James Finlayson
Known for
Acting
Life
1887 – 1953 (aged 66)
Born in
Larbert, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland, UK
Credits
View on IMDb180 acting credits
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
To Be or Not to Be
06 Mar 1942
Foreign Correspondent
16 Aug 1940
Way Out West
16 Apr 1937
The Flying Deuces
03 Nov 1939
Block-Heads
19 Aug 1938
Our Relations
15 Sep 1936
Royal Wedding
08 Mar 1951
A Chump at Oxford
25 Jan 1940
Filmography
1982
- Dance of the Cookoosas Man with Toothache
1981
- The Muppets Go to the Moviesas Keystone Kop (archive footage) (uncredited)
1968
- The Best of Laurel and Hardyas Meadows
1964
- The Big Parade of Comedyas Sergeant Major Finlayson in 'Bonnie Scotland' (archive footage)
1952
- Here We Go Againas Plato's Rival
1951
- The Slappiest Days of Our Livesas (archive footage)
- Royal Weddingas Cabby (uncredited)
1948
- Grand Canyon Trailas Sheriff
1947
- The Perils of Paulineas Comic Chef
1946
- Two Sisters from Bostonas Street Cleaner (uncredited)
- She-Wolf of Londonas Constable (uncredited)
1943
- Yanks Ahoyas Cook Flynn (uncredited)
- Happy Times and Jolly Momentsas (archive footage)
1942
- Wedding Yellsas Hammerhead Nahl
- To Be or Not to Beas Scottish Farmer with Mustache (uncredited)
1940
- Foreign Correspondentas Dutch Peasant (uncredited)
- Saps at Seaas Dr. J.H. Finlayson (uncredited)
- A Chump at Oxfordas Baldy Vandevere (uncredited)
1939
- The Great Victor Herbertas Lamplighter
- Rafflesas Hansom Cab Driver (uncredited)
- The Flying Deucesas Jailor
- Hollywood Cavalcadeas Keystone Cop
- Dog-Goneas Mr. Jones
1938
- Block-Headsas Man on Stairs
1937
- Angelas Barker's 2nd Butler (uncredited)
- All Over Townas MacDougal
- The Toast of New Yorkas Trick-Hat Inventor (uncredited)
- Pick a Staras Director
- Way Out Westas Mickey Finn
1936
- Our Relationsas Finn
- The Bohemian Girlas Captain Finn
1935
- MGM 1935 Promo Reelas Manager
- Life Hesitates at 40as Dr. James Finlayson
- Manhattan Monkey Businessas Joyce's Father
- Bonnie Scotlandas Sgt. Maj. Finlayson
- Thicker Than Wateras Auction Manager
- Father and Sonas Bidad
1933
- Dick Turpinas Jeremy
- So This Is Harris!as Golf Pro
- The Gay Nightiesas Mr. Amos Pipp
- Mush and Milkas Mr. Brown, the banker
- The Druggist's Dilemmaas Andrew Finch
- The Devil's Brotheras Lord Rocburg
- His Silent Racketas James
- Me and My Palas Peter Cucumber
- Nature in the Wrongas Voice of lion (uncredited)
1932
- Jitters the Butleras Phineas P. McPhinn
- Boy Oh Boy!as Saunders
- The Millionaire Catas Lawyer Fogg
- Pack Up Your Troublesas General
- The Iceman's Ballas Commissioner Walters
- Thunder Belowas Scotty
- The Chimpas Ringmaster (uncredited)
1931
- Hasty Marriageas Kitty's Father
- Scratch-As-Catch-Can
- One Good Turnas A Community Player
- False Roomersas Landlord
- Beach Pajamas
- Pardon Usas Schoolteacher
- Stout Hearts and Willing Handsas Kop(as the Original Keystone Kops)
- One of the Smithsas Wine Brewer (uncredited)
- Our Wifeas Father of the bride (uncredited)
- Playing at Politicsas Criado
- Second Hand Kissesas Jimmy Finlayson
- Chickens Come Homeas Butler (uncredited)
1930
- Don't Leave Home
- Another Fine Messas Col. Wilburforce Buckshot (uncredited)
- The prince of the dollar
- Gold Diggers
- Dollar Dizzyas House Detective
- For the Defenseas Parrott
- The Dawn Patrolas Field Sergeant
- Young Eaglesas Scotty
- Thieves
- Night Owlsas Meadows
1929
- Wall Streetas Andy (as Jimmy Finalyson)
- The Hoose-Gowas Governor (uncredited)
- Hard to Getas Pa Martin
- Men O' Waras Soda jerk
- Two Weeks Offas Pa Weaver
- Big Businessas Homeowner (uncredited)
- Libertyas Store keeper
- Fast Freightas Spooky Wall Painting
1928
- Show Girlas Mr. Dugan
- Lady Be Goodas Trelawney West
- Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bathas Pa Slocum
- Bachelor’s Paradiseas Pat Malone
- Galloping Ghostsas Police Commissioner
- Flying Elephantsas Saxophonus (uncredited)
- Should Tall Men Marry?as Joe Skittle
1927
- Fighting Fathersas Neighbor
- Do Detectives Think?as Judge Foozle (uncredited)
- Hats Offas Proprietor, Kwickway Washing Machine Co.
