LON CHANEY, JR. creates sympathy for the role of the mentally retarded Lenny in John Steinbeck's OF MICE AND MEN, and BURGESS MEREDITH is excellent as his traveling companion who looks out for him. It's a Depression-era tale of itinerant farm workers who work for a sadistic boss and have to contend with some unfortunate series of circumstances.
BETTY FIELD throws herself into the role of the trampy, bored wife of the relentlessly jealous Curley played by TOM STEELE. The scene in the barn where she and Lenny share their dreams of a golden future that is never realized, is outstanding for the way it is played and written.
Unfortunately, there's a claustrophobic feeling to much of the story, based as it is on the stage play rather than the novel. Characters each have their monologues, sometimes overly sentimental, but among the supporting players it's ROMAN BOHNEN who does a superior job as Candy, the man whose devotion to an old sheep dog is crushed when he agrees to let someone put it down with a shotgun. Only 45 at the time, he submerges himself in the role of the unhappy old man.
Most of the scenes revolve around the friendship of Meredith and Chaney and they do excellent work here. Chaney's performance is not subtle but it is consistently believable and makes the ending almost unbearable to watch.
CHARLES BICKFORD is his usual stalwart self and stamps his role with authority, as does BOB STEELE as the jealous husband who gets more than he bargained for when he picks on Lenny.
Lewis Milestone directed it skillfully and gets the film off to a good pre-credit start with Lenny and George being chased out of town and hopping onto the nearest freight train to escape a posse of gun toting men. Aaron Copland's score is quietly effective but certainly does not rank among his most memorable works.
BETTY FIELD throws herself into the role of the trampy, bored wife of the relentlessly jealous Curley played by TOM STEELE. The scene in the barn where she and Lenny share their dreams of a golden future that is never realized, is outstanding for the way it is played and written.
Unfortunately, there's a claustrophobic feeling to much of the story, based as it is on the stage play rather than the novel. Characters each have their monologues, sometimes overly sentimental, but among the supporting players it's ROMAN BOHNEN who does a superior job as Candy, the man whose devotion to an old sheep dog is crushed when he agrees to let someone put it down with a shotgun. Only 45 at the time, he submerges himself in the role of the unhappy old man.
Most of the scenes revolve around the friendship of Meredith and Chaney and they do excellent work here. Chaney's performance is not subtle but it is consistently believable and makes the ending almost unbearable to watch.
CHARLES BICKFORD is his usual stalwart self and stamps his role with authority, as does BOB STEELE as the jealous husband who gets more than he bargained for when he picks on Lenny.
Lewis Milestone directed it skillfully and gets the film off to a good pre-credit start with Lenny and George being chased out of town and hopping onto the nearest freight train to escape a posse of gun toting men. Aaron Copland's score is quietly effective but certainly does not rank among his most memorable works.