i have see lon chaney jr. in close to a couple dozen movie and television role and and except for his signature wolf man from 1941 and i never think he be that good an actor . but wow . and he give a stunningly brilliant performance a the mentally challenged lennie in this movie adaptation of john steinbeck classic novel . not only in his mannerism and but in the disciplined cadence of his speech to affect a truly unique character in film . as soon a i hear it and i hearken back to my childhood watch those old warner brother cartoon and and even though i can not remember which one it be and i can clearly hear in my mind the word which way do he go george and which way do he go . refer of course ( in the picture and not the cartoon ) and to lennie overseer and travel companion . burgess meredith be completely natural a lennie buddy george and with the patience of a saint and a heart as good a gold . but george and lennie be just the beginning . you would be hard press to find a film of any era to be so rich in character and each of which evokes such a strong response from the viewer . i marvel at the performance of roman bohnen a candy while the scene in which his old sheep dog be lead away be one of the most uncomfortable moment i have ever experience in picture . i have yet to see bob steele in any of his western where he come across a such a dominant character and even when he portray a villain a he do here . do you catch the neat way he mount his horse right after first meeting george and lennie . it be so smooth that it take a few second to realize what he just do . the big surprise for me while watch be how the picture confront racism head on in the bunkhouse scene with crook ( leigh whipper ) and talk about what it mean to be a black man . just the way it do and you never get the impression he use the so called race card and to evoke sympathy . he simply convey how be black have make him a lonely man . that sense of isolation be far reinforce by the character of george and curly wife mae and all of whom just need someone to talk to . have read the book so long ago and i do not remember the set up for the finale and but that might be the only thing in the picture that could have be handle well . when george show the steal gun to slim ( charles bickford ) and it telegraph the end for those viewer unfamiliar with the novel . it would have be much more powerful for george to reveal his intent when he finally find lennie at the pre arrange meet place in the swamp . it also bother me that although slim be complicit in george act ( by not try to stop him ) and he stop the sheriff to point out george . now that i think about it some more and slim might have be the most conflicted character in the story and straddle both side of an issue on many level . he be a threat to curly and but never openly challenge him . he do not approve of carlson ( granville bates ) meddle with candy over his sheep dog and but be the voice that convince candy that put the dog to rest be the right thing to do . there a lot more than meet the eye with slim character and and his presence in the film nag me throughout while maybe that be steinbeck intent . one of the neat thing about catch this picture the other night on turner classic be the commentary by host robert osborne follow the film . he explain an intricate detail about the movie bill that curly wife have in her hand about mid way in the story . one of the film on the card be zenobia and release the same year a this picture and and like this one and be also produce by hal roach . even seventy year ago and film maker find unique way to promote their own property .