Block-Heads

Block-Heads
Block-Heads
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	John G. Blystone
Written by	Felix Adler; Arnold Belgard; Harry Langdon; James Parrott; Charley Rogers
Produced by	Hal Roach Jr.; Hal Roach
Starring	Stan Laurel; Oliver Hardy; Patricia Ellis; Minna Gombell; Billy Gilbert; James Finlayson
Cinematography	Art Lloyd
Edited by	Bert Jordan
Music by	Marvin Hatley
Production; company	Hal Roach Studios
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date	August 19, 1938;
Running time	55:29
Country	United States
Language	English

Block-Heads is a 1938 American comedy film directed by John G. Blystone and starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. It was produced by Hal Roach Studios for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film, a reworking of elements from the Laurel and Hardy shorts We Faw Down (1928) and Unaccustomed As We Are (1929), was Roach's final film for MGM.

Plot

In the trenches of World War I, Oliver (Ollie), Stan, and their fellow soldiers as they prepare for combat. However, Stan is relegated to trench duty while his comrades proceed into battle. Subsequently, the film fast-forwards two decades, revealing Stan's continued vigilance at his post, symbolized by the accumulation of bean cans and the well-worn path of his patrol. His accidental discovery prompts a hero's welcome upon his return home, where he reunites with Ollie, now married to Mrs. Hardy.

Upon visiting Stan at the Soldiers' Home, Ollie discovers him seemingly wheelchair-bound, leading to a series of misunderstandings regarding Stan's physical condition. The duo embarks on a tumultuous journey to Ollie's apartment, encountering various obstacles and engaging in heated exchanges along the way. Domestic chaos ensues upon their arrival, exacerbated by Stan's inadvertent destruction of Ollie's prized possessions and a comical encounter with the neighbor, Mrs. Gilbert. As tensions escalate with the arrival of Mrs. Hardy and Mrs. Gilbert's husband, the narrative culminates in a frenzied pursuit involving a shotgun-wielding Mr. Gilbert and a scramble for safety.

Cast

Stan Laurel as Stan
Oliver Hardy as Ollie
Patricia Ellis as Mrs. 'Toots' Gilbert
Minna Gombell as Mrs. Hardy
Billy Gilbert as Mr. Gilbert
James Finlayson as Finn (man on stairs)
Zeffie Tilbury as Dowager seated near stairs
Mike Behegan as Bugler
Patsy Moran as Lulu
James C. Morton as James (porter)
Karl Slover as Midget
Chill Wills as Midget (voice)
Tommy Bond as Neighbor's son
Ed Brandenburg as Pedestrian
Jean Del Val as French aviator

Production

The film was announced as being the last Laurel & Hardy film and it was the last Hal Roach production for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Block-Heads was the last film directed by John G. Blystone who died shortly afterwards.
The original ending in the script had Billy Gilbert seated comfortably in his study, with Stan and Ollie's heads mounted on his trophy wall (Ollie glances at Stan and says, "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!"). Hal Roach vetoed the idea as "too gruesome", but writer Felix Adler later used the gag at the end of The Three Stooges' 1941 short I'll Never Heil Again.
The battle scenes at the beginning of the film are recycled footage shot for the 1925 silent film The Big Parade by King Vidor.

References

Notes

Bibliography

Everson, William K. The Complete Films of Laurel and Hardy. New York: Citadel, 2000, (first edition 1967). ISBN 0-8065-0146-4.
Louvish, Simon. Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy. London: Faber & Faber, 2001. ISBN 0-571-21590-4.
McCabe, John. Babe: The Life of Oliver Hardy. London: Robson Books Ltd., 2004. ISBN 1-86105-781-4.
McCabe, John with Al Kilgore and Richard W. Bann. Laurel & Hardy. New York: Bonanza Books, 1983, first edition 1975, E.P. Dutton. ISBN 978-0-491-01745-9.
McGarry, Annie. Laurel & Hardy. London: Bison Group, 1992. ISBN 0-86124-776-0.

External links

Block-Heads at IMDb
Block-Heads at the TCM Movie Database
Block-Heads at AllMovie
Block-Heads at Rotten Tomatoes
Block-Heads at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films