Jimmy Finlayson
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James "Jimmy" Finlayson (born August 27, 1887 in Larbert, near Falkirk Scotland, as James Henderson Finlayson to parents Alexander and Isabella (Henderson) Finlayson Scotland Statutory Registers: Births in the Parish of Larbert in the County of Stirling, 1887 - page 51, Item #151; died October 9, 1953 in Los Angeles) was a Scottish-American actor who worked in both silent and sound comedies. Bald, with a fake moustache, Finlayson was famous also for his squinting, outrageous "double-take, and fade away" head reaction.
Career
He flunked out of the University of Edinburgh to pursue an acting career. He won the main role in the West End production of Bunty Pulls the Strings. He emigrated to the United States 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 starred in numerous Mack Sennett-produced comedies, most notably as one of the original Keystone Kops.However, he is most remembered for his work with Hal Roach Studios. He played roles in 33 Laurel and Hardy films, usually as a villain or a person intent on getting revenge on the pair for getting in his way, especially in the films Big Business (1929), and Way Out West (1937). He also starred alongside Stan Laurel in 19 films, and opposite Oliver Hardy in 5 films before Laurel and Hardy were teamed together.
Trivia
Actor Dan Castellaneta, who provides the voice of Homer Simpson in The Simpsons, claims that Homer's catchphrase "D'oh!" was based on a very similar utterance used by Finlayson in the Laurel and Hardy films. Finlayson used the phrase "D'Oh!" (although it is more drawn out than Homer Simpson's) in the Laurel and Hardy short film, "Me and My Pal" and many others.External links
- [James Finlayson Biography]
- [Brief article with pictures]
- [Yes Yes Nanette Public Domain short comedy for free download]
Notes
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