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Comedy Film Hollywood Silent Film

Postage Due

Scenes from POSTAGE DUE (1924)
Moving Picture World, 16 Feb 1924, p. 589

1924 silent film comedy where James Finlayson plays the part of a United States Postal Inspector.

With Stan Laurel, Ena Gregory and George Rowe. Hal Roach comedy two-reeler. Directed by George Jeske. Distributed by Pathé. Released 17 Feb 1924.

Sources: Motion Picture News Booking Guide, Vol. VI, April 1924, p. 83; ‘Postage Due’ – Pathe, Exhibitor’s Trade Review, 16 Feb 1924, p. 32; ‘Postage Due’ (Pathe – Two Reels), Motion Picture News, 16 Feb 1924, p. 756.

Categories
Comedy Film Hollywood Silent Film

A Man About Town

Store detective James Finlayson hides from suspected shoplifter Stan Laurel
Scene from A MAN ABOUT TOWN (1923)
1923 silent film comedy with James Finlayson as Hunko, a store detective.

With Stan Laurel and Katherine Grant. Hal Roach comedy one-reeler. Directed by George Jeske. Distributed by Pathé. Released 16 Sep 1923.

A conductor tells Stan Laurel to follow a girl to be sure of transferring to the right car. Stan follows the wrong lady, who leads him into a lot of trouble. He is taken for a shoplifter but manages to evade the police. When he imagines he has at last caught the right car, he finds himself on the police wagon. This single-reeler is satisfactory entertainment.

Source: Exhibitor’s Trade Review, 15 Sep 1923, p. 716.


Categories
Comedy Film Hollywood Silent Film

Near Dublin

James Finlayson smashes a chair on Stan Laurel's head
Scene from NEAR DUBLIN (1924)
1924 silent film comedy where James Finlayson plays the part of Sean O’Hare [a pun on shorn of hair], brick merchant.

With Stan Laurel and Ena Gregory. Hal Roach comedy two-reeler. Directed by Ralph Ceder. Distributed by Pathé. Released 11 May 1924.

Sources: Motion Picture News Vol. XXX No. 17 Booking Guide Section, 25 Oct 1924, p. 69; The Film Daily, 4 May 1924, p. 12; Moving Picture World, 10 May 1924, p. 226.

Categories
Comedy Film Hollywood Silent Film

Pick and Shovel

Katherine Grant, Stan Laurel and James Finlayson in a publicity shot for PICK AND SHOVEL (1923)
Source: Exhibitors Trade Review, 16 Jun 1923, p. 102

1923 silent film comedy with James Finlayson as the foreman in a coal mine.

With Stan Laurel and Katherine Grant. All three main characters essentially reprise their roles from THE NOON WHISTLE. Hal Roach one-reeler. Directed by George Jeske. Distributed by Pathé. Released 17 Jun 1923.

Scenes from PICK AND SHOVEL (1923)
Source: Motion Picture News, 7 Jul 1923, p. 76


Categories
Comedy Film Hollywood Silent Film

The Noon Whistle

James Finlayson and Stan Laurel in THE NOON WHISTLE (1923)
Source: Exhibitors Trade Review, 5 May 1923

1923 silent film comedy with James Finlayson as T. O’Hallahan, the foreman in a sawmill.

With Stan Laurel and Katherine Grant. Hal Roach comedy one-reeler. Directed by George Jeske. Distributed by Pathé. Released 29 Apr 1923.

Notable as the first Hal Roach film to feature Stan Laurel as a star.

Stan Laurel starts as star in Hal Roach one-reel comedy, NOON WHISTLE
Source: Motion Picture News, 28 Apr 1923


Categories
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.

Source: Tullar's Weekly, 5 May 1924, p. 3
Source: Tullar’s Weekly, 5 May 1924, p. 3
Categories
Comedy Film Hollywood Silent Film

Short Kilts

James Finlayson in Short Kilts

1924 silent film comedy with James Finlayson as ‘McGregor’s son’.
Starring Stan Laurel. Directed by George Jeske. Produced by Hal Roach. Distributed by Pathé. Released 3 Aug 1924.

You’d have thought they’d cast someone older to play his father – or got him to wear a wig!

Categories
Comedy Film Hollywood Silent Film

Seeing the World

Motion Picture News, 7 Jan 1927, Vol. XXXV, No. 1.
Motion Picture News, 7 Jan 1927, Vol. XXXV, No. 1.

1927 silent film comedy with James Finlayson as the teacher who has a nightmare about taking the Our Gang kids on a tour of Europe. Directed by Robert F. McGowan. Produced by Hal Roach. Reviewed in Motion Picture News of 7 Jan 1927.

See if you can spot Stan Laurel!

Categories
Comedy Film Hollywood Silent Film

The Soilers

James Finlayson in The Soilers

1923 silent film comedy with James Finlayson as ‘Smacknamara’.
Starring Stan Laurel as ‘Canister’. Directed by Ralph Ceder. Produced by Gilbert M. Anderson and Hal Roach. Released 25 Nov 1923.

Stills from THE SPOILERS (1923)
Source: Motion Picture News, 24 Nov 1923
The film was a burlesque of Rex Beach’s novel THE SPOILERS (which has the characters Glennister and McNamara) which had been adapted to the screen a couple of months earlier. It was the third in a series of such spoofs partnering James with Stan, the first being ROUGHEST AFRICA and the second being FROZEN HEARTS.

Categories
Comedy Film Hollywood Silent Film

Frozen Hearts

James Finlayson in Frozen Hearts

1923 silent film comedy with James Finlayson as ‘General Sappovitch’.
Starring Stan Laurel (and also featuring Mae Laurel). Directed by J.A. Howe. Produced by Hal Roach. Released 28 Oct 1923.

The film was a burlesque of Vicente Blasco Ibáñez’s novel ENEMIES OF WOMEN which had been adapted to the screen a few months earlier. It was the second in a series of such spoofs partnering James with Stan, the first being ROUGHEST AFRICA and the third being THE SOILERS.