document_title: Staten Island Ferry

question_text: how long is the staton island ferry ride

question_tokens: how long is the staton island ferry ride

text: Staten Island Ferry

text: History[edit]

text: Predecessors[edit]

text: Before the New York City area was colonized, the indigenous Lenape Native Americans traversed the area's waterways using boat, traveling from Staten Island to present-day Manhattan and New Jersey. The area was then known as Lenapehoking, and the Lenape traveled along nearby waterways such as Arthur Kill, Kill Van Kull, and Raritan Bay.[2]

text: In the 18th century, ferry service between Staten Island and the city of New York, then occupying only the southern tip of Manhattan, was conducted by private individuals with "periaugers". These shallow-draft, two-masted sailboats, used for local traffic in New York Harbor, were also used for other transport in the area.[3]

text: Early years[edit]

text: Cornelius Vanderbilt, an entrepreneur from Stapleton, Staten Island, who would become one of the world's richest people, started a ferry from Staten Island to Manhattan in 1810.[4]:223 Cornelius was 16 years old at the time and had sailed extensively enough in his father's periauger that he could easily navigate the New York Harbor Estuary on his own. He earned $100 for his birthday in May 1810, which he used to purchase a periauger called the Swiftsure that he then used to transport passengers from Staten Island to the Battery at Manhattan's tup. Vanderbilt competed against other boatmen providing service in the harbor, who jokingly called "Commodore" because of his youthful eagerness; that nickname applied to him for the rest of his life.[5] After the War of 1812 limited access to New York Harbor from elsewhere along the East Coast, Vanderbilt made profits from carrying cargo along the Hudson River; he bought extra boats with these profits. After the war, he transported cargo in the harbor, earning even more money and buying more boats.[5]

text: Also during the War of 1812, U.S. Vice President Daniel D. Tompkins secured a charter for the Richmond Turnpike Company as part of his efforts to develop the village of Tompkinsville, which would become Staten Island's first European settlement.[6][7]:206 The company was incorporated in 1815,[8][9] and Tompkinsville was created in 1816.[10] Though the company built a highway across Staten Island, it also received the right to run a ferry to New York.[6][10] The Richmond Turnpike Company began to run the first motorized ferry between New York and Staten Island in 1817.[11]:171 The Nautilus was commanded by Captain John DeForest, the brother-in-law of Cornelius Vanderbilt.[11]:171[12]:66[7]:54 This new ferry broke the short monopoly on steamboat operations that the Fulton Ferry from Manhattan to Brooklyn had held since its opening in 1814.[12]:65 As a direct result of the steamboat route's inauguration, Vanderbilt sold all his schooners to his father in 1818, since the steamboats provided much faster means of transportation across the harbor. He subsequently started working for Thomas Gibbons, a small-steamboat operator, operating steamboat lines for Gibbons in New Jersey before later operating his own lines in New York.[5]

text: When Tompkins died in 1825, the company's stocks were put in a trust at at the Fulton Bank in lower Manhattan.[8] As per an act passed in 1824, the bank was to be incorporated only if it also accepted the Richmond Turnpike Company's stock, and if the company were to end operations in 1844.[13] Vanderbilt, who had grown wealthy in the steamboat business in New York waters, bought control of the Richmond Turnpike Company in 1838.[11]:171[7]:206 The company's original charter expired in 1844,[7]:207[13] and Vanderbilt transferred the former company's leases and titles to himself and the company's other chief officer, Oroondates Mauran, as private citizens rather than as chief officers. Vanderbilt bought Mauran's share of the company upon the latter's death in 1848.[7]:207

text: By the mid-18th century, there were three separate ferry companies offering services between lower Manhattan and the eastern shore of Staten Island.[12]:66 The Tompkins and Staples Ferry, operated by Vice President Tompkins's son Minthorne,[12]:66[7]:226 ran from a pier at the Tompkinsville end of the highway to Whitehall Street in lower Manhattan.[10] The New York and Staten Island Steam Ferry Company, or "People's Ferry", was operated by George Law[7]:226 and ran from Stapleton, Staten Island, to Liberty Street, Manhattan.[12]:66 Finally, the Richmond Turnpike Ferry, also the "Staten Island Ferry", ran from Vanderbilt's Landing, on Clifton, Staten Island, to Manhattan.[12]:66 All of these companies merged in 1853 after Vanderbilt, who was focused on business ventures elsewhere, convinced Law and Tompkins to buy out his ferry company for $600,000.[7]:226 Vanderbilt remained a dominant figure in the ferry until the Civil War in the early 1860s.[11]:171

text: The combined company, the Staten Island and New York Ferry Company, ran services from Whitehall Street to Tompkinsville, Stapleton, and Clifton. It originally ran single-ended boats but eventually expanded its fleet to include double-ended boats.[12]:66–67 To accommodate growing ridership, three double-ended boats (Southfield I, Westfield I, and Clifton I) were purchased for the Richmond Turnpike Ferry in the 1850s, and another three (Westfield II, Southfield II, and Middletown) were obtained in the 1860s.[11]:172 Clifton I and Westfield I were purchased by the Union Army in 1861, who used the ships as blockades against the Confederate Army during the Civil War.[14][15]

text: The Staten Island Railway opened in stages in 1860.[16] It was necessary to have a direct connection between the new railroad trains and the infrequent ferries to and from Manhattan, but this turned out to be difficult during the beginning of operation.[17]:462 The ferries serving Vanderbilt's Landing were owned by George Law, who operated the rival New York and Staten Island Steam Ferry. Afterwards, Vanderbilt tried to operate a ferry service between Manhattan and Staten Island that would compete with the ferry service owned by Law. Vanderbilt started construction on his plan for a central dock on the island, but he abandoned the scheme after a storm destroyed the timber work. Only the large stone foundation remained; this was still visible in 1900 at low tide.[17]:462 A long franchise battle ensued, resulting in Vanderbilt selling his ferry service to Law in 1862.[18][4]:226 Vanderbilt subsequently lost interest in the transit operations on Staten Island and he handed the operations of the ferry and railroad over to his brother, Jacob Vanderbilt, who was the president of the company until 1883.[19]:7[17]:462 In March 1864, Vanderbilt bought Law's ferries, bringing both the railroad and the ferries under the same company.[4]:226 The railway assumed the Staten Island and New York Ferry Company's operations in 1865.[19]:7

text: On the afternoon of July 30, 1871, the Staten Island Railway Ferry-owned ferryboat Westfield I was damaged when its boiler exploded while sitting in its slip at South Ferry.[4]:226[20] Within days of the disaster, between 45 and 91 were identified as dead, and from 78 to 208 were injured, although figures varied widely between the Times, Herald, Tribune, and World.[4]:226[21] Jacob Vanderbilt was arrested for murder, though he escaped conviction.[4]:228 This had an adverse effect on the railroad's finances,[4]:228 and on March 28, 1872, the railway and the ferry went into receivership as a result of the disaster.[4]:228[17][22]:553 On September 17, 1872, the property of the company was sold to George Law in foreclosure,[4]:228 with the exception of the ferryboat Westfield II, which was purchased by Horace Theall.[16]

text: Erastus Wiman, a Canadian enterpreneur who had become one of Staten Island's most notable figures since moving to New York in 1867, planned to develop Staten Island by adding transit.[4]:228–229 Wiman built an amusement area on the island to help develop it.[2][23] He incorporated the Staten Island Rapid Transit Railroad Company on March 25, 1880,[4]:229 and the incorporation of the company was made official on April 14, 1880.[24]:1257[25]:569 Two years later, Wiman applied to build a ferry dock in Manhattan in order to serve his new ferry routes.[26] Also among Wiman's proposals was combining the six to eight separate ferry operations into one terminal.[27]:22 This became the St. George ferry landing, which opened in March 1886.[28][23]

