Jimmy Finlayson
Encyclopedia
James Henderson "Jimmy" Finlayson (27 August 1887 – 9 October 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
.
, Stirlingshire
, Scotland
to parents Alexander and Isabella (Henderson) Finlayson, he attended George Watson's College
before dropping out of the University of Edinburgh
to pursue an acting career. He won the main role in the popular West End
production of Bunty Pulls the Strings by Graham Moffat
. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1912 to reprise the role on Broadway
, and dropped out of a country-wide theatrical tour in 1916 to pursue a career in Hollywood. He married Emily Gilbert in July 1919 (per IMDb). He starred in numerous Mack Sennett
-produced comedies, most notably as one of the original Keystone Kops
. As a freelance actor late in his career, he made some of his final films in the UK. He played bit parts in films like Foreign Correspondent
, To Be or Not to Be
and Royal Wedding
. He retired owing to illness many years before his death in 1953.
However, Finlayson is most remembered for his work at the Hal Roach Studios. In the mid-1920s, Roach attempted to make a top-billed star out of Finlayson, but the effort was unfocused and he never caught on. The next step came in 1927 when the All-Star Comedy series gave Finlayson equal billing with up-and-coming co-stars Stan Laurel
and Oliver Hardy
, comedienne Edna Marion
and others; some studio publicity even referred to Finlayson, Hardy and Laurel as a "famous comedy trio." But Roach staff producer and future multi-Oscared director Leo McCarey
recognized the great potential of a Laurel-and-Hardy pairing and began developing their characters and expanding their roles toward that end; by the fall of 1928, Laurel and Hardy was a formal studio series with its own production prefixes while the All-Star Comedy series — and Finlayson's co-equal billing — were things of the past. Yet so memorable an antagonist was he to "The Boys" that even with his diminished billing, he was still "considered by many to be an indispensible part of the Laurel & Hardy team."
Altogether, Finlayson played roles in 33 Laurel and Hardy films
, usually as a villain or an antagonist, notably in the celebrated films Big Business
(1929) and Way Out West
(1937). He also starred alongside Stan Laurel
in 19 films and opposite Oliver Hardy
in five films before Laurel and Hardy were teamed together. He appeared in dozens of Roach Studio films, with Charley Chase
, Glenn Tryon
, Snub Pollard
and Ben Turpin
. He was also in several Our Gang
shorts, notably Mush and Milk
, in which he and Spanky McFarland
match wits in a comically adversarial phone conversation.
His trademark mustache was a prop used mainly in Roach films. In many of his non-Roach movies, it was absent.
Finlayson was known by a variety of nickname
s. According to Laurel and Hardy scholar Randy Skretvedt
, he "called himself Jimmy, was known around the lot as Jim and is usually referred to today as 'Fin'" — perhaps because he played a character called Fin in The Bohemian Girl
and one named Mickey Finn
in Way Out West, or most likely, just as a truncated version of his surname
.
One of Finlayson's trademarks was a drawn out "dohhhhhhh!". Finlayson had used the term as a minced oath
to stand in for the word "Damn
!" This would later inspire Dan Castellaneta
, the voice actor of Homer Simpson
. During the voice recording session for a Tracey Ullman Show
short, Castellaneta was required to utter what was written in the script as an "annoyed grunt". He rendered it as a drawn out "dohhhhhhh". This was inspired by Finlayson. Matt Groening
felt that it would better suit the timing of animation if it were spoken faster. Castellaneta then shortened it to a quickly uttered "D'oh!
"
, California
, where she discovered his body. Finlayson had died of a heart attack
. He was 66 years old.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
who worked in both silent and sound comedies. Bald, with a fake moustache
Fake moustache
A fake moustache or false moustache is an item of prosthetic make-up used in dressing-up, acting, espionage and crime. Fake moustaches are made in different ways, but usually require the wearer to use spirit gum to affix the moustache to his face. Some have a self-adhesive backing...
, 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
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
.
Career
Born in LarbertLarbert
Larbert is a small town in the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The town lies in the Forth Valley above the River Carron which flows from the west. Larbert is 3 miles from the shoreline of the Firth of Forth and 2.5 miles northwest of Falkirk, the main town in the area...
, Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling is a registration county of Scotland, based around Stirling, the former county town. It borders Perthshire to the north, Clackmannanshire and West Lothian to the east, Lanarkshire to the south, and Dunbartonshire to the south-west.Until 1975 it was a county...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to parents Alexander and Isabella (Henderson) Finlayson, he attended George Watson's College
George Watson's College
George Watson's College, known informally as Watson's, is a co-educational independent day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. It was first established as a hospital school in 1741, became a day school in 1871 and was merged with its sister school...
before dropping out of the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
to pursue an acting career. He won the main role in the popular West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production of Bunty Pulls the Strings by Graham Moffat
Graham Moffat
William Graham Moffat was a Scottish actor, director and playwright. He is best known for his 1910 comedy Bunty Pulls the Strings....
. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1912 to reprise the role on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, and dropped out of a country-wide theatrical tour in 1916 to pursue a career in Hollywood. He married Emily Gilbert in July 1919 (per IMDb). He starred in numerous Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett was a Canadian-born American director and was known as the innovator of slapstick comedy in film. During his lifetime he was known at times as the "King of Comedy"...
-produced comedies, most notably as one of the original Keystone Kops
Keystone Kops
The Keystone Kops were incompetent fictional policemen, featured in silent film comedies in the early 20th century. The movies were produced by Mack Sennett for his Keystone Film Company between 1912 and 1917. The idea came from Hank Mann who also played police chief Tehiezel in the first film...
. As a freelance actor late in his career, he made some of his final films in the UK. He played bit parts in films like Foreign Correspondent
Foreign Correspondent (film)
Foreign Correspondent is a 1940 American spy thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock which tells the story of an American reporter who tries to expose enemy spies in Britain, a series of events involving a continent-wide conspiracy that eventually leads to the events of a fictionalized World War...
, To Be or Not to Be
To Be or Not to Be (1942 film)
To Be or Not to Be is a 1942 American comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch, about a troupe of actors in Nazi-occupied Warsaw who use their abilities at disguise and acting to fool the occupying troops. It was adapted by Lubitsch and Edwin Justus Mayer from the story by Melchior Lengyel...
and Royal Wedding
Royal Wedding
Royal Wedding is a 1951 Hollywood musical comedy film known for Fred Astaire's dance performance on a ceiling and another with a coat rack. The story is set in London in 1947 at the time of the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and stars Astaire, Jane Powell, Peter Lawford, Sarah...
. He retired owing to illness many years before his death in 1953.
However, Finlayson is most remembered for his work at the Hal Roach Studios. In the mid-1920s, Roach attempted to make a top-billed star out of Finlayson, but the effort was unfocused and he never caught on. The next step came in 1927 when the All-Star Comedy series gave Finlayson equal billing with up-and-coming co-stars Stan Laurel
Stan Laurel
Arthur Stanley "Stan" Jefferson , better known as Stan Laurel, was an English comic actor, writer and film director, famous as the first half of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy. His film acting career stretched between 1917 and 1951 and included a starring role in the Academy Award winning film...
and Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy was an American comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 30 years, from 1927 to 1955.-Early life:...
, comedienne Edna Marion
Edna Marion
Edna Marion, also known as Edna Marian, born Edna Marion Hannam was a vivacious silent motion picture actress who appeared in a number of Hal Roach short comedies.-Biography:...
and others; some studio publicity even referred to Finlayson, Hardy and Laurel as a "famous comedy trio." But Roach staff producer and future multi-Oscared director Leo McCarey
Leo McCarey
Thomas Leo McCarey was an American film director, screenwriter and producer. During his lifetime he was involved in nearly 200 movies, especially comedies...
recognized the great potential of a Laurel-and-Hardy pairing and began developing their characters and expanding their roles toward that end; by the fall of 1928, Laurel and Hardy was a formal studio series with its own production prefixes while the All-Star Comedy series — and Finlayson's co-equal billing — were things of the past. Yet so memorable an antagonist was he to "The Boys" that even with his diminished billing, he was still "considered by many to be an indispensible part of the Laurel & Hardy team."
Altogether, Finlayson played roles in 33 Laurel and Hardy films
Laurel and Hardy films
This is the complete list of films which either star or feature the comedy team of Laurel and Hardy. Together, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy appeared in 107 short films and features....
, usually as a villain or an antagonist, notably in the celebrated films Big Business
Big Business (1929 film)
Big Business is a 1929 silent Laurel and Hardy comedy short subject directed by James W. Horne and supervised by Leo McCarey from a McCarey and H. M. Walker script. The film was deemed culturally significant and entered into the United States National Film Registry in 1992.- Plot :Stan and Ollie...
(1929) and Way Out West
Way Out West (1937 film)
Way Out West is a Laurel and Hardy comedy film released in 1937. It was directed by James W. Horne, produced by Stan Laurel and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.-Plot:...
(1937). He also starred alongside Stan Laurel
Stan Laurel
Arthur Stanley "Stan" Jefferson , better known as Stan Laurel, was an English comic actor, writer and film director, famous as the first half of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy. His film acting career stretched between 1917 and 1951 and included a starring role in the Academy Award winning film...
in 19 films and opposite Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy was an American comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 30 years, from 1927 to 1955.-Early life:...
in five films before Laurel and Hardy were teamed together. He appeared in dozens of Roach Studio films, with Charley Chase
Charley Chase
Charley Chase was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director, best known for his work in Hal Roach short film comedies...
