James Finlayson (actor)
| James Finlayson | |
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Finlayson in 1937
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| Born |
James Finlayson 27 August 1887 Larbert, Stirlingshire, |
| Died | 13 July 1953 (aged 65) Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1910–1951 |
| Spouse(s) | Emily Cora Gilbert (1899–1981) |
James Finlayson (27 August 1887 – 13 July 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.
Born in Larbert, Stirlingshire, Scotland to Alexander and Isabella (nêe Henderson) Finlayson, he worked as a tinsmith before pursuing an acting career. After the death of both his parents, he emigrated to the U.S. in 1911 at the age of 24 with his brother Robert.
He married Emily Cora Gilbert, an American citizen from Iowa, in 1919 and became a U.S. citizen in 1942.
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. He played the role of a detective disguised as a teuchter (person originating from the Scottish West Highlands or Western Isles) in the play The Great Game at Daly's Theater, New York in May 1912: "James Finlayson had an excellent opportunity, which he did not miss, for developing two characters in his one role – the simple, naive Scotsman and the artful, determined detective. The remarkable thing is that he managed to do them both at the same time."
He later won the role of Rab Biggar in the popular Broadway production of Bunty Pulls the Strings by Graham Moffat, and dropped out of a country-wide theatrical tour in 1916 to pursue a career in Hollywood.
Arriving in Los Angeles in 1916, he found work at L-KO and Thomas H. Ince's studio. In October 1919, he signed a contract with the Mack Sennett Comedies Corporation. He starred in numerous Sennett-produced comedies, most notably as one of the original Keystone Kops.
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