Talk:James Finlayson (actor)

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I'm converting

At that time the word "Damn" was considered blasphemous and was censored. Indeed, the "well-bred captain of the Pinafore" in Gilbert and Sullivan's "HMS Pinafore" is acclaimed by the chorus because he "Never uses a big, big D!" referring to the word."

to

At that time the word "damn" was censored in American films.

Whether it was censored bcz considered blasphemous or just low-class manners may be verifiable, but the true context of the (false) quotation from Pinafore actually undercuts the claim of blasphemy-concern. Here's what's in the libretto (emphasis added by Jerzy):

CAPT.

Bad language or abuse,

I never, never use,

Whatever the emergency;

Though "Bother it" I may

Occasionally say,

I never use a big, big D--

ALL.

What, never?

CAPT.

No, never!

ALL.

What, never?

CAPT.

Hardly ever!

ALL.

Hardly ever swears a big, big D-- ...

And not only

does the chorus challenge, twice, his use of "never" in this context, and

does he own up to exceptions and

does no one utter "[n]ever uses a big, big D!",

but in fact this whole exchange is a crucial link, with contrary force, in the plot: in the other act, we find him uttering (on a Victorian British stage), however he may have intended to spell the crucial word:
CAPT. (trying to repress his anger).

In uttering a reprobation

To any British tar,

I try to speak with moderation,

But you have gone too far.

I'm very sorry to disparage

A humble foremast lad,

But to seek your captain's child in marriage,

Why damme, it's too bad!

(And he soon repeats that final line, and then delivers it a third time in unison with the coarsest of HMS Pinafore's characters.) It may be an excited utterance, but it is neither blurted nor unintentional.
If "Damn" was by 1878 sufficiently de-blasphemized in UK for this scene to be performed before high society, far more needs to be said before implicating blasphemy re American films a half century later. And citing Pinafore re language taboos requires much more nuance.
--Jerzy•t 18:16, 9 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Shouldn't it be "James Finlayson" and not Jimmy?--Stetsonharry (talk) 04:46, 11 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Yes of course. His nickname might have been Jimmy but he was always credited as James. (92.9.65.107 (talk) 21:12, 18 April 2010 (UTC))[reply]

I uploaded a better photo of Finlayson; the old one didn't even look like him. — HarringtonSmith (talk) 13:04, 10 July 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Does anyone have any evidence that he attended either George Watson's College or the University of Edinburgh?

Given that his father was a Blacksmith, and that he himself is listed as a Tinsmith on the 1901 Census, these claims seem dubious. e.g. How would the family have afforded the tuition fees?

I have emailed both institutions and the archivists can find no record of his attendance.

JustWinBaby (talk) 17:33, 30 January 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Dan Castellaneta has said JF is where he got his inspiration for Homer Simpson's 'annoyed grunt' (3:30+ of [1]). 75.156.190.139 (talk) 04:40, 2 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]