, Glenn Tryon
Glenn Tryon
Glenn Tryon was an American film actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He appeared in 67 films between 1923 and 1951.He was born in Julietta, Idaho and died in Orlando, Florida.-Selected filmography:...
, Snub Pollard
Snub Pollard
Harry "Snub" Pollard was a silent film comedian, popular in the 1920s.-Career:Often mistaken as the brother of Australian actress Daphne Pollard, in fact the two were not related despite their shared surname. Harry Pollard was born as Harold Fraser and took the name Pollard as his stage name...
and Ben Turpin
Ben Turpin
Ben Turpin was a cross-eyed American comedian and actor, best remembered for his work in silent films.-Personal life:...
. He was also in several Our Gang
Our Gang
Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, the series is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively...
shorts, notably Mush and Milk
Mush and Milk
Mush and Milk is a comedy short subject; part of the Our Gang series. It was produced and directed by Robert F. McGowan for Hal Roach, and was originally released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on May 27, 1933...
, in which he and Spanky McFarland
George McFarland
George Robert Phillips "Spanky" McFarland was an American actor most famous for his appearances as a child in the Our Gang series of short-subject comedies of the 1930s and 1940s...
match wits in a comically adversarial phone conversation.
His trademark mustache was a prop used mainly in Roach films. In many of his non-Roach movies, it was absent.
Finlayson was known by a variety of nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s. According to Laurel and Hardy scholar Randy Skretvedt
Randy Skretvedt
Randy Skretvedt is an American film and music scholar, author, lecturer and broadcaster. His 1987 book Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies is the reference standard for Laurel and Hardy fans Randy Skretvedt (b. November 1958) is an American film and music scholar, author, lecturer and...
, he "called himself Jimmy, was known around the lot as Jim and is usually referred to today as 'Fin'" — perhaps because he played a character called Fin in The Bohemian Girl
The Bohemian Girl (1936 film)
The Bohemian Girl is a 1936 feature film version of the opera The Bohemian Girl by Michael William Balfe. It was produced at the Hal Roach Studios, and stars Laurel and Hardy and Thelma Todd in her last role before her death.-Plot:...
and one named Mickey Finn
Mickey Finn
Mickey Finn may refer to:* Mickey Finn , a drug-laced drink* Mickey Finn , a long-running comic strip* Micky Finn , a fictional character and pseudonym of the 19th century writer Ernest Jarrold...
in Way Out West, or most likely, just as a truncated version of his surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
.
One of Finlayson's trademarks was a drawn out "dohhhhhhh!". Finlayson had used the term as a minced oath
Minced oath
A minced oath is an expression based on a profanity or a taboo term that has been altered to reduce the objectionable characteristics.Many languages have such expressions...
to stand in for the word "Damn
Damnation
Damnation is the concept of everlasting divine punishment and/or disgrace, especially the punishment for sin as threatened by God . A damned being "in damnation" is said to be either in Hell, or living in a state wherein they are divorced from Heaven and/or in a state of disgrace from God's favor...
!" This would later inspire Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
, the voice actor of Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
. During the voice recording session for a Tracey Ullman Show
The Tracey Ullman Show
The Tracey Ullman Show was an American television variety show, hosted by British comedian and onetime pop singer Tracey Ullman. It debuted on April 5, 1987 as the Fox network's second primetime series after Married... with Children, and ran until May 26, 1990. The show blended sketch comedy shorts...
short, Castellaneta was required to utter what was written in the script as an "annoyed grunt". He rendered it as a drawn out "dohhhhhhh". This was inspired by Finlayson. Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
felt that it would better suit the timing of animation if it were spoken faster. Castellaneta then shortened it to a quickly uttered "D'oh!
D'oh!
"D'oh!" is a catchphrase used by the fictional character Homer Simpson, from the long-running American animated sitcom The Simpsons . It is typically used when Homer injures himself, realizes that he has done something stupid, or when something bad has happened or is about to happen to him...
"
Death
English actress Stephanie Insall and Finlayson regularly took breakfast together and had for the past 20 years. However, on the morning of 9 October 1953, Finlayson did not turn up at the usual time. Knowing that he had been ill recently, Miss Insall went to his home on North Beachwood Drive, Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where she discovered his body. Finlayson had died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
. He was 66 years old.
External links
- James Finlayson Biography
- http://www.pdcomedy.com/Movies/YesYesNanette/YesYesNanette.htmlYes Yes Nanette Public DomainPublic domainWorks are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
short comedy for free download]