BLOCKHEADS (1938)

It's 1938, but Stan doesn't know the war is over; he's still patrolling the trenches in France, and shoots down a French aviator. Oliver sees his old chum's picture in the paper and goes to visit Stan at the Soldier's Home. Thinking Stan is disabled (it's just that he's sitting on his leg), Oliver takes pity on him and takes him home for a nice home-cooked meal. But Oliver's wife has other ideas and leaves him to fend for himself. After blowing up the kitchen, Oliver is helped by his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Gilbert... until the big-game hunting Mr. Gilbert comes home unexpectedly, carrying a shotgun.

This was supposed to have been Stan and Ollie's farewell film with the Hal Roach Studios. Roach was moving into more serious films, and felt the Laurel and Hardy films had done their course. The problem is that Laurel and Hardy were under separate contracts, and when Stan's contract expired, he refused to sign on again unless Roach signed both he and Ollie together as a team, and separate contract players. Roach refused, Stan left while Ollie was still under contract. Roach tried to team Ollie with Harry Langdon (Langdon and Hardy) the following year in a film call Zenobia. The audiences didn't accept this and Laurel and Hardy returned to Roach for a two feature deal in 1940, after making an independent feature in 1939 called "The Flying Deuces."

Stan celebrates his birthday with a cake presented to him by the cast of Blockheads.

Between takes, Ollie has his hand prints taken by a palmist.

Shooting the 'kitchen' scene.

Preparing for the 'dump truck' scene.

Minna Gombell visits the boys on the 'Blockheads' set.

with Harry Langdon on the 'Blockheads' set.

Meeting young fans and signing autographs while on location filming 'Blockheads'.




Stan with child actress Patsy May.