Who played Lennie Small in the 1939 film adaptation of Of Mice and Men?

Lon Chaney Jr. played Lennie Small in the 1939 film adaptation of Of Mice and Men.

Directed by Lewis Milestone, the film adapts John Steinbeck’s 1937 novella through the stage play and follows migrant workers George Milton and Lennie Small during the Great Depression. Burgess Meredith played George, Lennie’s protective companion, while Chaney portrayed Lennie as physically powerful but intellectually disabled and emotionally vulnerable.

The role was a major early opportunity for Chaney, the son of silent-film star Lon Chaney. Although he had already appeared in dozens of films, Of Mice and Men became his first major role. His performance helped establish the contrast between Lennie’s enormous strength and his childlike attachment to soft things and to George’s dream of owning land.

Viewers sometimes confuse the 1939 cast because Burgess Meredith is strongly associated with the film as George, while Broderick Crawford appeared in the later 1955 adaptation. The 1939 movie also features Betty Field, Charles Bickford, and Noah Beery Jr., and includes music by Aaron Copland.