James Finlayson

Personal Info

Birthday

August 26, 1887

Day of Death

1953-10-09

(66 years old)

Place of Birth

Larbert, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland, UK

Also Known As

Jimmy Finlayson

Jimmie Finlayson

Jim Finlayson

James Henderson Finlayson

Jimmy Finalyson

James Finlayson

Biography

James Henderson "Jimmy" Finlayson (August 27, 1887 – October 9, 1953) was a Scottish actor who worked in both silent and sound comedies. Bald, with a fake moustache, Finlayson had many trademark comic mannerisms and is famous for his squinting, outraged, "double take and fade away" head reaction, and characteristic expression "d'ooooooh", and as the most famous comic foil of Laurel and Hardy.

Known For

Hollywood

The Perils of Pauline

Foreign Correspondent

To Be or Not to Be

Royal Wedding

Raffles

Way Out West

Pick a Star

Filmography

1968
The Best of Laurel and Hardy
as Meadows / Dulcy's Father / Fin (archive footage)
1964
The Big Parade of Comedy
as Sergeant Major Finlayson in 'Bonnie Scotland' (archive footage)
1952
Here We Go Again
as Plato's Rival
1951
The Slappiest Days of Our Lives
as (archive footage)
Royal Wedding
as Cabby (uncredited)
1948
Grand Canyon Trail
as Sheriff
1947
The Perils of Pauline
as Comic Chef
1946
Two Sisters from Boston
as Street Cleaner (uncredited)
She-Wolf of London
as Constable (uncredited)
1943
Happy Times and Jolly Moments
as (archive footage)
1942
Wedding Yells
as Hammerhead Nahl
To Be or Not to Be
as Scottish Farmer with Mustache (uncredited)
1940
Foreign Correspondent
as Dutch Peasant (uncredited)
Saps at Sea
as Dr. J.H. Finlayson (uncredited)
A Chump at Oxford
as Baldy Vandevere (uncredited)
1939
The Great Victor Herbert
as Lamplighter
Raffles
as Hansom Cab Driver
The Flying Deuces
as Jailor
Hollywood Cavalcade
as Keystone Cop
Dog-Gone
as Mr. Jones
1938
Block-Heads
as Man on Stairs
1937
Angel
as Barker's 2nd Butler (uncredited)
All Over Town
as MacDougal
The Toast of New York
as Trick-Hat Inventor (uncredited)
Pick a Star
as Director
Way Out West
as Mickey Finn
1936
Our Relations
as Finn
The Bohemian Girl
as Captain Finn
1935
MGM 1935 Promo Reel
as Manager
Life Hesitates at 40
as Dr. James Finlayson
Manhattan Monkey Business
as Joyce's Father
Bonnie Scotland
as Sgt. Maj. Finlayson
Thicker Than Water
as Auction Manager
Father and Son
as Bidad
1933
Dick Turpin
as Jeremy
So This Is Harris!
as Golf Pro
The Gay Nighties
as Mr. Amos Pipp
Mush and Milk
as Mr. Brown, the banker
The Druggist's Dilemma
as Andrew Finch
The Devil's Brother
as Lord Rocburg
His Silent Racket
as James
Me and My Pal
as Peter Cucumber
Nature in the Wrong
as Voice of lion (uncredited)
1932
Jitters the Butler
as Phineas P. McPhinn
Boy Oh Boy!
as Saunders
The Millionaire Cat
as Lawyer Fogg
Pack Up Your Troubles
as General
The Iceman's Ball
as Commissioner Walters
Thunder Below
as Scotty
The Chimp
as Ringmaster
1931
Hasty Marriage
as Kitty's Father
One Good Turn
as A Community Player
False Roomers
as Landlord
Pardon Us
as Schoolteacher
One of the Smiths
as Wine Brewer (uncredited)
Our Wife
as Father of the bride
Playing at Politics
as Criado
Second Hand Kisses
as Jimmy Finlayson
Chickens Come Home
as Butler
1930
Another Fine Mess
as Col. Wilburforce Buckshot (uncredited)
Dollar Dizzy
