'Lon Chaney, Jr.', had played the role of "Lennie" in the Los Angeles stage production of "Of Mice and Men," and asked director Lewis Milestone for a screen test. Milestone was planning on casting 'Broderick Crawford' in the role, but agreed to let Chaney feed lines to actresses testing for the part of "Mae." By the end of all the tests, Milestone had changed his mind, and cast Chaney in the part without a test of his own.
"Theater Guild on the Air" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on May 8, 1949 with Burgess Meredith reprising his film role.
Lewis Milestone himself was once an itinerant worker.
Lon Chaney Jr. wore special shoes to play Lennie. These increased his height by six inches.
Leona Roberts as "Aunt Clara" is in studio records/casting call lists for this movie, but was not seen in the viewed print.
In the dinner sequence Mae, who expects to go to the movies later that evening, shows Curly a pair of theater tickets. Briefly glimpsed is the title of the film she plans to see, Zenobia a Hal Roach production starring Oliver Hardy without Stan Laurel.
One of the first films to have a pre-credits opening sequence.
The movie was released by the production company of Hal Roach, producer of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy and "Our Gang" comedies. During one of Roach's last interviews, television talk-show host Tom Snyder complimented him on the film. Roach responded, "It could've used more laughs."
The name "Mae" was given to Curly's wife specifically for this film version. In the original novel,the original play, and in other film and television versions she is simply known as "Curly's Wife".
The play "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck opened at the Music Box Theatre in New York on 23 November 1937 and closed in May 1938 after 277 performances. The opening night cast included Broderick Crawford (as Lenny), Wallace Ford (as George) and Will Geer (as Slim). Leigh Whipper (as Crooks) was the only member of the Broadway cast to appear in the film.
The two lead roles were hotly contested parts in Hollywood in 1939. It came as a great surprise to many in the industry when director Lewis Milestone opted for two relative unknowns.
The very first screen adaptation of a John Steinbeck novel.