text: On April 3, 1883, the Staten Island Rapid Transit Railroad Company gained control of the Staten Island Railway and its boats.[4]:229[11]:172 The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) obtained control of the Staten Island Railway Ferry Company's operations the next year.[4]:230 A controlling interest in the Railway Ferry Company was obtained by the B&O in 1885 through purchases of stock. On November 21, 1885, Robert Garrett, President of the B&O,[29] leased the Railway Ferry Company to the B&O for 99 years.[30]:37 The B&O could now provide service to a ferry terminal that was closer to Manhattan public transit. Rather than having passengers transfer to the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ)'s ferries from the Jersey City Terminal to the Liberty Street Ferry Terminal in Manhattan, which was not close to any elevated rail stations in the area, the B&O could now operate to the Whitehall Street terminal, where there was a direct transfer to an elevated station.[30]:100 Garrett resigned from his position at the B&O in 1887,[4]:233[31] and his successors did not show as much interest in Staten Island transit operations.[4]:234 Wiman lost a lot of money in the Panic of 1893, and two years later, much of his property was auctioned to pay off debts.[32]

text: In 1893, the B&O commenced plans to divert some CNJ ferries from Jersey City to Whitehall Street, with the latter ordering the Easton and Mauch Chunk ferries for the Whitehall Street service. The boats started service in 1897.[30]:100 Construction of a new ferry terminal at St. George commenced in 1895.[33]

text: In 1899, the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and the New York Central Railroad (NYCRR) formed a partnership in which they were to buy smaller freight railroad companies. PRR president Alexander Cassatt devised the plan because he thought that two large freight-shipping companies, Standard Oil and Carnegie Steel, were artificially depressing freight-shipping rates by cajoling smaller companies for rebates. Among the PRR's acquisitions was the B&O, which in turn owned the Staten Island Railway and Ferry. Cassatt started buying B&O stock in 1899 and owned much of the B&O stock two years later.[34]:194–195

text: City ownership and other ferries[edit]

text: On June 14, 1901, the ferryboat Northfield II was leaving the ferry port at Whitehall when it was struck by CNJ ferry Mauch Chunk.[35] Damaged beyond repair, Northfield II sank immediately.[11]:172[35][36] Out of 995 passengers aboard, only four or five were killed.[4]:235[30]:100 An investigation into the crash[37] found that Northfield II had sunk because of the extent of the damage rather than because of its 38-year age.[38]

text: Shortly after, the government of New York City made a series of decisions announcing its intent to acquire ownership of the ferry. The Sinking Fund Commission decided in 1903 that the city could acquire the Staten Island ferry route in 1903. The city would pay $3.2 million to take over operations of the ferry, including $2 million for five new screw-propelled ships.[39] From 1902 to 1903, there were debates on where to put the new Whitehall terminal; the location at Whitehall Street was decided as the best location.[27]:45 The locations of the Staten Island terminal were also debated, with the terminal proposed to be built in West Brighton, Tompkinsville, Stapleton, and Port Richmond.[27]:55 In 1904, after the Staten Island Railway Company refused the city's offer of $500,000 for the two terminals, the city started a process to condemn the land around the terminals.[40] The B&O's access to the Whitehall Street terminal was revoked on October 25, 1905. The city's Department of Docks and Ferries assumed ownership of the ferry and terminals. A new St. George Terminal was then built by the city for $2,318,720.[41]:29 The city acquired five boats from the B&O operation. The five new ships, one named for each of the new boroughs, were commissioned and entered service in 1905.[11]:172

text: New York City then started operating a line from Battery Park to Stapleton in May 1909.[11]:172[42] This service ran every 90 minutes between 4 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily.[42] It was discontinued at the end of 1913 due to low ridership.[11]:172 Staten Islanders protested against the city's discontinuance of the Stapleton ferry, to no avail.[43]

text: A ferry service from St. George to 39th Street in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, became city-operated in 1906.[27]:22 A second route from St. George to Brooklyn, was created on July 4, 1912, with the Brooklyn & Richmond Ferry Company providing service to 69th Street in Bay Ridge.[27]:55 This service was infrequent, and in March 1924, New York City Plant and Structures Commissioner Grover A. Whalen suggested that the 69th Street service be placed under city operation.[44] In June 1924, the route to 39th Street was taken over by the New York Bay Ferry.[45] By the end of that summer, the three ferry routes were advertised as the most convenient way to get to Staten Island until a tunnel between Staten Island and Brooklyn could be completed.[46] The Bay Ridge operation was taken over by the Electric Ferries company in 1939.[11]:308[4]:239

text: In 1940, the Brooklyn & Richmond Ferry Company asked the city to stop its municipal operation to 39th Street so the 69th Street ferry could carry all Staten Island-to-Brooklyn traffic, thus enabling them to lower rates.[47] The 39th Street ferry was suspended in June 1946 after a fire destroyed the Whitehall ferry slips at St. George,[4]:239[16][48] which forced the Whitehall ferries to stop at the slips formerly used by the 39th Street ferry.[27]:22 The suspension of ferry service was supposed to be temporary, but even after a year had elapsed, merchants at Brooklyn's Bush Terminal near 39th Street were petitioning the city to resume service.[49] However, this service was apparently never restored.[16][27]:22 Around this time, ferry services in the area were being discontinued and replaced by bridges and tunnels, leading to the eventual demise of the 69th Street ferry.[50] The exception was the ferry directly from Manhattan to Staten Island,[51] which was not expected to see a significant decrease in ridership because it provided the only direct link between the two boroughs.[52]

text: Electric Ferries' franchise expired on March 31, 1954, and the city contracted the 69th Street ferry's operation to Henry Shanks in order to keep the ferry running.[53] The 69th Street ferry ceased operation in 1964 due to the opening of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge a short distance south.[27]:22[50] At the time of discontinuation, 7,000 daily passengers paid five cents each to cross, while 8,000 vehicles per day paid a toll of 75 cents to use the ferry. Each boat could fit from 500 to 750 passengers as well as 42 vehicles, which caused traffic jams at both of the ferry's slips due to the boats' low capacity. However, the route between St. George and Whitehall Streets was kept since the bridge's opening was expected to spur an influx of residents to Staten Island, potentially increasing ridership on the ferry to Manhattan.[50]

text: By 1967, all other ferries in New York City had closed due to competition by automobile traffic, and the St. George to Whitehall route was the only ferry in the city.[54][51] It remained as such until the 1980s, when other ferry routes were restarted.[55] Off-peak service was reduced in 1967, but two months later that service was restored. However, due to the city's mid-1970s financial crisis, night service ended on July 1, 1975, with alternate service being provided by the Fourth Avenue subway.[56] Night service was restored in the 1980s after two boats, comprising the current Austen class, were ordered specifically for overnight voyages.[57] These boats entered service in 1986.[27]:77