as House Detective
For the Defense
as Parrott
The Dawn Patrol
as Field Sergeant
Young Eagles
as Scotty
Night Owls
as Meadows
1929
Wall Street
as Andy (as Jimmy Finalyson)
The Hoose-Gow
as Governor
Hard to Get
as Pa Martin
Men O' War
as Soda jerk
Two Weeks Off
as Pa Weaver
Big Business
as Homeowner
Liberty
as Store keeper
Fast Freight
as Spooky Wall Painting
1928
Show Girl
as Mr. Dugan
Lady Be Good
as Trelawney West
Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath
as Pa Slocum
Galloping Ghosts
as Police Commissioner
Flying Elephants
as Saxophonus
Should Tall Men Marry?
as Joe Skittle
1927
Fighting Fathers
as Neighbor
Do Detectives Think?
as Judge Foozle
Hats Off
as Proprietor, Kwickway Washing Machine Co.
Call of the Cuckoo
as Asylum Inmate
The Second 100 Years
as Browne Van Dyke
Sugar Daddies
as Oil tycoon Cyrus Brittle
With Love and Hisses
as Captain Bustle
Don't Tell Everything
as Lawyer Goldblum
Love 'Em and Weep
as Titus Tillsbury
No Man's Law
as Jack Belcher
Seeing the World
as 'Old Buzz-Fuzz,' teacher
Anything Once!
as Mabel's Boss
1926
The Nickel-Hopper
as Rupert
Raggedy Rose
as Simpson Sniffle
Wise Guys Prefer Brunettes
as Dean of Pinkham University
Merry Widower
as The Hunter
Thundering Fleas
as Justice of the Peace
Don Key (Son of Burro)
as Vivien's Suitor
Wife Tamers
as The Waiter
Dizzy Daddies
as Jonathan Haig
Madame Mystery
as Struggling Author
What's the World Coming To?
as The Father-in-Law
1925
The Caretaker's Daughter
as The Prohibition Sleuth (as Jimmie Finlayson)
Moonlight and Noses
as Professor Sniff
Unfriendly Enemies
as The Cameraman
Mary, Queen of Tots
as Radio Actor
Madame Sans Jane
as The Girl's Father
Innocent Husbands
as The Desk Clerk (as Jimmie Finlayson)
Yes, Yes, Nanette
as Hillory, the new husband
Chasing the Chaser
as Gilroy (the husband)
Thundering Landlords
as The Landlord
In the Grease
as Father
Sure-Mike!
as The Floorwalker
1924
Short Kilts
as McGregor's Son
Wide Open Spaces
as Jack McQueen
Rupert of Hee-Haw
as Rupert of Hee Haw
Near Dublin
as Sir Patrick
Zeb vs. Paprika
as Major Glanders Botts
Postage Due
as Postal Inspector Hawke
Smithy
as Sergeant
1923
Mother's Joy
as Baron Buttontop
Fully Insured
as The Foreman
Scorching Sands
as James
The Soilers
as Smacknamara
The Whole Truth
as Defense lawyer
Frozen Hearts
as General Sappovitch
Jus' Passin' Through
as Drunk (uncredited)
Roughest Africa
as Hans Downe
A Man About Town
as Humko, Store Detective
Pitfalls of a Big City
as The Hired Man
Hollywood
as James Finlayson
Oranges and Lemons
as Worker
Jack Frost
as Wicked Man from the Wicked City
Where's My Wandering Boy This Evening?
as The Hired Man
Courtship of Miles Sandwich
as Miles Sandwich
Pick and Shovel
as The Foreman
Sold at Auction
as The Man Who WAS Sold
White Wings
as Dental Patient
California or Bust
as Campground neighbor
1922
The Crossroads of New York
as Lawyer
1921
Hard Knocks and Love Taps
as Plato's Rival
She Sighed by the Seaside
as 1st Suitor
A Small Town Idol
as J. Wellington Jones
1920
Don't Weaken!
as Lightfingered Luke - Professor Yonson's Assistant
Down on the Farm
as The Sportive Banker with the Mortgage
1919
Up in Alf's Place
as The Dancing Instructor
Trying to Get Along
as The Beauty Parlor Operator
Yankee Doodle in Berlin
as Commander's Officer (uncredited)