This 1939 film version of John Steinbeck's classic novel was a surprising choice for comedy producer Hal Roach; in fact, Roach had no intention of filming the property until forced to do so as a result of a lawsuit brought by director Lewis Milestone. Burgess Meredith stars as itinerant farm worker George, who travels in with his cousin and best friend Lennie (Lon Chaney, Jr.). George dreams of saving enough money for a farm of his own, a dream shared by the retarded giant Lennie, who merely
wants to "tend the rabbits." Unfortunately, George has never been able to stay at a job very long, thanks to the trouble often caused by Lennie's feeble-mindedness. Still, George is fiercely loyal to Lennie and would never think of deserting him. Hired by rancher Oscar O'Shea, George and Lennie run afoul of the boss' belligerent son Curley (Bob Steele); his bored wife Mae (Betty Field) starts flirting with poor Lennie, who, not knowing his own strength, accidentally strangles the girl, leading to even more tragic consequences. Despite being endlessly parodied in Warner Bros. and MGM cartoons ("Which way did he, go George? Which way did he go?") Of Mice and Men retains its raw dramatic power. On its initial release, however, it proved a bit too powerful for many filmgoers, and it lost money. The highly acclaimed American composer Aaron Copland wrote the musical score. The 1981 TV remake of Of Mice and Men starring Robert Blake and Randy Quaid, was a virtual scene-for-scene remake of the 1939 version. The 1993 theatrical remake, starring Gary Sinise (who also directed) and John Malkovich, is perhaps closer to the source than its predecessors, but only time will tell if it attains the classic status of the Lewis Milestone version. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Milestone's version is the most powerful adaptation of John Steinbeck' touching story of two drifters in Depression era America, played by Burgess Meredith and Lon Chaney and brilliantly scored by Aaron Copeland.
A wonderful adaptation of Steinbeck's novel with Lon Chaney Jr. giving a break-out performancel that propelled him to stardom. Cowboy star Bob Steele also gets to show his acting chops in the supporting role of Curley. A winner.
This often overlooked version of Of Mice and Men is truly great and seriously underrated. The chemistry between Burgess Meredith's (by the way, it was incredibly weird to see a young Burgess Meredith) George and Lon Chaney Jr's Lenny is truly inspired. Its every bit as heartbreaking as you remember the book to be. The
acting's stupendous, as are the direction and photography. Great opening sequence, too. The scene where Candy puts his dog down was irrepressibly sad--almost as bad as the final scene. Of Mice and Men isn't exactly the feel good hit of the summer, but its a damn fine movie.
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