text: By the late 1980s, ferries had again become a popular mode of transport in the area.[51] In 1991, seventy companies expressed interest in bidding for the rights to operate new ferries across the city. This list of potential bidders was reduced to three companies by 1993. One of these ferries was to be a ferry from Staten Island to midtown Manhattan; this new ferry would travel at top speeds of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) as opposed to the existing Whitehall-to-St. George ferry's 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).[54] New York Fast Ferry was ultimately selected to run a ferry from St. George to East 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan, starting service in January 1997 with about 1,650 commuters a day using the service.[58] However, in July of that year, the fare was eliminated on the ferry between St. George and Whitehall Street. This allowed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to institute a "one-city, one-fare" transfer scheme, where Staten Island transit riders could pay a single $1.50 fare with a MetroCard on a Staten Island bus or train and get a free transfer to a Manhattan bus or subway by taking the free St. George–Whitehall ferry, or vice versa.[59] This decreased daily ridership on the $5-per-ticket Midtown ferry to 400 passengers, and as a result, New York Fast Ferry was unable to make a profit on the Midtown ferry route. New York Fast Ferry went out of business at the end of 1997,[60][61] at which point NY Waterway took over the route.[62] After NY Waterway failed to break even on the Midtown route, it was eliminated on July 31, 1998.[58]

text: Immediately after the September 11, 2001, attacks, the ferry was used to evacuate victims of the attacks at the World Trade Center[63][64] before being temporarily closed for a week.[65] Ferry service was restored by September 18.[66] When it reopened, some ferries were diverted to Bay Ridge due to subway and road closures across the East River. This continued into 2002, with some 2,200 passengers per day using the ferry even though the subways and highways had been reopened.[67] Also in 2002, the city proposed eliminating night service again and outsourcing nighttime operations to other ferry companies in the area.[68]

text: In 2003, both terminals' lower levels were closed and all vehicular traffic on the ferry was banned due to the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. Under this act, passengers would have to board and depart from different sections of the ferry, and since the lower levels of each ferry were used for departing, they could not be used for boarding.[69] This made boarding the ferry inconvenient for park-and-ride users at the St. George Terminal.[70] The lower levels of each terminal were reopened in 2017 to reduce passenger crowding on the ships' upper levels.[69][70] The St. George Terminal's lower level was opened during morning rush, and the Whitehall Terminal's lower level was opened during middays and the evening rush.[71]

text: Night and weekend service was increased in 2004 due to growing ridership during these times.[72] Before the 2004 increase in night service, boats only ran once an hour between midnight and 7 a.m.[73]:7 The ferry had not added more trips during nights and weekends even though Staten Island's population had increased since 1990.[73]:5 In November 2006, additional ferries running every 30 minutes were provided during the weekend morning hours.[74] In 2015, weekend-morning and late-night frequencies were increased to every thirty minutes.[75][76]

text: In 2013, city councilman James Oddo advocated for a revival of fast ferry service to Staten Island as part of his campaign to become that borough's president.[77] After Oddo's election as borough president, he pushed New York City mayor Bill de Blasio to consider a Staten Island fast ferry as part of de Blasio's proposed Citywide Ferry Service (later renamed NYC Ferry). At the time, the new system's only proposed ferry stop on Staten Island was at Stapleton, which was already well-served by the Whitehall–St. George route; the transit-deprived South Shore was not planned to be served by the citywide ferry.[78] Later, the citywide ferry's Stapleton route was relegated to an unfunded plan, leaving Staten Island with no stops on the new system.[79] With the opening of NYC Ferry in 2017, politicians and Staten Island residents again advocated bringing more ferry service to Staten Island, including one ferry each to Manhattan and Brooklyn; a stop on the South Shore; and extra stops on the Whitehall–St. George ferry.[80] In April 2017, Oddo announced a tentative agreement with NY Waterway to possibly implement a fast route from St. George to Midtown Manhattan in 2018.[81] The ferry would go to West Midtown Ferry Terminal as opposed to East 34th Street.[82] Unlike NYC Ferry,[83][84] the Staten Island-to-Midtown route would not receive any per-passenger subsidies from the city.[81] In September 2017, private developers on the South Shore also negotiated with SeaStreak to run a separate fast ferry route from the South Shore to Lower Manhattan.[85]

text: Operations[edit]

text: Service is provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year along its 5.2-mile (8.4 km) run.[86] which carried 23.9 million passengers in fiscal year 2016.[1] While trips take 25 minutes,[86] service usually runs every 30 minutes most hours of the day and night, with more frequent service during peak times.[87] The Staten Island Ferry is administered separately from NYC Ferry.[88]

text: Route[edit]

text: The ferry's single route departs Manhattan from the Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal at South Ferry, at the southernmost tip of Manhattan near the Battery. On Staten Island, the ferry arrives and departs from the St. George Ferry Terminal on Richmond Terrace, near Richmond County's Borough Hall and Supreme Court.[86] The ferry ride provides views of the Lower Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty, and as such, is a popular place for film shoots.[63] It is a popular place to go on Saturday nights, as beer and food items are served at the snack bar.[89]

text: In the past, ferries were equipped for vehicle transport, at a charge of $3 per automobile.[63] A vehicle ban was approved in 1992, after the Whitehall Terminal was destroyed and subsequently rebuilt without vehicle loading areas,[90][91] but the September 11 attacks ended vehicle crossings at the temporary terminal as well.[63] It has been proposed to bring car boarding back due to rising tolls on the Verrazano Bridge,[92] but the plan was seen as unlikely due to the amount of effort needed to screen every car.[93]

text: While the ferries no longer transport motor vehicles, they do transport bicycles. There are two bicycle entrances to the ferry from either borough. The bike entrance is always on the first floor so bicyclists can enter the ferry from the ground without needing to enter the building. The ground entrance is also reserved exclusively for bike riders (everyone else must use the 2nd floor entrance). Cyclists must dismount and walk their bicycles to the waiting area and onto the boat and bicycles must be stored in the designated bicycle storage area on each boat. Cyclists are subject to screening upon arrival at the ferry terminals.[94] Bicycles may also be taken on the lowest deck of the ferry without charge.[86]

text: During rush hours, ferries usually run at 15-to-20-minute intervals, decreasing to 30 minutes during the mid-days and evenings. For a few hours during the early morning, usually 12 a.m. to 6 a,m., a ferry is provided once every 30 minutes. During the weekends ferries run every 30 minutes.[87]

text: Terminals[edit]

text: Whitehall Terminal[edit]

text: There have been at least two terminals on the site of the current terminal. When the original Whitehall Terminal opened in 1903, its Beaux-Arts design was identical to the Battery Maritime Building, which still exists.[27]:55[63] A fire at the South Ferry elevated station in 1919 damaged the building.[95][27]:55 A $3 million renovation to the terminal was announced in 1953,[96] and it opened on July 24, 1956.[97] The old terminal burned down in a fire on September 8, 1991.[98][27]:55 A new design was announced the next year,[91] while a temporary terminal was opened at the site to accommodate passengers in the meantime.[63]

text: On February 7, 2005, a completely renovated and modernized terminal, designed by architect Frederic Schwartz, was dedicated, along with the new two-acre Peter Minuit Plaza in the Battery.[99][27]:54[100] The terminal contains connections to the New York City Subway's South Ferry/Whitehall Street station complex, as well as to buses and taxis.[101] A "gateway to the city", set against the backdrop of Manhattan's greatest buildings on one side and the river on the other, the design was created to imbue the terminal "with a strong sense of civic presence"[102] In his remarks at the terminal's dedication, Mayor Michael Bloomberg stated that "You can walk into this spectacular terminal day or night and feel like you're part of the city ... [the terminal] is a continuation of what you feel on the ferry ... in a sense you are suspended over the water."[102] Described as "an elegant addition to [the] city's architecture," the transit hub was described by a Newsday editor as so beautiful that it had become a tourist attraction in its own right.[103]

text: St. George Terminal[edit]

