# James Finlayson (actor)

James Henderson Finlayson (27 August 1887 – 9 October 1953) was a Scottish actor who worked in both silent and sound comedies. Balding, with a fake moustache, he had many trademark comic mannerisms—including his squinting, outraged double-take reactions, and his characteristic exclamation: "D'ooooooh!" He is 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'"—a truncated version of his surname, as author John McCabe also noted in his 1961 biography Mr. Laurel & Mr. Hardy.

## Early life and stage career

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 Jamie Ratcliffe in Jeanie Deans at the Theatre Royal in Edinburgh in 1910.
The next year (1911), with both parents deceased, he emigrated at age 24 to the United States, along with his brother, Robert. In May 1912 in New York City, he played 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: A reviewer in the Daily Mirror wrote: "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."
Finlayson later won the role of Rab Biggar in the Broadway production of Bunty Pulls the Strings by Graham Moffat, then dropped out of a national tour in 1916 to pursue a career in Hollywood.

## Film

Arriving in Los Angeles in 1916, Finlayson found film work at L-KO and Thomas H. Ince's studio. In October 1919, he signed a contract with the Mack Sennett Comedies Corporation and appeared in numerous Sennett comedies, including with the Keystone Cops.
The promotional newspaper article for the 1920 premiere of Sennett's Down on the Farm refers to Finlayson as "legitimate and screen player of international celebrity", and of his performance says: "The villain in the case—a sort of cross between a Turkish Don Juan and a 'loan shark'—is played with rare power and comic results of seriousness by James Finlayson".
Finlayson sent to Scotland for his close friend Andy Clyde, urging him to join him at the Sennett studio. Clyde arrived in 1922 and became a Sennett fixture as a versatile character actor. Finlayson, however, did not establish himself as star material, and left Sennett's employ later that year.

### Hal Roach Studios

Finlayson was hired almost immediately by Sennett's rival, Hal Roach, who gave him supporting roles in his studio's Snub Pollard and Stan Laurel comedies. With Roach's biggest short-subject star Harold Lloyd moving on to features, Roach tried to start new series with Charley Chase (successfully) and Finlayson (unsuccessfully). The next step came in 1927 when Roach's All-Star Comedy series gave Finlayson equal billing with up-and-coming co-stars Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, comedian Edna Marion, and others; some studio publicity even referred to Finlayson, Hardy, and Laurel as a "famous comedy trio." But Roach staff producer and future Academy Award director Leo McCarey recognized the great potential of a Laurel-and-Hardy pairing and began developing their characters and expanding their roles. By the autumn of 1928, Laurel and Hardy had their own starring series while the All-Star Comedy series soldiered on with other comedians. Nonetheless, Finlayson was still "considered by many to be an indispensable part of the Laurel & Hardy team."
Altogether, Finlayson had roles in 33 Laurel and Hardy films, usually as a villain or an antagonist, in such films as Big Business (1929) and Way Out West (1937). He also starred alongside Laurel in 19 films, and Hardy in five, before Laurel and Hardy were teamed. He appeared in dozens of Roach films with Charley Chase, Glenn Tryon, Snub Pollard and Ben Turpin, and in several Our Gang shorts, including Mush and Milk, in which he and Spanky McFarland match wits in a comically adversarial phone conversation.
Finlayson later played uncredited bit parts in films such as Foreign Correspondent (1940), To Be or Not to Be (1942), and Royal Wedding (1951). He was often called on for silent-comedy reunions like Hollywood Cavalcade (1939) and The Perils of Pauline (1947).

## Personal life and death

Finlayson married Emily Cora Gilbert, an American citizen from Iowa, in 1919 and became a US citizen in 1942.
English actress Stephanie Insall and Finlayson regularly took breakfast together. However, on the morning of 9 October 1953, Finlayson did not turn up at the usual time. Knowing he had recently been ill from flu, she went to his home where she discovered his body, he had died of a heart attack the night before. He was 66 years old.

## Legacy

One of Finlayson's trademarks was a comic drawn-out "Dohhhhhhh!" response to frustration or insult. He had used the term as a minced oath to stand in for the word "damn", unacceptable at the time. A half-century later, it inspired Dan Castellaneta, the voice actor of Homer Simpson. During the voice recording session for a Tracey Ullman Show short, Castellaneta was required to utter what was written in the script as an "annoyed grunt". He rendered it as a drawn out "Dohhhhhhh!" Matt Groening felt it would better suit the timing of animation if it were spoken faster, so Castellaneta shortened it to a quickly uttered "D'oh!"

