Of Mice And Men : Spoiler Alert

[pressbox69]

Just watched the 1939 classic again last night. I've seen the remakes. Remember reading it about 40 years ago. So what do you think happened to George after The End? Did they lynch him before the trial? Did he go to prison and maybe serve on a chain gang? Was he pronounced guilty and executed? Did he do life or did the law take mercy on him with a lighter sentence? Did George do the right thing by Lenny? Just asking.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. A couple of things:

1. Curley and his father promoted George to ranch manager in gratitude for killing the guy who killed Curley's wife.
2. Curley and his father and the rest of the ranch hands got together and agreed on a story for the police and the prosecutor that Lenny was crazed and George had to kill him in self-defense. George never gets charged.
3. Life goes on. Crooks is still the "House Nigger" (Excuse my language; it's the 1930s.) Candy stays on the ranch until he dies (soon thereafter.)
4. Who knows what happens after that. You have The War and that changes everything for everybody. For all we know, George goes overseas, comes back, gets a GI Loan, marries a local girl, and settles down in the suburbs.

[pressbox69]

2. Pretty good answers but

if George did go overseas he probably became a journalist first and if he managed to survive that he probably broke his reading glasses during the Nuclear War.

[Aristus]

3. The version with Gary Sinise and John Malkovich hinted that George was never charged,

probably never even taken into custody, and shows him moving on to the next job, alone, and without the grand plan he once shared with Lennie.

Ever since I became aware of the political leanings of various actors and celebrities, I scratched my head over the casting of Sinise and Malkovich in the film of a story written by a staunch, unapologetic socialist. They weren't just actors for hire on the film, either; they mounted a production of 'OM&M" at the Steppenwolfe Theater in Chicago. Sinise and Malkovich are, I understand, very right-wing.

[pressbox69]

4. Thanks.

Haven't seen that version since it was first released and don't remember that ending.I wonder if there are any hints at the endings of the Nicol Williamson/George Segal or Randy Quaid/ Robert Blake TV versions.