text: A new ferry and rail terminal at St. George's Landing[28] and an extension of the Staten Island Railway north from Vanderbilt's Landing had been proposed in the 1870s by the owners of the railroad (George Law, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Erastus Wiman) to replace the various ferry sites on the north and east shores Staten Island.[4]:226–228[104] St. George was selected due to it being the closest point from Staten Island to Manhattan, approximately a 5 miles (8.0 km) distance.[4]:226–228[16] The name of the terminal and the local neighborhood were renamed to St. George in honor of Law, allegedly as a concession by Wiman in order to build the terminal and connecting tunnel on land owned by Law.[105][106][107] The ferry terminal was opened in early 1886.[28][23]

text: On June 25, 1946, a large fire destroyed both the wooden ferry and rail terminals, killing 3 people and injuring more than 200.[48] Full service was restored in July of that year.[4]:239[16] A new facility was built by the city, opening on June 8, 1951.[4]:239[16][108] The new facility cost $21 million.[108] It received renovations in the 2000s as part of a $300 million renovation of several ferry terminals in the area, including the St. George and Whitehall Terminals.[109][110][63] As of 2013[update], St. George's direct rail-sea connection is one of a few left in the United States.[111]:2

text: Fares[edit]

text: The ferry is free of charge, though riders must disembark at each terminal and reenter through the terminal building for a round trip to comply with Coast Guard regulations regarding vessel capacity.[112] The turnstiles were dismantled when fares were removed in 1997,[59] so there is no official way to count the number of passengers aboard the ferry, though the crew of each boat can estimate the number of passengers aboard the vessel.[112] The state's per-passenger expenditure in 2012 was $4.86, paid for through taxes.[113] This subsidy rose to $5.87 in 2016[114] before dropping to $5.16 in 2017.[1] For comparison, the city's per-passenger subsidy for NYC Ferry in 2017 was $6.50, calculated after all passengers had paid their $2.75 fare.[115]

text: For most of the 20th century, the ferry was famed as the biggest bargain in New York City, as it charged the same one-nickel fare as the New York City Subway. In 1882, riders protested against a proposed fare increase to 10 cents per ride, but were unsuccessful in obtaining a fare reduction.[116] The fare-reduction movement resurfaced in 1894, with multiple petitions being submitted to the New-York Sinking Fund Commissioners.[117] However, these petitions were all denied.[118] By 1898, the fare had been reduced to a nickel, or five cents.[119][120]

text: The ferry fare remained a nickel when the subway fare increased to 10 cents in 1948.[56] Despite the ferry's growing operational shortfalls in the 1950s, the five-cent fare remained static regardless of inflation.[52] By 1968, the Citizens Budget Commission was proposing to hike fares to close the deficits, with Staten Island commuters paying 20 cents and others paying 50 cents for a one-way trip.[119] In May 1970, then-Mayor John V. Lindsay proposed that the fare be raised to 25 cents, pointing out that the cost for each ride was 50 cents, or ten times what the fare brought in.[121] As part of a city budget passed in June of that year, the nickel fare was kept.[122] Due to the city's financial crisis in the mid-1970s, Mayor Abraham Beame submitted a proposal to increase the fare in July 1975.[56] On August 4, 1975, the nickel fare ended and the charge became 25 cents for a round trip, with the quarter being collected in one direction only. The fare increase was intended to earn the ferry service an extra $1.35 million in annual revenue.[123]

text: In 1990 the charge for a round trip was increased to 50 cents,[124] provoking a backlash among Staten Islanders, and sparking calls for its complete abolition. Grievances over the fare partly contributed to Staten Island voting in 1993 to secede from New York City in a non-binding referendum.[125] Rudy Giuliani's three-percent margin of victory in the concurrent mayoral elections was in considerable part due to the support of 80% of Staten Island voters, whose concerns he had pledged to address.[126] The passenger fare was subsequently eliminated altogether in July 1997 as part of the implementation of the MTA's "one-city, one-fare" system, which allowed for more free transfers between different modes of transit in New York City. The separate $3 car fares were unaffected.[59][125][126] The new MetroCard had been configured to allow one free transfer between buses and subways or other buses within 2 hours of the first payment, and eliminating the ferry fare was seen as an action to equalize Staten Islanders' MetroCard fares with those of commuters in other boroughs.[59] Despite the fact that the ferry fare had netted $6 million in annual revenue for the city, its abolition only cost the city about $1 million, due to the savings from removing the turnstiles as well as the revenue from MetroCard fares.[126] Some riders disliked the removal of the fares, as they felt that free service might result in lower-quality rides.[127]

text: In 2014, the city's Independent Budget Office conducted a study investigating the viability of charging fares to everyone except Staten Island residents.[128] The study found that a $4 charge to these passengers would garner $35.5 million in fifteen years, while a $2 fare would bring in only $804,000 during the same time.[129]:1 (PDF p.2) Approximately 4 million annual passengers would be subject to the fare, based on the 2013 ridership figure of 21.9 million.[129]:3 (PDF p.4)

text: Ridership[edit]

text:
Ridership Fiscal Years 2007–2016

Fiscal Year
Ridership (millions)
Ref.

2007
18.953
[130]

2008
19.757
[130][131]

2009
20.118
[130][131][132]

2010
21.464
[131][132][114]

2011
21.404
[131][132][114]

2012
22.178
[131][132][114]

2013
21.399
[132][114]

2014
21.256
[114]

2015
21.9
[133]

2016
23.9
[1]

text: Detailed ridership figures for many fiscal years are not widely available.[113] A 1958 New York Times article cited a figure of 24 million annual riders.[52] Ridership on the ferry peaked in 1964, with 27.5 million passengers, but the figure dropped by five million in 1965 after the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened.[113] In the early 2000s, ridership fluctuated around 18 or 19 million, rising to 21.8 million in 2006 before dropping to 18.5 million the next year.[130] Afterward, ridership started rising again,[130] reaching over 21 million in fiscal year 2011.[113]

text: In fiscal 2012, the ferry carried 22.18 million passengers, the highest figure in several decades.[113][114] The figure in fiscal 2013 declined slightly to 21.4 million[129]:3 (PDF p.4)[131] and ridership for fiscal 2014 declined again to 21.25 million, while ridership on private ferry service continuously increased during that time period.[132] Ridership then began rising in subsequent years, especially after the 2015 expansion of service frequencies, when ridership reached 21.9 million.[114] In fiscal 2016, ridership on the ferry increased to 23.1 million passengers,[133] and in fiscal 2017, ridership increased further to 23.9 million passengers, breaking the previous year's record.[1][115]

text: The Staten Island Ferry is the single busiest ferry route in the United States as of 2016[update], as well as the world's busiest passenger-only ferry.[134] However, it is not the busiest ferry system in the United States overall; that distinction is held by Washington State Ferries, which carried 24.2 million passengers in 2016,[135] compared to Staten Island Ferry's 23.9 million in fiscal 2017.[1]

text: Fleet[edit]

text: Current[edit]

text: There are eight ferry boats in four classes (the Kennedy, Barberi, Austen, and Molinari classes) that are currently in service.[86]

text: Kennedy class[edit]

text: The MV John F. Kennedy, the MV American Legion, and the MV Governor Herbert H. Lehman, known as the "Kennedy class", were built in 1965.[11]:173 Each boat can carry 3,055 passengers and up to 40 vehicles, is 297 feet (91 m) long, 69 feet 10 inches (21.29 m) wide, with a draft of 13 feet 6 inches (4.11 m), tonnage of 2,109 gross tons, service speed of 16 knots (30 km/h), and engines of 6,500 horsepower (4.8 MW). These boats have a crew of 15 each.[86][136] They were built by the Levingston Shipbuilding Company in Orange, Texas.[11]:172