### Accolades

In 1996, as part its celebrations of a century of cinema in Scotland, the Scottish Film Council presented a plaque commemorating James to Falkirk Council. It reads: "James (Jimmie) Finlayson. Outstanding comic screen actor. The foil to Laurel and Hardy in many films. Born in Larbert in 1887". The plaque was initially erected in Falkirk Town Hall, but was subsequently displayed in Bo'ness Library as part of the HippFest 2019 silent film festival.
In 2011 "Jimmy Finlayson" was incorporated into the Catchphrases section of the Comedy Carpet mosaic beside Blackpool Tower along with a "D'OH!" embossed star.
In 2019, Finlayson was ranked number 39 in a list of Scotland's funniest 60 people compiled by The Herald in a feature trailing the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.
In 2025, James was honoured in his home town of Larbert when a portrait of him by local artist Connor Draycott was unveiled at the Dobbie Hall. The Scottish Film Council plaque from 1996 was also relocated there.

### Portrayals

Finlayson is one of the many entertainers portrayed by English actor Timothy Spall in the 2018 film Stanley: a Man of Variety.
In the 2018 Laurel and Hardy biopic Stan & Ollie, Finlayson is portrayed on the set of Way Out West by Scottish actor Keith MacPherson.

### Sons of the Desert Tent

An international "tent" (chapter) of the Sons of the Desert fraternity was formed in Glasgow in 2019 by and for relatives of Finlayson, and named Our Relations after the Laurel and Hardy film in which Finlayson co-starred.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1920 | Down on the Farm | The Sportive Banker with Mortgage | produced by Mack Sennett |
| 1920 | Married Life | Man Who Made Good | |
| 1920 | Love, Honor and Behave | Artist | |
| 1921 | A Small Town Idol | J. Wellington Jones | Mack Sennett Comedies; with Ben Turpin |
| 1921 | Home Talent | Stranded Actor | |
| 1922 | The Crossroads of New York | Lawyer | |
| 1923 | The Noon Whistle | O'Hallahan, the foreman | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1923 | White Wings | Dental patient | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1923 | Pick and Shovel | The foreman | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1923 | Oranges and Lemons | Worker | Short, Uncredited, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1923 | Hollywood | Himself | Paramount Pictures |
| 1923 | A Man About Town | Humko, store detective | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1923 | Roughest Africa | Lt. Hans Downe (Little Boss) | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1923 | Frozen Hearts | General Sappovitch | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1923 | The Whole Truth | Defense lawyer | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1923 | The Soilers | Smacknamara | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1923 | Scorching Sands | James | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1923 | Mother's Joy | Baron Buttontop | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1924 | Smithy | Sergeant | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1924 | Postage Due | Postal inspector | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1924 | Zeb vs. Paprika | Trainer | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1924 | Brothers Under the Chin | | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1924 | Wide Open Spaces | Jack McQueen | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1924 | Rupert of Hee Haw | Rupert of Hee Haw | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1924 | Our Congressman | Dinner Party Guest | Short, Uncredited, Hal Roach Studios |
| 1924 | Short Kilts | McGregor's son | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1924 | Near Dublin | Brick merchant | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Stan Laurel |
| 1925 | The Haunted Honeymoon | | Short, Hal Roach Studios |
| 1925 | Innocent Husbands | The Desk Clerk | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Charley Chase |
| 1925 | Welcome Home | Minor Role | |
| 1925 | Yes, Yes, Nanette | Hillory, the new husband | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Oliver Hardy |
| 1926 | Madame Mystery | Struggling author | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Theda Bara |
| 1926 | Dizzy Daddies | Jonathan Haig | Short, Hal Roach Studios |
| 1926 | Wife Tamers | Waiter | Short, Hal Roach Studios. with Lionel Barrymore and Gertrude Astor |
| 1926 | Ukulele Sheiks | | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Glenn Tryon and Vivien Oakland |
| 1926 | Thundering Fleas | Justice of the Peace | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Oliver Hardy and Charley Chase |
| 1926 | Raggedy Rose | Simpson Sniffle | Hal Roach Studios; with Mabel Normand |
| 1927 | Seeing the World | James Finlayson, teacher | Short, Hal Roach Studios; Our Gang series |
| 1927 | One Hour Married | | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Mabel Normand |
| 1927 | The Honorable Mr. Buggs | | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Oliver Hardy |
| 1927 | The Second Hundred Years | Gov. Browne Van Dyke | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1927 | No Man's Law | Jack Belcher | Hal Roach Studios; with Oliver Hardy |
| 1927 | Love 'em and Weep | Titus Tilbury | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1927 | With Love and Hisses | Captain Bustle | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1927 | Do Detectives Think? | Judge Foozle | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1928 | Bachelor's Paradise | Pat Malone | Tiffany Pictures |
