James Finlayson

born: 27 August 1887 Larbert, Falkirk, Scotland

died: 09 October 1953 Los Angeles, California, United States of America (heart attack, age 66)

Balding, Scottish-born comedy actor who started out working as a bit-part player in Mack Sennett comedies before moving to Hal Roach, where he developed his trademark 'double-take and fade away' over-reaction/expression.  A perfect foil for Laurel & Hardy, he was often seen as their on-screen enemy, and showed a versatile range of professions, from doctors to barmans and everything inbetween!  Oh, and the moustache was false! In 1925 Hal Roach gave him his own series but it was abandoned after only six films. His WWI Draft Reg. Card states his height at 5'7", and his WWII card supports that of 5'8". He is the brother of Alex Finlayson and Robert Finlayson.

Real name: James Henderson Finlayson Height: 5'7"

Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography; plus 1 film with Laurel & Hardy.

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1922 Hook, Line And Sinker August Takall 1922 Newly Rich [?] 1923 A Tough Winter The villain 1923 Before The Public [?] 1923 The Noon Whistle O'Hallohan, the foreman 1923 California Or Bust! Campground neighbor 1923 White Wings Dental patient 1923 Sold At Auction! The man who WAS sold   1923 Pick And Shovel Foreman 1923 Courtship Of Miles Sandwich Miles Sandwich 1923 Jack Frost Mellville Dempsey 1923 The Mystery Man 'Gimlet' McGuffey 1923 The Walkout Agitator 1923 A Man About Town Humko, store detective 1923 Roughest Africa Lt. Hans Downe 1923 Jus' Passin' Through Drunk   1923 Frozen Hearts General Sappovitch 1923 The Whole Truth Defense lawyer 1923 The Soilers Smacknamara 1923 Scorching Sands James 1923 Fully Insured Foreman 1923 Mother's Joy Baron Buttontop 1924 Smithy Sergeant 1924 Postage Due Postal inspector   1924 Zeb vs. Paprika Major Glanders Botts   1924 Brothers Under The Chin Bobby 1924 Near Dublin Sir Patrick, brick merchant 1924 Before Taking [unidentified character]   1924 Rupert Of Hee Haw Rupert of Hee Haw 1924 Wide Open Spaces Jack McQueen 1924 Why Husbands Go Mad [unidentified character]   1924 Our Congressman Dinner party guest 1924 Short Kilts McGregor's son 1924 The Sky Plumber [?] (*image is from a still) 1924 Hot Heels [?] (*image is from a still) 1924 Are Blond Men Bashful? [?] 1925 Change The Needle [?] 1925 Hard-Boiled [unidentified character]   1925 The Haunted Honeymoon [unidentified character]   1925 Are Husbands Human? [?] 1925 Sure-Mike! Floorwalker 1925 Tell It To A Policeman Policeman 1925 Official Officers Angry motorist 1925 Thundering Landlords Landlord   1925 In The Grease Father 1925 Chasing The Chaser Gilroy 1925 Yes, Yes, Nanette Hillory 1925 Innocent Husbands Desk clerk 1925 Madame Sans Jane The girl's father 1925 Mary, Queen Of Tots Radio station actor 1925 Unfriendly Enemies The volunteer 1925 Moonlight And Noses Professor Sniff 1925 The Caretaker's Daughter Prohibition sleuth 1925 Cuckoo Love [unidentified character]   1925 Flaming Flappers [?] [image is from a lobby card] 1926 A Punch In The Nose [unidentified character]   1926 What's The World Coming To? Father-in-law 1926 Your Husband's Past [?] 1926 Madame Mystery Struggling author 1926 Dizzy Daddies Jonathan Haig 1926 Wife Tamers Waiter 1926 Ukulele Sheiks [unidentified character]   1926 Don Key (Son Of Burro) Vivien's suitor   1926 Never Too Old Butler   1926 Thundering Fleas Justice of the Peace 1926 The Merry Widower The hunter 1926 Should Husbands Pay? Mr. Krum 1926 Wise Guys Prefer Brunettes Dean of Punkham University 1926 Raggedy Rose Simpson Sniffle 1926 The Nickel-Hopper Resident of 625 Park Street 1927 Anything Once! Mabel's boss 1927 Seeing The World Old 'Buzz-Fuzz', teacher 1927 One Hour Married [unidentified character]   1927 Forgotten Sweeties [unidentified character]   1927 The Honorable Mr. Buggs [?] 1927 No Man's Law Jake Belcher 1927 Love 'Em And Weep Titus Tillsbury 1927 Don't Tell Everything Goldblum, the lawyer 1927 With Love And Hisses Captain Bustle 1927 Sugar Daddies Cyrus Brittle, oil tycoon 1927 The Second 100 Years Governor Browne Van Dyke 1927 Call Of The Cuckoo Asylum inmate 1927 Hats Off Proprietor of Kwickway Washing Machine Company 1927 Do Detectives Think? Judge Foozle 1927 Fighting Fathers [?] 1928 Should Tall Men Marry? Joe Skittle 1928 Flying Elephants Saxophonus 1928 Galloping Ghosts Police commissioner 1929 Liberty Record store proprietor 1929 Big Business Home owner 1929 Men O' War Soda jerk 1929 The Hoose-Gow Prison governor 1930 Night Owls Prison governor 1930 Ladrones  Juan 1930 Dollar Dizzy House detective 1930 El Principe del Dolar  [?] 1930 Les Chercheuses d'or  [?] 1930 Another Fine Mess Colonel Wilberforce Buckshot 1931 Chickens Come Home Butler 1931 Politiquerías  Criado 1931 Our Wife Father of the bride 1931 One Of The Smiths Wine brewer 1931 Pardon Us Prison teacher 1931 One Good Turn Himself 1931 Hasty Marriage 'Pa', Kitty's father 1932 The Chimp Colonel Finn 1932 Pack Up Your Troubles General 1933 Nature In The Wrong Lion (voice) 1933 Me And My Pal Peter Cucumber 1933 His Silent Racket James Finlayson 1933 The Devil's Brother Lord Rocburg 1933 Mush And Milk Mr. Brown, banker 1935 Thicker Than Water Mr. Finlayson 1935 Bonnie Scotland Seargeant Finlayson 1935 Manhattan Monkey Business Joyce's father 1936 Life Hesitates At 40 Dr. James Finlayson 1936 The Bohemian Girl Captain Finn 1936 Our Relations Finn 1937 Way Out West Mickey Finn 1937 Pick A Star Director 1938 Block-Heads Finn, man on stairs 1940 A Chump At Oxford Baldy Vanderveer 1940 Saps At Sea Dr. J.H. Finlayson 1943 Yanks Ahoy Cook Flynn ▼ NON-HAL ROACH FILMS 1939 The Flying Deuces Jail guard Acknowledgements: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-26181-1506-39?cc=1968530 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-16388-14104-35?cc=1861144 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-16388-13805-51?cc=1861144 Jesse Brisson (help and assistance) This page was last updated on: 04 November 2024