I’m starting yet another new feature on “Comet” about actors and actresses, or anything classic film related, in music videos.
The video featured today is Franz Ferdinand’s 2004 song “The Dark of the Matinee” from their self titled first album.
The video doesn’t have a classic actor in it, but there are several old movie clips.
If I can tell correctly from the quick flashes of the videos, I think I spotted Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. it what looks like “Sinbad the Sailor” along with an old western and silent movie that I couldn’t determine. I think it may have been a Pearl White movie.
What movies did you pick out?
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There is a reference, though it isn’t a clip, to “Vertigo” early on…the iris of the eye and a spiral gfx…
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ooo true, I didn’t catch that. “Vertigo” seems to get referenced alot in music videos. They play the opening music in the “Born This Way” video.
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The Fairbanks Sr. clips are from “The Black Pirate.” There was a also a very brief clip of Buster Crabbe from the first Flash Gordon serial.
I could not identify the western or the silent clip. It could be Pearl White or based on the characters in the handcar, it could be a satire on Pearl white. Perhaps something from Mack Sennett?
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Thanks for the information! I’m not as familiar with Fairbanks Sr. movies so I just guessed
I’m glad I know what they are now! 🙂
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Jessica: You’re welcome. “The Black Pirate” is a blast. It holds up very well today.
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The opening doors at the beginning also kind of remind me of Hitch’s “Spellbound”
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ooo good catching that. I didn’t even think of that lol
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