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Actor Jimmy Finlayson

James Henderson "Jimmy" Finlayson (August 27, 1887 Larbert, Scotland - October 9, 1953, Los Angeles) was a Scottish-American 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, outrageous "double-take, fade away" head reaction, and characteristic expression d'oh!

Born to parents Alexander and Isabella (Henderson) Finlayson ^[1], he attended George Watson's College before dropping out of the University of Edinburgh to pursue an acting career. He won the main role in the West End production of Bunty Pulls the Strings. He emigrated to the United States in 1912 to reprise the role on Broadway, and dropped out of a country-wide theatrical tour in 1916 to pursue a career in Hollywood. He married Emily Gilbert in July 1919 (per IMDb)^{[citation needed]}. He starred in numerous Mack Sennett-produced comedies, most notably as one of the original Keystone Kops. As a freelance actor late in his career, he made some of his final films in the UK. He played bit parts in films like Foreign Correspondent, To Be or Not to Be and Royal Wedding. He retired owing to illness many years before his death in 1953.

However, he is most remembered for his work with Hal Roach Studios. He played roles in 33 Laurel and Hardy films, usually as a villain or a person intent on getting revenge on the pair for getting in his way, especially in the films Big Business (1929), and Way Out West (1937). He also starred alongside Stan Laurel in 19 films, and opposite Oliver Hardy in 5 films before Laurel and Hardy were teamed together.

Actor Dan Castellaneta, who provides the voice of Homer Simpson in The Simpsons, claims that Homer's catchphrase "D'oh!" was based on a very similar utterance used by Finlayson in the Laurel and Hardy films. Finlayson used the phrase "D'Oh!" (sometimes long and drawn out, sometimes short and clipped in the style of Homer Simpson's) in the Laurel and Hardy films, "Me and My Pal", "Our Relations" and many others.

He once knocked himself out by putting too much effort into a double-take routine.

His nickname was Fin. He played a character called Fin in The Bohemian Girl, and one named Mickey Finn in Way Out West.

• Jimmy Finlayson at the Internet Movie Database
• James Finlayson Biography
• Brief article with pictures
• Yes Yes Nanette Public Domain short comedy for free download

1. ^ Scotland Statutory Registers: Births in the Parish of Larbert in the County of Stirling, 1887 - page 51, Item #151