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James Finlayson was a Scottish-born American actor who worked in both silent and sound comedies. Bald, with a fake moustache, Finlayson had many trademark comic mannerisms and is known for his squinting, outraged, "double take and fade away" head reaction, and characteristic expression "d'ooooooh", and as the best remembered comic foil of Laurel and Hardy.
Birth Name
James Henderson Finlayson
Born
Saturday, 27 August 1887
Died
Friday, 09 October 1953
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| Hollywoods Spaßfabrik - Als die Bilder Lachen lernten | (archive footage) | 2014 |
| Laurel & Hardy: Their Lives and Magic | Self | 2011 |
| The Woman with the Hungry Eyes | (archive footage) | 2006 |
| Dance of the Cookoos | Man with Toothache / Christmas Tree Customer | 1982 |
| The Best of Laurel and Hardy | Meadows / Dulcy's Father / Fin | 1968 |
| The Further Perils of Laurel and Hardy | (archive footage) | 1967 |
| Laurel and Hardy's Laughing 20's | (archive footage) (as Jimmy Finlayson) | 1965 |
| The Big Parade of Comedy | Sergeant Major Finlayson in 'Bonnie Scotland' / (archive footage) | 1964 |
| Hollywood and the Stars | Self | 1963 |
| When Comedy Was King | edited from 'Big Business' | 1960 |
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| Hollywoods Spaßfabrik - Als die Bilder Lachen lernten | (archive footage) | 2014 |
| Laurel & Hardy: Their Lives and Magic | Self | 2011 |
| The Woman with the Hungry Eyes | (archive footage) | 2006 |
| Dance of the Cookoos | Man with Toothache / Christmas Tree Customer | 1982 |
| The Best of Laurel and Hardy | Meadows / Dulcy's Father / Fin | 1968 |
| The Further Perils of Laurel and Hardy | (archive footage) | 1967 |
| Laurel and Hardy's Laughing 20's | (archive footage) (as Jimmy Finlayson) | 1965 |
| The Big Parade of Comedy | Sergeant Major Finlayson in 'Bonnie Scotland' / (archive footage) | 1964 |
| Hollywood and the Stars | Self | 1963 |
| When Comedy Was King | edited from 'Big Business' | 1960 |
| Here Comes the Groom | Drunken Sailor / Wedding Guest | 1951 |
| Ça c'est du cinéma | (archive footage) | 1951 |
| Royal Wedding | Cabby | 1951 |
| Challenge to Lassie | Newspaper Reporter | 1949 |
| Down Memory Lane | Target instructor | 1949 |
| Hills of Home | Minor Role | 1948 |
| Grand Canyon Trail | Sheriff | 1948 |
| Julia Misbehaves | Bill Collector | 1948 |
| Thunder in the Valley | Court Judge | 1947 |
| The Perils of Pauline | Comic Chef | 1947 |
| Till the Clouds Roll By | Candy Vendor | 1946 |
| Two Sisters from Boston | Street Cleaner | 1946 |
| She-Wolf of London | Constable With Hobbs and Latham | 1946 |
| Once Over Lightly | (archive footage) | 1944 |
| Yanks Ahoy | Cook Flynn | 1943 |
| To Be or Not to Be | Scottish Farmer with Mustache | 1942 |
| New Wine | Undetermined Secondary Role | 1941 |
| One Night in Lisbon | Air Raid Warden | 1941 |
| Nice Girl? | Loafer at Train Station | 1941 |
| Foreign Correspondent | Dutch Peasant | 1940 |
| Saps at Sea | Dr. J.H. Finlayson | 1940 |
| A Chump at Oxford | Baldy Vandevere | 1940 |
| The Great Victor Herbert | Lamplighter | 1939 |
| Raffles | Hansom Cab Driver | 1939 |
| The Flying Deuces | Jailor | 1939 |
| Hollywood Cavalcade | Keystone Kop / Keystone Cop | 1939 |
| Carefree | Man at Golf Course | 1938 |
| Block-Heads | Finn - Man on Stairs / Man on Stairs | 1938 |
| Wise Girl | Jailer | 1937 |
| Angel | Barker's Second Butler | 1937 |
| This Way Please | Policeman | 1937 |
| All Over Town | MacDougal | 1937 |
| The Toast of New York | Trick-Hat Inventor | 1937 |
| Pick a Star | Director | 1937 |
| Way Out West | Mickey Finn | 1937 |
| That's That! | Mickey Finn | 1937 |
| Our Relations | Finn - The Chief Engineer / Finn | 1936 |
| The Bohemian Girl | Captain Finn | 1936 |
| Handle with Care | Jimmy | 1935 |
| Bonnie Scotland | Sgt. Maj. Finlayson | 1935 |
| Thicker Than Water | Auction Manager | 1935 |
| Dandy Dick | (Unknown - part cut) | 1935 |
| What Happened to Harkness? | Police Constable Gallun | 1935 |
| Father and Son | Bildad | 1935 |
| Nine Forty-Five | P.C. Doyle | 1934 |
| The Girl in Possession | Undetermined Role | 1934 |
| Oh No Doctor! | Axminster | 1934 |
| Dick Turpin | Jeremy | 1933 |
| Strictly in Confidence | Mac | 1933 |
| So This Is Harris | Golf Pro | 1933 |
| The Gay Nighties | Mr. Amos Pipp | 1933 |
| Mush and Milk | Mr. Brown - Banker / Mr. Brown, the banker | 1933 |
| The Druggist's Dilemma | Andrew Finch | 1933 |
| The Devil's Brother | Lord Rocburg | 1933 |
| Me and My Pal | Peter Cucumber | 1933 |
| Nature in the Wrong | Voice of lion | 1933 |
| Pack Up Your Troubles | General | 1932 |
| The Iceman's Ball | Commissioner Walters | 1932 |
| Thunder Below | Scotty | 1932 |
| The Chimp | Ringmaster | 1932 |
| Hasty Marriage | Kitty's Father | 1931 |
| Scratch-As-Catch-Can | 1931 | |
| A Melon-Drama | The Judge | 1931 |
| One Good Turn | A Community Player | 1931 |
| Pardon Us | Schoolteacher | 1931 |
| Stout Hearts and Willing Hands | Kop | 1931 |
| Our Wife | 1931 | |
| Politiquerías | Criado | 1931 |
| Chickens Come Home | Butler | 1931 |
| Another Fine Mess | Col. Wilburforce Buckshot | 1930 |
| Feet First | Painter | 1930 |
| Dollar Dizzy | House Detective | 1930 |
| For the Defense | Parrott | 1930 |
| The Dawn Patrol | Field Sergeant | 1930 |
| Young Eagles | Scotty | 1930 |
| Ladrones | Juan | 1930 |
| Night Owls | Meadows | 1930 |
| Wall Street | Andy (as Jimmy Finalyson) / Andy | 1929 |
| The Hoose-Gow | Governor | 1929 |
| Men O'War | Soda Jerk | 1929 |
| Two Weeks Off | Pa Weaver | 1929 |
| Big Business | Homeowner | 1929 |
| Liberty | Store Keeper | 1929 |
| Show Girl | Mr. Dugan | 1928 |
| Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath | Pa Slocum | 1928 |
| Flying Elephants | Saxophonus | 1928 |
| Should Tall Men Marry? | Joe Skittle | 1928 |
| Do Detectives Think? | Judge Foozle | 1927 |
| Hats Off | Proprietor, Kwickway Washing Machine Co. | 1927 |
| Call of the Cuckoo | Asylum Inmate | 1927 |
| The Second 100 Years | Governor Browne Van Dyke / Browne Van Dyke | 1927 |
| Sugar Daddies | Oil Tycoon Cyrus Brittle | 1927 |
| With Love and Hisses | Captain Bustle | 1927 |
| Don't Tell Everything | Lawyer Goldblum | 1927 |
| Love 'Em and Weep | Titus Tillsbury | 1927 |
| No Man's Law | Jack Belcher | 1927 |
| Forgotten Sweeties | 1927 | |
| Seeing the World | 'Old Buzz-Fuzz,' teacher / James Finlayson, teacher | 1927 |
| Anything Once! | Mabel's Boss | 1927 |
| The Nickel-Hopper | Resident of 625 Park St. | 1926 |
| Raggedy Rose | Simpson Sniffle | 1926 |
| Wise Guys Prefer Brunettes | Dean of Pinkham University | 1926 |
| Thundering Fleas | Justice of the Peace | 1926 |
| Wife Tamers | The Waiter | 1926 |
| Madame Mystery | Struggling Author | 1926 |
| Whats the World Coming To | The Father-in-Law | 1926 |
| The Caretaker's Daughter | The Prohibition Sleuth (as Jimmie Finlayson) / The Prohibition Sleuth | 1925 |
| Mary, Queen of Tots | Radio Station Actor | 1925 |
| Innocent Husbands | The Desk Clerk (as Jimmie Finlayson) / The Desk Clerk | 1925 |
| Yes, Yes, Nanette | Hillory, the new husband (as Jimmie Finlayson) / Hillory -Nanette's New Husband | 1925 |
| Chasing the Chaser | Gilroy (the husband) | 1925 |
| In the Grease | Father | 1925 |
| Official Officers | Angry Motorist | 1925 |
| Welcome Home | Undetermined Role | 1925 |
| Short Kilts | 1924 | |
| Our Congressman | Dinner Party Guest | 1924 |
| Rupert of Hee Haw | Rupert of Hee Haw | 1924 |
| Near Dublin | Sir Patrick / Sir Patrick, brick merchant | 1924 |
| Zeb vs. Paprika | Maj.Glanders Botts - His Trainer / Major Glanders Botts | 1924 |
| Postage Due | Postal Inspector / Postal Inspector Hawke | 1924 |
| Smithy | Sergeant | 1924 |
| Mother's Joy | Baron Buttontop | 1923 |
| Scorching Sands | James | 1923 |
| The Soilers | Smacknamara | 1923 |
| The Whole Truth | Defense lawyer | 1923 |
| Frozen Hearts | Gen. Sappovitch / General Sappovitch | 1923 |
| Jus' Passin' Through | Drunk | 1923 |
| Roughest Africa | Lt. Hans Downe (Little Boss) / Hans Downe | 1923 |
| A Man About Town | Humko, Store Detective | 1923 |
| Oranges and Lemons | Worker | 1923 |
| Hollywood | James Finlayson | 1923 |
| Courtship of Miles Sandwich | Miles Sandwich | 1923 |
| Pick and Shovel | The Foreman | 1923 |
| Sold at Auction! | The Man Who WAS Sold | 1923 |
| White Wings | Dental patient | 1923 |
| California or Bust | Campground neighbor | 1923 |
| The Noon Whistle | O'Hallahan - the Foreman | 1923 |
| When Summer Comes | Undetermined Secondary Role | 1922 |
| The Crossroads of New York | Lawyer | 1922 |
| Gymnasium Jim | Secondary Role | 1922 |
| Bright Eyes | Secondary Role | 1921 |
| Home Talent | Stranded Actor | 1921 |
| Don't Weaken! | Lightfingered Luke - Professor Yonson's Assistant | 1920 |
| Down on the Farm | The Sportive Banker with the Mortgage | 1920 |
| Yankee Doodle in Berlin | Commander's Officer | 1919 |
