Month: February 2019

The Village Smithy

This 1919 silent film comedy features James Finlayson as a blacksmith.

With Louise Fazenda, Chester Conklin and Phyllis Haver (also a small cameo from Ben Turpin). Mack Sennett two-reeler. Directed by F. Richard Jones. Distributed by Paramount. Released 9 Mar 1919.
Sources: ‘For Art’s Sake – BEN TURPIN’, Ben Turpin Filmography – Sennett 1917-1927; Sherk, Warren M., The Films of Mack Sennett: Credit Documentation from the Mack Sennett Collection at the Margaret Herrick Library, Scarecrow Press, 1998, p. 215; ‘How To Advertise THE VILLAGE SMITHY’, Paramount Comedy Releases Press Books (Sep 1918-Sep 1919).

James Finlayson, Chester Conklin and Louise Fazenda on promotional material for THE VILLAGE SMITHY (1919)

As noted previously, in real life James had in fact been a tinsmith, as was his older brother Alex. Their father Alexander was a blacksmith and their paternal grandfather Robert was an iron grinder.

James Finlayson in 1901 Census — Excerpt from 1901 Census of the household of Alexander Finlayson in Larbert
(ScotlandsPeople: Census 1901 485/0A 001/00 043)

The excerpt below from The Falkirk Herald confirms that James worked at Jones and Campbell’s Torwood Foundry which was located at 55-59 Foundry Loan just a short walk from the Finlayson family home on Victoria Road, Larbert.

Tags Chester Conklin, Family History, James Finlayson, Louise Fazenda, Mack Sennett, Phyllis Haver, Torwood Foundry

Comedy Film Hollywood Silent Film

A Tough Winter

1923 silent film comedy where James Finlayson plays the part of the hard-hearted landlord. Watch James fall through the ice at the end of the YouTube clip below.

Starring Snub Pollard with Marie Mosquini. A Hal Roach comedy two-reeler, the film parodied the 1922 documentary NANOOK OF THE NORTH. Directed by Charley Chase. Distributed by Pathé. Released 4 Feb 1923.

Sources: Motion Picture News, 3 Feb 1923; The Film Daily, 23 Jan 1923; The Charley Chase Filmography, The World of Charley Chase.

Tags Charley Chase, Hal Roach, James Finlayson, Marie Mosquini, Snub Pollard

Comedy Film Hollywood Silent Film

Roughest Africa

James Finlayson in ROUGHEST AFRICA (1923) 1923 silent film comedy with James Finlayson as ‘Lieut. Hans Downe’.
Starring Stan Laurel as ‘Prof. Stanislaus Laurello’ and also briefly featuring Katherine Grant as ‘Mrs. Laurello’. Directed by Ralph Ceder. Produced by Hal Roach. Released 30 Sep 1923.

James Finlayson in ROUGHEST AFRICA (1923) The film was a burlesque of the jungle adventure documentaries by Martin and Osa Johnson (e.g. 1921’s TRAILING AFRICAN WILD ANIMALS) and H.A. Snow (e.g. 1922’s HUNTING BIG GAME IN AFRICA WITH GUN AND CAMERA). It was the first in a series of such spoofs partnering James with Stan, the second being FROZEN HEARTS and the third being THE SOILERS.