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in: Our Gang Actors

James Finlayson

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Jamesfinlayson

Jackie Condon, James Finlayson (without his trademark false mustache), and Joe Cobb (from a larger photo)

Biography[]

Character: Mr. Finlayson and others
Birthday: August 27, 1887
Place of Birth: Larbert, Scotland
Date of Death: October 9, 1953
Place of Death: Los Angeles, California
First Short: Official Officers
Last Short: Mush And Milk
Number of Shorts: 6
History: James Henderson Finlayson was born in Scotland and attended George Watson College, dropping out to pursue an acting career. He won the main role in "Bunty Pulls The Strings" on the London stage, later immigrating to the United States play the same role in the United States. Dropping out of the country-wide theatrical tour in 1916, he went to Hollywood for a job in motion pictures, starring in several Matt Sennett comedies, most notably as one of the Keystone Kops. It is his association with Hal Roach Studios for which he is most remembered. While there, he was a recurring foil in the Laurel & Hardy comedies and a recurring talent in the Our Gang shorts, playing their teacher in Seeing The World and getting into a battles of wills over the phone with Spanky in Mush And Milk. His trademark mustache in much of his work was a prop, but he never used it in his non-Roach appearances.
Jimmy married in 1919, but an illness cut down on his amount of work. As a freelance actor late in his career, he made a few of his final films in England, but he mostly remained in the United States. Sadly, he passed away from a heart attack at the age of sixty-six on October 9,1953. His legacy as an actor is continued by modern character actor Dan Castellaneta on the top-rated "The Simpsons." Castellaneta's patented Homer Simpson disgruntled grunt ("D'oh!") was developed from Fin's trademark groan at Laurel and Hardy's antics. Today, Jimmy is considered a crucial part of Laurel and Hardy's films by fans, who often refer to him as "Fin".

List of Shorts[]

00aa fin

Fin stymied by Spanky in Mush And Milk

Other Projects[]

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