text: The American Legion's inspection certificate lapsed in 2006, and it was retired with the acquisition of the Molinari class ferries.[137] The Herbert H. Lehman retired on June 30, 2007, after the 10:30 p.m. run from Whitehall Street to St. George.[138] The John F. Kennedy remains in regular service as of 2017[update],[86] as captains considered the John F. Kennedy to be the most reliable vessel in the fleet,[139] and riders preferred its abundant open-air deck space.[140]

text: Barberi class[edit]

text: The MV Andrew J. Barberi and the MV Samuel I. Newhouse, known as the "Barberi class", were built in 1981 and 1982 respectively.[27]:77 Each boat carries 6,000 passengers and cannot load any cars. The boats are 310 feet (94 m) long, 69 feet 10 inches (21.29 m) wide, with a draft of 13 feet 6 inches (4.11 m), tonnage of 3,335 gross tons, service speed of 16 knots (30 km/h), and engines of 7,000 horsepower (5.2 MW). The boats are each manned by a crew of 15.[86][136] The Barberi class was made at the Equitable Shipyard in Florida at a cost of $16.5 million each. At the time of construction, the ships' capacity was the largest of any licensed ferry in the world.[11]:173

text: The Andrew J. Barberi was named after the longtime coach of Curtis High School's football team from the 1950s through the 1970s, while the Samuel I. Newhouse was named after the Staten Island Advance's publisher from 1922 to 1979.[141]

text: Austen class[edit]

text: The MV Alice Austen and the MV John A. Noble, known as the "Austen class" and commonly referred to as "the Little Boats" or "Mini Barberis", were built in 1986.[27]:77 Each boat carries 1,280 passengers and also cannot load cars. The boats are 207 feet (63 m) long, 40 feet (12 m) wide, with a draft of 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m), tonnage of 499 gross tons, service speed of 16 knots (30 km/h), and engines of 3,200 horsepower (2.4 MW). There are nine crew members on each boat.[86][136] Their namesakes are Alice Austen (1866–1952), a Staten Island photographer, and John A. Noble (1913–83), a Staten Island marine artist.[141]

text: Austen class vessels usually operate late at night and into the early morning, when ridership is lower.[63] Either the MV Alice Austen or the MV John A. Noble will convert its fuel from low-sulfur diesel to liquefied natural gas (LNG) in an effort to halve fuel consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent.[142]

text: Molinari class[edit]

text: The MV Guy V. Molinari, MV Senator John J. Marchi, and MV Spirit of America, known as the "Molinari class", carry a maximum of 4,427 passengers and up to 30 vehicles. Each boat is 310 feet (94 m) long by 70 feet (21 m) wide and has a draft of 13 feet 10 inches (4.22 m), tonnage of 2,794 gross tons, service speed of 16 knots (30 km/h), and engines of 9,000 horsepower (6.7 MW).[86][136] Built by the Manitowoc Marine Group in Marinette, Wisconsin,[143] they are designed to have a look and ambiance reminiscent of the classic New York ferryboats.[141]

text: One boat is named after Guy V. Molinari, a former member of the United States House of Representatives for Staten Island's district and later a Borough President of Staten Island.[141] It arrived in September 2004.[144] The second ferry was named for State Senator John Marchi, who represented Staten Island for fifty years.[141] The third ferry, Spirit of America, was to be put into service on October 25, 2005, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the municipal takeover of the Staten Island Ferry from the B&O railroad.[141]

text: Mechanical problems on the Molinari class ferries and legal proceedings kept it sidelined at the Staten Island Ferry's St. George maintenance facility until its maiden voyage on April 4, 2006.[86] Since delivery, the ferries have been beset by frequent breakdowns, with 58 such incidents from 2008 to 2014;[143] almost half of these breakdowns have been on the Guy V. Molinari.[145]

text: Future[edit]

text: The John F. Kennedy, Samuel I. Newhouse, and Andrew J. Barberi are to be replaced in 2019 with three new 310 feet (94 m) vessels, named the Ollis class after US Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis of Staten Island who was killed in action during the War in Afghanistan.[146][141] Elliott Bay Design devised the plans for the new ferries.[147] As part of the new order, city officials allowed passengers to vote on the types of seats that would be installed in the new fleet.[148] In November 2016, Eastern Shipbuilding was confirmed as the low bidder for constructing the ships,[149] and the shipyard was awarded the contract with a notice to proceed on March 1, 2017.[150]  Delivery of the new ships is planned to occur in 2019 and 2020.[149]

text: A petition to name one of the Ollis-class ships after Staten Island firefighter John G. Chipura, who died in the September 11 attacks, reached 11,000 signatures by September 2017.[151]

text: Former[edit]

text: Several ferry classes, purchased since the city assumed ownership of the ferry, have been retired. The ferries named after the five boroughs, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Richmond ships, were the first ones commissioned for the city line in 1905.[11]:173[152]

text: Next to be added were the Mayor Gaynor (1914), President Roosevelt (1922), and American Legion (1926).[11]:173[152]

text: A subsequent class, delivered from 1929 through 1931, consisted of the Dongan Hills, Tompkinsville, and Knickerbocker in order of delivery.[11]:173[153]

text: The fourth class, the Miss New York class comprising the Miss New York, Gold Star Mother, and Mary Murray, was delivered in 1938.[11]:173[153]

text: The last class of steam boats for the current ferry, the Cornelius G. Kolff, Private Joseph F. Merrell, and Verrazzano, went into service in 1951.[11]:173[153] They were made on Staten Island at the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard.[154]

text: Out-of-service[edit]

text: In 1943, the Brooklyn was sent to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where it was used as a floating school for the United States Coast Guard.[155]

text: The Gold Star Mother was decomissioned in 1969 to save money[156][157] before being auctioned off in 1974.[156] Its sister Mary Murray was retired in 1974 and sold at auction.[158] From 1982 through the mid-2000s,[159] it then sat as a floating wreck on the Raritan River within view of the New Jersey Turnpike,[141] and was partially broken up for scrap in 2008.[160] The third sister ship, the Miss New York, was decommissioned in 1975 and auctioned.[161] The Miss New York was used as a restaurant for a while, but then sank.[137]

text: The Verrazzano was decommissioned and sold at auction in the 1980s, with proposals to use the old ferry to a Japanese amusement park. The deal fell through, and it became a floating wreck at the Red Hook Container Terminal.[137] Its two class mates, the Kolff (later Walter Keane) and the Merrell (later the Vernon C. Bain, then the Harold A. Wildstein)[162] were shipped to Rikers Island in 1987 to deal with prison overcrowding there.[163] The plan was adopted as a feasible interim option while new jail facilities were being built.[164][165] The Keane and Wildstein, along with the retired British troop carriers Bibby Resolution and Bibby Venture,[166] were used to house 1,000 inmates.[167] The vessels were removed from prison use in 1997, after the Vernon C. Bain floating barge was built,[2] and both vessels were scrapped in 2004.[162]

text: The Kennedy-class Governor Herbert H. Lehman was sold at auction by the city in 2011.[168] By 2012, it was being scrapped at Steelways Shipyard in Newburgh, New York. However, during the scrapping process, the boat started to leak.[168][169]

text: Incidents[edit]

text: A heavy fog across the East Coast on January 16, 1953, caused four ferry accidents in the New York Harbor. One of these accidents was when the Gold Star crashed into the United States Lines freighter American Veteran, injuring 13 people.[170] In another heavy fog four days later, the Joseph F. Merrill crashed into an Ellis Island ferryboat, jolting several passengers but injuring no one.[171]

