Hugs...
I believe Oliver was chosen because of his oafishness. He was PERFECT!!
And NOBODY could play Uncle Ernie like Keith!!!!
ii:iv