- Call of the Cuckooas Asylum Inmate
- The Second 100 Yearsas Browne Van Dyke
- Sugar Daddiesas Oil tycoon Cyrus Brittle
- With Love and Hissesas Captain Bustle
- Don't Tell Everythingas Lawyer Goldblum
- Love 'Em and Weepas Titus Tillsbury
- No Man's Lawas Jack Belcher
- Forgotten Sweeties
- One Hour Married
- Seeing the Worldas 'Old Buzz-Fuzz,' teacher
- Anything Once!as Mabel's Boss
1926
- The Nickel-Hopperas Rupert
- Raggedy Roseas Simpson Sniffle
- Wise Guys Prefer Brunettesas Dean of Pinkham University
- Merry Widoweras The Hunter
- Thundering Fleasas Justice of the Peace
- Don Key (Son of Burro)as Vivien's Suitor
- Wife Tamersas The Waiter
- Dizzy Daddiesas Jonathan Haig
- Madame Mysteryas Struggling Author
- What's the World Coming To?as The Father-in-Law
- A Punch in the Nose
1925
- Flaming Flappers
- The Caretaker's Daughteras The Prohibition Sleuth (as Jimmie Finlayson)
- Moonlight and Nosesas Professor Sniff
- Unfriendly Enemiesas The Cameraman
- Mary, Queen of Totsas Radio Actor
- Madame Sans Janeas The Girl's Father
- Innocent Husbandsas The Desk Clerk (as Jimmie Finlayson)
- Yes, Yes, Nanetteas Hillory, the new husband
- Chasing the Chaseras Gilroy (the husband)
- Thundering Landlordsas The Landlord
- In the Greaseas Father
- Tell It to a Policeman
- Sure-Mike!as The Floorwalker
- Welcome Home
- The Haunted Honeymoon
- Hard Boiled
- Change the Needle
1924
- Short Kiltsas McGregor's Son
- Why Husbands Go Mad
- Wide Open Spacesas Jack McQueen
- Rupert of Hee-Hawas Rupert of Hee Haw
- Near Dublinas Sir Patrick
- Brothers Under the Chin
- Zeb vs. Paprikaas Major Glanders Botts
- Postage Dueas Postal Inspector Hawke
- Smithyas Sergeant
1923
- Mother's Joyas Baron Buttontop
- Fully Insuredas The Foreman
- Scorching Sandsas James
- The Soilersas Smacknamara
- The Whole Truthas Defense lawyer
- Frozen Heartsas General Sappovitch
- Jus' Passin' Throughas Drunk (uncredited)
- Roughest Africaas Hans Downe
- A Man About Townas Humko, Store Detective
- Pitfalls of a Big Cityas The Hired Man
- Hollywoodas James Finlayson
- The Mystery Man
- Oranges and Lemonsas Worker
- Jack Frostas Wicked Man from the Wicked City
- Where's My Wandering Boy This Evening?as The Hired Man
- Courtship of Miles Sandwichas Miles Sandwich
- Pick and Shovelas The Foreman
- Sold at Auction!as The Man Who WAS Sold
- White Wingsas Dental Patient
- California or Bustas Campground neighbor
- The Noon Whistle
- Before the Public
- A Tough Winter
1922
- Newly Rich
- The Crossroads of New Yorkas Lawyer
1921
- Hard Knocks and Love Tapsas Plato's Rival
- She Sighed by the Seasideas 1st Suitor
- A Small Town Idolas J. Wellington Jones
1920
- Love, Honor and Behaveas Artist
- Don't Weaken!as Lightfingered Luke - Professor Yonson's Assistant
- Married Lifeas Man Who Made Good
- Down on the Farmas The Sportive Banker with the Mortgage
1919
- Up in Alf's Placeas The Dancing Instructor
- Trying to Get Alongas The Beauty Parlor Operator
- Yankee Doodle in Berlinas Commander's Officer (uncredited)