James Finlayson

Acting

James Finlayson

Born 1887-08-26 · Larbert, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland, UK

James Henderson "Jimmy" Finlayson (August 27, 1887 – October 9, 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.

Acting credits

Foreign Correspondent poster
7.0

American crime reporter John Jones is reassigned to Europe as a foreign correspondent to cover the imminent war. When he walks into the middle of an assassination and stumbles on a spy ring, he seeks help from a beautiful politician’s daughter and an urbane English journalist to uncover the truth.

Foreign Correspondent

1940

Another Fine Mess poster
6.9

Two homeless vagabonds hide out in a vacant mansion and pose as the residents when prospective lessees arrive and try to rent it.

Another Fine Mess

1930

Playing at Politics poster
7.0

Ollie is running for mayor and an old flame threatens to blackmail him.

Playing at Politics

1931

Block-Heads poster
7.0

It's 1938, but Stan doesn't know the war is over; he's still patrolling the trenches in France, and shoots down a French aviator. Oliver sees his old chum's picture in the paper and goes to visit Stan who has now been returned to the States and invites him back to his home.

Block-Heads

1938

Pardon Us poster
6.5

It's Prohibition, and the boys wind up behind bars after Stan sells some of their home-brew beer to a policeman.

Pardon Us

1931

The Flying Deuces poster
6.4

Ollie falls in love with a woman. When he discovers she's already married, he unsuccessfully attempts suicide but he and Stan then decide to join the Foreign Legion to get away from their troubles. When they’re arrested for soon trying to desert the Legion—they escape a firing squad by stealing an aircraft.

The Flying Deuces

1939

Thunder Below poster
7.0

Story of an unhappy wife of oil rigger who labors in a Central American oil field. The bored Susan falls in love with Walt's good friend Ken but keeps her husband in the dark about her feelings... until he's plunged into darkness for real when he loses his eyesight. Susan finds her attentions then wandering yet another man, Davis, and Ken urges her to return to Walt.

Thunder Below

1932

To Be or Not to Be poster
7.8

During the Nazi occupation of Poland, an acting troupe becomes embroiled in a Polish soldier's efforts to track down a German spy.

To Be or Not to Be

1942

Way Out West poster
7.1

Stan and Ollie try to deliver the deed to a valuable gold mine to the daughter of a dead prospector. Unfortunately, the daughter's evil guardian is determined to have the gold mine for himself and his saloon-singer wife.

Way Out West

1937

Smithy poster
5.8

After being discharged from the 372nd infantry, on account of a bean shortage, smithy seeks employment. He finds a job on a construction site, where he helps to build a house, and soon causes havoc amongst the other workers. The construction company owner leaves for a week, and tells his secretary to send a letter to Mr. Smith telling him to complete the construction of the house while he (the owner) is away. The letter is accidently sent to Smithy who manages to complete the house. When the owner returns the house is complete, and Smithy is commended until the last support beam is removed...

Smithy

1924

Night Owls poster
7.4

Policeman Edgar Kennedy is told by his chief he better stop a string of burglaries that have been happening on his watch or else he will get the sack. He persuades vagrants Stan and Ollie to rob the chief's house so he can regain his reputation by catching them. The policeman promises to later get the boys off. Things do not go as planned.

Night Owls

1930

She-Wolf of London poster
5.6

A young heiress finds evidence suggesting that at night she acts under the influence of a family curse and has begun committing ghastly murders in a nearby park.

She-Wolf of London

1946

The Devil's Brother poster
6.8

Two wannabe bandits join the service of a dashing nobleman, who secretly masquerades as Fra Diavolo, a notorious outlaw.

The Devil's Brother

1933

A Chump at Oxford poster
6.9

The boys get jobs as a butler and maid-- Stan in drag-- for a dinner party. When that ends in disaster, they resort to sweeping streets and accidentally capture a bank robber. The grateful bank president sends them to Oxford, at their request, and higher-education hijinks ensue.

A Chump at Oxford

1940

Thundering Landlords poster
10.0

Thundering Landlords is a 1925 short

Thundering Landlords

1925

Wide Open Spaces poster
6.3

Wide Open Spaces is a 1924 Western silent film starring Stan Laurel.

Wide Open Spaces

1924

Our Wife poster
7.1

Oliver is making plans to marry his sweetheart Dulcy with Stan as his best man, but the plans are thwarted when Dulcy's father sees a picture of Ollie and forbids the marriage. The couple plan to elope, and run away to a Justice of the Peace. After typical Laurel and Hardy blundering, they manage to sneak the girl away from her father's house.

Our Wife

1931

Our Relations poster
7.0

Two sailors get caught in a mountain of mix-ups when they meet their long-lost twins. Laurel and Hardy play themselves and their twins.

Our Relations

1936

Royal Wedding poster
6.4

A brother and sister dance act encounter challenges and romance when booked in London during the Royal Wedding.

Royal Wedding

1951

Show Girl poster
8.0

An aspiring dancer fakes her own kidnapping as a publicity stunt. Her new found fame causes trouble with her boyfriend.

Show Girl

1928

Bonnie Scotland poster
6.6

Stan and Ollie stow away to Scotland expecting to inherit the MacLaurel estate. When things don't quite turn out that way, they unwittingly enlist in the Scottish army and are posted to India.

Bonnie Scotland

1935

Saps at Sea poster
6.8

Stan and Ollie work in a horn factory. Ollie starts having violent fits every time he hears a horn. His doctor prescribes a restful sea voyage. Mayhem ensues.

Saps at Sea

1940

Unfriendly Enemies poster
6.5

Finlayson plays an intrepid army cameraman on the battlefield in the world war, and Rowe plays his hapless assistant. Cranking away in no man's land, they take foolish chances and must dodge flying shells, falling down and losing their film repeatedly.

Unfriendly Enemies

1925

Scorching Sands poster
5.9

The misadventures of two intrepid explorers in the Egyptian desert.

Scorching Sands

1923