text: On February 8, 1958, the Dongan Hills was hit by Norwegian tanker Tynefield, injuring 15 people.[172]

text: On November 7, 1978, the American Legion crashed into the concrete seawall near the Statue of Liberty ferry port during a dense fog, injuring 173 people on board.[173]

text: On May 6, 1981, at 7:16 am EDT, the American Legion, en route from Staten Island to Manhattan with approximately 2,400 passengers aboard, was rammed in dense fog by the M/V Hoegh Orchid, a Norwegian freighter inbound from sea to a berth in Brooklyn. The ferry boat was damaged from below the main deck up to the bridge deck, and 71 passengers were treated for injuries, three of whom were hospitalized. The absence of a gyrocompass, which could have supplemented existing radar capabilities in helping the ferry master to avoid pending collisions, was noted in the February 2, 1982 report by the National Transportation Safety Board.[174]

text: On July 7, 1986, a mentally ill man, Juan Gonzalez, attacked passengers with a sword on the Samuel I. Newhouse. He killed two and injured nine before being detained and sent to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation.[175]

text: On April 12, 1995, the Andrew J. Barberi rammed its slip at St. George due to a mechanical malfunction. The doors on the saloon deck were crushed by the adjustable aprons, which a quick-thinking bridgeman lowered to help stop the oncoming ferryboat. Several people were injured.[176]

text: On September 19, 1997, a car plunged off the John F. Kennedy as it was docking in Staten Island, causing minor injuries to the driver and a deckhand who was knocked overboard.[177]

text: On October 15, 2003, at 3:21 pm EDT, the Andrew J. Barberi collided with a pier on the eastern end of the St. George ferry terminal, killing eleven people, seriously injuring many others, and tearing a huge slash through the lowest of the three passenger decks.[178] The incident spurred an investigation into the safety practices being conducted aboard the ferry,[112] as well as an accident investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.[179] The Barberi's captain at the time of the incident was fired,[180] and the Barberi returned to service in 2004.[181][176]

text: On March 7, 2004, the New York City medical examiner's office reported that the body of writer and monologist Spalding Gray was discovered by two men and pulled from the East River.[182] It is believed that Gray committed suicide by jumping off the Staten Island Ferry.[183]

text: On July 1, 2009, at 7:09 pm EDT, the John J. Marchi lost power and hit a pier at the St. George Terminal at full speed, resulting in 15 minor injuries.[184][185] The boat was cited as having a history of electrical problems since being put into service in 2005.[186]

text: On May 8, 2010, at 9:20 am EDT, the then-recently-rebuilt Andrew J. Barberi hit the dock at the St. George Terminal with 252 passengers aboard. As the ferry approached the dock, the reverse thrust failed to respond and the boat could not slow down. Thirty-seven people were injured.[187][176]


document_title: Tommy (1975 film)

question_text: who played the pinball wizard in the movie tommy

root

text: Tommy (1975 film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: "Prologue 1945". A montage displays the honeymoon of Captain Walker (Robert Powell) and his wife, Nora (Ann-Margret). After his leave ends, Walker goes off to fight in World War II as a bomber pilot, but is shot down in the middle of a battle. "Captain Walker" is listed as missing in action and is presumed dead, although—unknown to his family—the badly burned Walker is in fact alive. Back in England, Nora goes into labor and gives birth to a son, Tommy, on V-E Day. Five years later, Nora has begun a new relationship with Frank (Oliver Reed), a worker she and Tommy meet at Bernie's Holiday Camp. Tommy looks up to his "Uncle" Frank and expresses his desires to run his own camp some day. In the 1950s, Nora and Frank dream of their future, but, late that evening, encounter the returning Captain Walker. He surprises Frank and Nora in bed, leading to a struggle and the Captain's subsequent murder by lamp. Tommy, having followed his father into the room, has witnessed everything. Nora and Frank nervously yell at Tommy, which, along with the trauma of watching his father's murder, puts Tommy into a psychedelia-like "Amazing Journey", in which, outwardly, he cannot seem to see, hear or speak.

tag: p

text: As time passes, Nora and Frank make several fruitless attempts to bring Tommy out of his state, including a Preacher (Eric Clapton) and his Marilyn Monroe worshipping cult ("Eyesight to the Blind") and an LSD serving cocotte and self-proclaimed "Acid Queen", (Tina Turner) while also putting him with babysitters such as Tommy's bullying "Cousin Kevin" (Paul Nicholas), and his perverted "Uncle" Ernie (Keith Moon) ("Fiddle About") both of whom abuse him but Tommy refuses to react. Nora and Frank begin to become more and more lethargic and leave Tommy standing at the mirror one night, allowing him to wander off. He follows a vision of himself out of the house and to a junkyard pinball machine. Tommy is recognized by Nora, Frank, and the media as a pinball prodigy, which is made even more impressive with his catatonic state. During a championship game, Tommy faces the "Pinball Wizard" (Elton John) with the Who as the champion's backing band. Nora watches her son's televised victory and celebrates his (and her) success ("Champagne"), but soon has a nervous breakdown upon thinking about the real extremes of Tommy's condition.

text: Later, Frank finds a Specialist (Jack Nicholson) for Tommy. The Specialist, upon testing the boy, concludes that his state is emotional, rather than physically triggered and the only hope is for him to continue to "Go to the Mirror". During the tests, Nora and the Specialist flirt, much to Frank's jealousy. Nora's growing frustration prompts her to "Smash the Mirror" by throwing Tommy through it. This incidentally resurges Tommy from his state and he runs loose ("I'm Free"). Nora finds Tommy and explains what has happened during the time he has missed, while Tommy reveals that his experiences have transformed him and that he wishes to transform the world ("Mother and Son")

text: Tommy, a self-proclaimed "Sensation", goes on lecture tours which resemble glam rock/gospel shows and spreads a message of enlightenment by hang glider, gaining friends and followers everywhere he goes ("Sally Simpson"). Tommy and a more enlightened and elated Nora and Frank "Welcome" converts to their house, which quickly becomes too crowded to accommodate everyone. Tommy opens an extension for his religious campus ("Tommy's Holiday Camp").

text: The converts, confused about Tommy's odd practices and others' commercial exploitation of the compound, wrathfully demand Tommy teach them something useful. Tommy does so, deliberately deafening, muting, and blinding everyone, only to inadvertently invoke a riot. The followers kill Nora and Frank in the riot and destroy the camp in a fire (We're Not Gonna Take It). Tommy finds his parents in the debris and mourns before escaping into the mountains from the beginning of the film. He ascends the same peak where his parents celebrated their honeymoon, celebrating the rising sun (Listening to You)[8].

