On This Day

Of Mice and Men released

December 30th 1939

15:12 30 December 2023

'Of Mice and Men' opened in theaters in the US on this day in 1939. Based on the 1937 play of the same name which itself was based on John Steinbeck's 1937 novella, the movie stars Burgess Meredith and Lon Chaney Jr. as George and Lennie, two migrant workers in the depression of 1930s California who dream of one day owning their own ranch.

Produced by the Hal Roach Studios and directed by Lewis Milestone with an unforgettable score by Aaron Copland, 'Of Mice and Men' received five Academy Award nominations and is one of the greatest films of Hollywood's Golden Age.