Stones' filmography marked by big hits and fazed cookies

Left:Keith Richards last year in "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." Right: Mick Jagger in 1992's "Freejack." They and their Rolling Stones mates premiere Friday in Martin Scorsese's "Shine a Light." (Buena vista pictures/everett collection (left); morgan creek)

This Friday legendary director Martin Scorsese gives the Rolling Stones the big-deal celluloid treatment with the opening of "Shine a Light."

The film is part documentary, part concert film, territory the director knows well from his work on the Band's "The Last Waltz" and Bob Dylan's "No Direction Home."

Though there have been plenty of Stones concert films over the years - most famously, of course, "Gimme Shelter" - we're anticipating Scorsese's will be among the very best, as the director is such a big fan, often using Stones' songs to score his own imagery.

But while we're waiting to see the "Light," we decided to take a look at the band's thespian efforts, those times when they have checked their biggest rock band in the land personas at the door, shed their taunting-tongue T-shirts, and given themselves over to deep character study. Or at least showed up and said the lines.

While it remains to be seen if Scorsese spreads the cinematic wealth equally among the band members, when it comes to the big screen, frontman Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards have taken the biggest bite out of Hollywood.

Unsurprisingly, Jagger has been the most prolific of those in the band who also claim SAG membership, with more than a half-dozen regular acting roles.

Although regular isn't what comes to mind while watching many of them. There's Mick as petulant, reclusive rock star Turner diving deep into sex and drugs as well as rock 'n' roll in Nicolas Roeg's violent and intriguing "Performance" (1970). The hands-down best line comes about an hour into the film, when the main character, a gangster, says to Jagger, "Comical little geezer. You'll look funny when you're 50."

Jagger also purses those famous lips to sing - as a cross-dressing chanteuse, no less - in "Bent" (1997), a quite serious film about a gay man in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany that also stars Clive Owen and Ian McKellen.

And then there's "Freejack" (1992). Emilio Estevez has had some memorable costars over the years, but we're guessing none so scintillating as Jagger in this sci-fi actioner about the apocalyptic future of . . . 2009. The singer plays a "bonejacker" (seriously), a futuristic bounty hunter who early in the film eyes Estevez and advises his underlings to "get the meat." Good times.

In addition to his varied onscreen alter egos, Jagger has also produced several films over the years, including those he's appeared in, such as "The Man From Elysian Fields" (2001), and those he hasn't, like the remake of "The Women" (2008; in production) partially shot in the Hub.

Richards, of course, famously played Johnny Depp's scalawag of a dad in "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (2007). He may never win any acting awards, but when he intoned, "It's not just about living forever, Jackie. The trick is living with yourself forever," we have a feeling he knew what he was talking about.

But our favorite Richards performance came 20 years ago as himself in the excellent, squirm-inducing documentary "Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll!" (1987). Watching him try to wrangle a sometimes deservedly obstinate Chuck Berry for an all-star concert in his honor is a case study in slow burns that even Jack Benny would've appreciated. It's not as if the other band members haven't had their moments to shine.

Among his roles, guitarist Ron Wood had a cameo in "9 1/2 Weeks" (1986) as himself (we think) - a bleary-eyed gallery-goer. Since Wood is an accomplished artist we like to think Woody lent Adrian Lyne's still-hot, psychosexual fantasy some verite spice. Most of the band also apparently appeared in an experimental film called "Umano non Umano (Human Not Human)" (1969) by Italian artist Mario Schifano. According to the contemporary art magazine Artforum International, it was "a freewheeling, open-ended reverie that documents visits with artists and poets, performances, walks in the street, and more."

Alas, like most of the titles in the band member's individual imdb.com filmographies, we were unable to locate a copy. But we were saddest of all that we didn't see "Eat the Rich" (1987), a comic UK satire in which former bassist Bill Wyman, per imdb.com, plays the part of "Toilet Victim." (This film also featured Paul McCartney, Angie Bowie, and Pogue Shane MacGowan as a "terrorist." We must see it. Clips are on You Tube and it's available from Amazon.com).

Of course the Rolling Stones never needed to give up their day job. But for band completists these dabblings, some rightfully gathering moss, are certainly worth a look. Because, as Jagger says (as Turner), "I know a little bit about performing."