*Steinbeck's OF MICE AND MEN (1939) Lon and similar items

Vintage original 8x10 in. US single-weight glossy photograph from the classic 1930's production of John Steinbeck's famous Depression-themed novel, OF MICE AND MEN, released in 1939 by United Artists and directed by Lewis Milestone. Two itinerant migrant workers, one mentally disabled (Lon Chaney Jr.) and the other his caretaker (Burgess Meredith), take jobs as ranch hands during the Great Depression to fulfill their shared dream of owning their own ranch. The image features a great interior medium publicity shot of the film's major characters which consists of Lennie Small (Lon Chaney Jr.), Mae Jackson (Betty Field), and George Milton (Burgess Meredith) all wearing casual western-style attire. Printed on single-weight stock with a glossy finish, this vintage original photograph is in very fine+ condition without any pinholes, tears, stains, or other flaws. Of Mice and Men was one of the first films to have a pre-credits opening sequence. 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. Lon Chaney Jr. had played the role of "Lennie" in the Los Angeles stage production of Of Mice and Men, and asked director 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. Chaney wore special shoes to play Lennie, which increased his height by six inches.