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Ann-Margret as Nora Walker
Oliver Reed as "Uncle" Frank Hobbs
Roger Daltrey as Tommy Walker

Barry Winch as young Tommy

Alison Dowling as young Tommy's singing voice

Elton John as The Pinball Wizard
Tina Turner as The Acid Queen
Eric Clapton as The Preacher
John Entwistle as Himself
Keith Moon as Uncle Ernie/Himself
Paul Nicholas as Cousin Kevin
Jack Nicholson as The Specialist
Robert Powell as Group Captain Walker
Arthur Brown as The Priest
Pete Townshend as The Narrator/Himself
Victoria Russell as Sally Simpson
Ben Aris as Rev. A. Simpson V. C.
Mary Holland as Mrs. Simpson
Ken Russell as Cripple

tag: ul

text: Production[edit]

text: In his commentary for the 2004 DVD release of the film, Ken Russell stated that the opening and closing outdoor scenes were shot in the Borrowdale valley of the English Lake District, near his own home, the same area that he had used to double for Bavaria in his earlier film Mahler, in which Robert Powell had starred. Much of the film was shot on locations around Portsmouth, including the scene near the end of the film featuring the giant 'pinballs', which were, in fact, obsolete buoys found in a British Navy yard, which were simply sprayed silver and filmed in situ. The Bernie's Holiday Camp ballroom sequence was shot inside the Gaiety Theatre on South Parade Pier. Exterior shots were filmed at Hilsea Lido.[9] The Sally Simpson interior sequence was filmed in the Wesley Hall in Fratton Road, Portsmouth. The exterior intro sequence to the scene, however, shows Sally Simpson buying a badge and entering South Parade Pier.

text: On 11 June 1974, the pier caught fire and was badly damaged while the production was filming there; according to Russell, the fire started during the filming of the scene of Ann-Margret and Oliver Reed dancing together during the "Bernie's Holiday Camp" sequence, and smoke from the fire can, in fact, be seen drifting in front of the camera in several shots; Russell also used a brief exterior shot of the building fully ablaze during the scenes of the destruction of Tommy's Holiday Camp by his disillusioned followers.[10][11] The Pinball Wizard sequence was shot at the Kings Theatre in Southsea, and the two pinball machines used were a 1965 Kings & Queens by Gottlieb—used by Roger Daltrey—and a Gottlieb Buckaroo also from 1965, used by Elton John. The machines' scoring displays were modified from their originals for the scene, in order to accommodate for large scores.[12] Others on Portsdown Hill, which overlooks Portsmouth and local churches were used. All Saints in Commercial Road was used for the Sally Simpson wedding scene, whilst the meeting in the same sequence was filmed at the Wesley Hall in Fratton Road. The Eyesight to the Blind sequence was filmed at St Andrews Church in Henderson Road in Southsea. The other church featured was Warblington Church near Havant in Hampshire.

text: The famous scene in which Ann-Margret's character hallucinates that she is cavorting in detergent foam, baked beans, and chocolate reportedly took three days to shoot. According to Russell, the detergent and baked bean sequences were "revenge" parodies of real-life TV advertisements he had directed early in his career, although the baked bean sequence also references one of the cover photos and a parody radio ad from The Who's 1967 album The Who Sell Out. Russell also recalled that Ann-Margret's husband, Roger Smith, strongly objected to the scene in which she slithers around in melted chocolate. During the filming, Ann-Margret accidentally struck her hand on the broken glass of the TV screen, causing a severe laceration, and Russell had to take her to hospital to have the wound stitched, although she was back on set the next day.[10] The film also includes a scene in which Mrs. Walker watches a parodic TV advertisement for the fictional product "Rex Baked Beans"; the costumes in this segment were originally made for the lavish masked ball sequence in Richard Lester's version of The Three Musketeers, and the dress worn by the Queen in the Rex ad is that worn by Geraldine Chaplin in the earlier film.[13]

text: Elton John initially turned down the role of the Pinball Wizard and among those considered to replace him was David Essex, who recorded a test audio version of the "Pinball Wizard" song. However, producer Robert Stigwood held out until John agreed to take the part, reportedly on condition that he could keep the gigantic Dr. Martens boots he wore in the scene. Russell also recalled that Townshend initially balked at Russell's wish to have The Who performing behind Elton in the sequence (they did not perform the audio here), and also objected to wearing the pound-note suits, which were in fact stitched together from novelty pound-note tea-towels.[10] On The Who's involvement with the film, members Daltrey played the title character; Moon played, in essence, a dual role as both Uncle Ernie and as himself along with Entwistle and Townshend lip-synching on their respective instruments in the "Eyesight to the Blind" and "Pinball Wizard" segments. About his role as the Specialist, Jack Nicholson stated: "In my whole career there was only one time when a director said to me, 'OK, come right down the pike and just look beautiful, Jack.' That was Ken Russell on Tommy."[14]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The film currently holds a 76% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 25 reviews, of which 19 are positive. Roger Ebert gave the film three stars out of four, and praised Ann-Margret as being "simply great as Tommy's mother". He called the pinball tournament sequence "the movie's best single scene: a pulsating, orgiastic turn-on edited with the precision of a machine gun burst."[15]

text: "Tommy was a great film," said Ol' Dirty Bastard. "A blind, deaf kid who could play pinball. What a very great idea."[16] Perry Seibert of allmovie praised the film for its visuals and gave the film his higher star rating.

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text:
Award
Category
Recipient(s)
Result

Academy Awards
Best Actress
Ann-Margret
Nominated

Best Original Song Score or Adaptation Score
Pete Townshend
Nominated

Golden Globe Awards
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Tommy
Nominated

Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
Ann-Margret
Won

Most Promising Newcomer
Roger Daltrey
Nominated

tag: table

text: Quintaphonic Sound[edit]

text: The original release of Tommy used a sound system devised by sound engineer John Mosely called "Quintaphonic Sound".[17] At the time that the film was in production various "Quadraphonic" (four speaker) sound systems were being marketed to the domestic HiFi market. Some of these were so-called "matrix" systems which combined the four original channels into two which could be recorded on or transmitted by, existing two-channel stereo systems such as LP records or FM radio. John Mosely used one of these systems (QS Regular Matrix from Sansui) to record front left, front right, back left and back right channels on the left and right tracks of a four-track magnetic striped print of the Cinemascope type. A discrete center channel was also recorded on the center track of the print. The fourth (surround) track on the striped print was left unused. In addition, John Mosely used dbx noise reduction on the magnetic tracks.

text: Unlike the usual multiple small surround speakers used in cinemas, the Quintaphonic system specified just two rear speakers, but of the same type as those used at the front.

text: One problem that arose was that by the 1970s the four-track magnetic sound system was largely moribund. Only a few theatres were equipped with the necessary magnetic playback heads and other equipment; of those that did in many cases, it was not in working order. Thus, in addition to installing the extra electronics and rear speakers, John Mosely and his team had to repair and align the basic magnetic playback equipment. Each theatre that showed Tommy using the Quintaphonic system accordingly had to be specially prepared to take the film. In this respect there is a similarity between Tommy and Walt Disney's Fantasia, for which a special sound system (Fantasound) had been devised and required each theatre that showed it in the original release to be specially prepared. Also, like Fantasound, Quintaphonic Sound was never used again (five-channel stereo, in the form of 5.1 surround sound, would eventually make a comeback).

text: Tommy was later released with mono, conventional four-track magnetic and Dolby Stereo soundtracks.

text: Changes from the album[edit]

text: Unlike other filmed rock operas (such as that of Pink Floyd's The Wall), the album is never dubbed over the film; the different actors – including Nicholson and Reed, neither of whom was known for his singing ability (Reed's character's songs were cut from Oliver!, and Nicholson's in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever appeared only in the now-lost roadshow version) – perform the songs in character instead of The Who, with the exception of Daltrey as Tommy and where Townshend sings narration in place of recitative.

text: Because of this, all the songs are rerecorded and the song order is shuffled around considerably; this and the addition of several new songs and links creates a more balanced structure of alternating short and long sequences. A large number of songs have new lyrics and instrumentation, and another notable feature is that many of the songs and pieces used on the film soundtrack are alternate versions or mixes from the versions on the soundtrack album.

