Of Mice and Men in popular culture Of Mice and Men in popular culture Of Mice and Men is a novella by John Steinbeck, which tells the story of George and Lennie, two displaced migrant workers in California during the Great Depression (1929–1939). The story is set on a ranch a few miles from Soledad in the Salinas Valley. Since its initial publication in 1937, it has been frequently referenced in popular culture. Homages to the characters Lennie and George have been especially popular in American cartoons and animated films. The "New York Times" reviewed the 1939 film based on the novella thusly: Theatrical cartoon shorts of
Lennie Niehaus "Straw Dogs" and "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia" by Sam Peckinpah, the comedy "The Bad News Bears" or the horror film "Demon Seed." Since Fielding’s death, Lennie has been a leading film composer in his own right; he always does his own orchestrating for his scores. In films Lennie never forgets his jazz roots. The story of the 1984 film "City Heat" was cast in the 1930s, so he wrote jazz of that period using people like altoist Marshal Royal. Bill Perkins came in and played like Lester. He had a jazz violinist who sounded like Stephane Grappelli.