James Finlayson (27 August 1887 â€" 9 October 1953) was a
Scottish-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.Finlayson
was known by a variety of nicknames. 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'" â€" perhaps
because he played a character called Fin in Our Relations and one
named Mickey Finn in Way Out West, or most likely, just as a truncated
version of his surname.Born in Larbert, Stirlingshire, Scotland to
Alexander and Isabella (née Henderson) Finlayson, James worked as a
tinsmith before pursuing an acting career. As part of John Clyde's
company, he played the part of Jamie Ratcliffe in Jeanie Deans at the
Theatre Royal in Edinburgh in 1910. The next year, following the death
of his parents, he emigrated to the United States at the age of 24
with his brother Robert. Then, in May 1912 in New York City, he played
the role of a detective disguised as a teuchter (person originating
from the Scottish West Highlands or Western Isles) in the stage
production The Great Game at Daly's Theatre: "James Finlayson had an
excellent opportunity, which he did not miss, for developing two
characters in his one role â€" the simple, naive Scotsman and the
artful, determined detective. The remarkable thing is that he managed
to do them both at the same time."
Scottish-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.Finlayson
was known by a variety of nicknames. 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'" â€" perhaps
because he played a character called Fin in Our Relations and one
named Mickey Finn in Way Out West, or most likely, just as a truncated
version of his surname.Born in Larbert, Stirlingshire, Scotland to
Alexander and Isabella (née Henderson) Finlayson, James worked as a
tinsmith before pursuing an acting career. As part of John Clyde's
company, he played the part of Jamie Ratcliffe in Jeanie Deans at the
Theatre Royal in Edinburgh in 1910. The next year, following the death
of his parents, he emigrated to the United States at the age of 24
with his brother Robert. Then, in May 1912 in New York City, he played
the role of a detective disguised as a teuchter (person originating
from the Scottish West Highlands or Western Isles) in the stage
production The Great Game at Daly's Theatre: "James Finlayson had an
excellent opportunity, which he did not miss, for developing two
characters in his one role â€" the simple, naive Scotsman and the
artful, determined detective. The remarkable thing is that he managed
to do them both at the same time."
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