text: Major differences between the 1969 and 1975 versions[edit]

text:
The film opens with a new instrumental, "Prologue – 1945" (partly based on the 1969 "Overture"), which accompanies the opening sequences of Captain Walker's romance and disappearance.
"It's A Boy" is separated from "Overture" and becomes the medley "Captain Walker/It's A Boy"; in the film this medley narrates the aftermath of Walker's disappearance, the end of the war and the birth of Tommy.
A new song, "Bernie's Holiday Camp", which follows "Captain Walker/It's A Boy", portrays Tommy's childhood and his mother's romance with Hobbs (Oliver Reed). The song also features the melody from, and even foreshadows, "Tommy's Holiday Camp".
The story's setting is updated so that the action goes through modern times (modern as of the 1970s). From this, the track "1921" from the album is changed to "1951" and is made a medley, being titled "What About the Boy?" on the soundtrack, in which Capt. Walker dies instead of the lover (Frank, in this context).
"The Amazing Journey" (shortened to three minutes) has almost completely different lyrics, and the "guide" from the album is depicted as Tommy's dead father, rather than the "tall stranger" in a "sparked, glittering gown" from the album. A new introduction is also added in lieu of the "Deaf, dumb, and blind boy; he's in a quiet vibration land..." from the album. The movie version also ends with different fantastic lyrics, going "His eyes are the eyes that transmit all he knows, The truth burns so bright it can melt winter snows. A towering shadow, so black and so high, A white sun burning the earth and the sky.".
The running order of "Christmas" and "Eyesight to the Blind" is reversed; references to pinball are removed from "Christmas" and the character of The Hawker becomes The Preacher (Clapton), leader of the Marilyn Monroe cult. Arthur Brown is cast as the character The Priest in the film, and sings a verse in the song but is not featured on the soundtrack. According to Russell's DVD audio commentary, the concept of people literally worshipping celebrities (in this case Marilyn Monroe) and several other elements in the film were adapted from his pre-existing treatment for a film about false religions, which he had developed prior to Tommy but for which he had never been able to secure financial backing.
The running order of "The Acid Queen" and "Cousin Kevin" is reversed.
"Underture" is removed but parts from it have been re-arranged as "Sparks".
"The Acid Queen", "Cousin Kevin", "Fiddle About", and "Sparks", linked by three renditions of "Do You Think It's Alright?", form an extended sequence depicting Tommy's inner journey and his trials.
A three-minute version of the "Sparks" theme (with, then new, synthesizer orchestration) precedes "Extra, Extra, Extra" and "Pinball Wizard". In the film, it is used behind the sequence of the dazed Tommy wandering into a junkyard and discovering a pinball machine. The music on the film soundtrack (for this and many other songs) is heavily edited, however, and is a noticeably different mix from the version on the soundtrack album.
A new linking theme, "Extra, Extra, Extra", narrates Tommy's rise to fame and introduces the battle with the pinball champ. It is set to the tune of "Miracle Cure" and precedes "Pinball Wizard".
"Pinball Wizard" has extra lyrics and movements. It features guitar and keyboard solos (the guitars are only readily discernible on the soundtrack album), and an outro with a riff reminiscent of the Who's first single, "I Can't Explain".
A new song, "Champagne", which follows "Pinball Wizard", covers the sequence of Tommy's stardom and wealth and his parents' greed. Like many other songs, it features Tommy singing "See Me, Feel Me" interludes: this is the first song with Daltrey singing for Tommy. In the film (but not on the soundtrack), the song is introduced by a mock TV commercial—reminiscent of the Who's early years when they made jingles.
"Go to the Mirror" is shortened, not featuring the elements of "Listening To You", nor the phrase "Go to the mirror, boy."
"I'm Free" is moved earlier, and now follows "Smash The Mirror!" (as was done on the 1971 symphonic album); it covers the lavish psychedelic sequence depicting Tommy's reawakening.
"I'm Free" is followed by a new song, "Mother and Son", which depicts Tommy's rejection of materialism and his vision for a new faith based around pinball.
"Sensation", featuring extra lyrics, is moved forward and covers the spread of Tommy's new religion. In the film it occurs between "Sally Simpson" and "Welcome". (On the soundtrack album, it occurs between "Mother and Son" and "Miracle Cure"—with the extra [narration] lyrics and guitar solo included on the cassette and CD versions, but not the LP version.)
"Sally Simpson" is re-arranged with a Bo Diddley beat and in the film is preceded by "Miracle Cure"—which features an extra verse.
In "Sally Simpson", the album version mentions her father's Rolls-Royce as blue, but the film changes the lyrics to black (the Rolls-Royce in the film is also black).
In "Sally Simpson", the album version describes Tommy giving a lesson. In the film, Tommy gives a lesson, and the lyrics are changed to the words of the lesson.
In the album version of "Sally Simpson", the title character jumps on the stage and brushes Tommy's cheek, but in the movie she is kicked off the stage before she can get close to Tommy.
A new linking piece, "T.V. Studio", is used between "Welcome" and "Tommy's Holiday Camp".
The 1969 album's closing track "We're Not Going To take It" is split into two pieces, "We're Not Gonna take It" and medley "See Me Feel Me/Listening To You";[8] this covers the climactic film sequences of Tommy's fall from grace and his final redemption.
The CD reissue of the soundtrack album opens with a newer, previously unreleased version of "Overture From Tommy", which was not included either in the film or on the original soundtrack LP. Although the track is listed in the CD's song credits as being performed by The Who, it is actually a Pete Townshend solo number with him playing all the instruments (as with "Prologue – 1945" and other tracks) – neither John Entwistle or Keith Moon appears on it, as they do on all other selections on the soundtrack credited to "The Who," regardless of whether Roger Daltrey performs as vocalist.

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text:
Pinball Wizard

Elton John's "Pinball Wizard" from Tommy

Problems playing this file? See media help.

text: Sales chart performance[edit]

text:
Year
Chart
Position

1975
Billboard Pop Albums
2

1975
UK Chart Albums
21


document_title: Media Play

question_text: when did media play go out of business

question_tokens: when did media play go out of business

text: Media Play

text: Downfall[edit]

text: The store faced strong competition, particularly from websites like Amazon.com, which was founded in 1994 and provided a wider selection than the store-based Media Play. Therefore, despite Best Buy's major efforts, they failed to generate the results they were looking for with Musicland, losing $85 million in 2002. As a result, they put the company up for sale and were likely just weeks away from liquidating the entire chain when they found a buyer in Sun Capital Partners of Boca Raton, Florida. Sun Capital Partners acquired the company in a cash-free transaction in exchange for acquiring Musicland's debt and leases. Sun Capital attempted to get the company back to basics, but in December 2005 they announced the closure and liquidation of all remaining Media Play stores.

text: In December 2005, Minnetonka, Minnesota-based Musicland Group, which owned Media Play, announced it would close all 61 stores by the end of January 2006 and refocus on its Sam Goody and Suncoast chains.[1]

text: Media Play had been unprofitable for a number of years. In late 2005, it increased its advertising and sales promotions, but this did not work. It is thought that the unprofitability, caused by competition from Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and online retailers such as Amazon.com, was the major factor in the decision to close the retail chain.

text: Bankruptcy[edit]

text: The Musicland Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2006, and in February announced the closing [2] of 226 Sam Goody and 115 Suncoast Motion Picture Company stores, and all Media Play locations. Just months after the chain closed, the website MediaPlay.com was all that remained. In February 2006, Trans World Entertainment Corp. acquired the Musicland Group, which owned Sam Goody, Suncoast, and MediaPlay.com. Some former Media Play stores became home to f.y.e. superstores beginning in June 2006.