| 1928 | Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath | Pa Slocum | First National Pictures |
| 1928 | Lady Be Good | Trelawney West | First National Pictures |
| 1928 | Show Girl | Mr. Dugan | First National Pictures |
| 1929 | Liberty | Store Keeper | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1929 | Big Business | Homeowner | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1929 | Two Weeks Off | Pa Weaver | |
| 1929 | Hard to Get | Pa Martin | First National Pictures |
| 1929 | Wall Street | Andy | |
| 1930 | Night Owls | Meadows, the butler | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1930 | Young Eagles | Scotty | |
| 1930 | The Dawn Patrol | Field Sergeant | |
| 1930 | For the Defense | Parrott | |
| 1930 | El príncipe del dólar | | |
| 1930 | Chercheuses d'or | | |
| 1930 | Feet First | Painter | Uncredited |
| 1930 | Another Fine Mess | Colonel Buckshot | Short, Uncredited, Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1931 | Chickens Come Home | Butler | Short, Uncredited, Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1931 | Politiquerías | Criado | |
| 1931 | Our Wife | Father of Dulce | Short, Uncredited, Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1931 | Pardon Us | Teacher | Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1931 | One Good Turn | A Community Player | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1931 | Hasty Marriage | Kitty's Father | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Charley Chase |
| 1932 | Thunder Below | Scotty | |
| 1932 | Pack Up Your Troubles | The General | Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1932 | Zwei Ritter ohne Furcht und Tadel | 1 Short | |
| 1933 | Me and My Pal | Peter Cucumber | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1933 | His Silent Racket | Himself | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Charley Chase |
| 1933 | Fra Diavolo | Lord Rocberg | Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1933 | Mush and Milk | Mr. Brown, the banker | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Our Gang |
| 1934 | Trouble in Store | The Watchman (leading role) | (U.K Comedy Short), Warner Brothers |
| 1934 | The Girl in Possession | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| 1934 | Oh No Doctor! | Axminster | |
| 1934 | Dick Turpin | Jeremy | |
| 1934 | Nine Forty-Five | Police Constable Doyle | |
| 1934 | What Happened to Harkness? | Police Constable Gallun | |
| 1934 | Father and Son | Bildad | |
| 1934 | Big Business | Police Constable | |
| 1935 | Thicker Than Water | Mr. Finlayson | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1935 | Handle with Care | Jimmy | |
| 1935 | Who's Your Father | | Uncredited |
| 1935 | Bonnie Scotland | Sergeant Major Finlayson | Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1935 | Manhattan Monkey Business | Joyce's Father | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Charley Chase |
| 1935 | Life Hesitates at 40 | Dr. Finlayson | Short, Hal Roach Studios; with Charley Chase |
| 1936 | The Bohemian Girl | Finn, Captain of the Guard | Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1936 | Our Relations | Finn, Chief Engineer | Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1937 | Way Out West | Mickey Finn | Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1937 | Pick a Star | Director | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| 1937 | The Toast of New York | Trick-Hat Inventor | Uncredited |
| 1937 | All Over Town | MacDougal | |
| 1937 | This Way Please | Policeman | Uncredited |
| 1937 | Angel | Barker's Second Butler | Uncredited |
| 1937 | Wise Girl | Jailer | Uncredited, RKO Radio |
| 1938 | Block-Heads | Finn - Man on Stairs | Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1938 | Carefree | Man on golf course | Uncredited, RKO Pictures; with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers |
| 1939 | Hollywood Cavalcade | Himself | 20th Century Fox |
| 1939 | The Flying Deuces | Jailer | RKO Pictures; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1939 | Raffles | Hansom Cab Driver | Uncredited, United Artists |
| 1939 | The Great Victor Herbert | Lamplighter | |
| 1939 | A Chump at Oxford | Baldy Vandevere | Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1940 | Saps at Sea | Dr J.H. Finlayson | Hal Roach Studios; with Laurel and Hardy |
| 1940 | Foreign Correspondent | Dutch Peasant | Uncredited, United Artists |
| 1941 | Nice Girl? | Loafer at Train Station | Uncredited |
| 1941 | One Night in Lisbon | Air Raid Warden | Uncredited |
| 1941 | New Wine | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| 1942 | To Be or Not to Be | Scottish Farmer | Uncredited, United Artists |
| 1942 | Yanks Ahoy | Cook Flynn | Uncredited |
| 1946 | Two Sisters from Boston | Street Cleaner | Uncredited |
| 1946 | She-Wolf of London | Constable With Hobbs and Latham | Uncredited |
| 1946 | Till the Clouds Roll By | Candy Vendor | Uncredited |
| 1947 | Thunder in the Valley | Court Judge | Uncredited |
| 1947 | The Perils of Pauline | Comic Chef | Paramount Pictures |
| 1948 | Julia Misbehaves | Bill Collector | Uncredited, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| 1948 | Grand Canyon Trail | Sheriff | |
| 1948 | Hills of Home | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| 1949 | Challenge to Lassie | Newspaper Reporter | Uncredited, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| 1951 | Here Comes the Groom | Drunken Sailor / Wedding Guest | Uncredited, Paramount Pictures |
| 1951 | Royal Wedding | Cabby | Uncredited, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |