Block-Heads

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 listing|

• 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

}}

• 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.

;Notes

{{reflist}}

;Bibliography

{{refbegin}}

• 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}}.

{{refend}}

{{wikiquote}}

• {{AFI film|7701}}
• {{IMDb title|0029923}}
• {{TCMDb title|69047}}
• {{Rotten Tomatoes|blockheads}}

{{Laurel and Hardy filmography}}

{{John G. Blystone}}

Category:1938 films

Category:1930s war comedy films

Category:American war comedy films

Category:American black-and-white films

Category:Films directed by John G. Blystone

Category:Laurel and Hardy (film series)

Category:Western Front (World War I) films

Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films

Category:Films with screenplays by Charley Rogers

Category:Films with screenplays by Harry Langdon

Category:Films with screenplays by Felix Adler (screenwriter)

Category:1938 comedy films

Category:1930s English-language films

Category:1930s American films

Category:Films scored by Marvin Hatley

Category:English-language war comedy films