Paul Muni Hollywood film and theater actor of the 30s - 40s Date of Birth: 22.09.1895 Country: USA

Biography of Paul Muni

Paul Muni was a renowned Hollywood film and theater actor of the 1930s and 1940s. He was born on September 22, 1895, in Lemberg, Austria-Hungary (now Lviv, Ukraine), to Nathan and Salli Weisenfreund, who were Jewish theater actors. In 1900, his parents moved to London and two years later immigrated to America, settling in Cleveland and later Chicago in 1908.

Muni made his debut on the stage of the Yiddish Art Theater in Manhattan in 1907, at the age of twelve, playing an elderly man in the play "Two Corpses for Breakfast." Soon after, he caught the attention of Maurice Schwartz, the director of the theater, who signed a contract with the young actor. In 1921, Muni married Belle Finkel, a Jewish theater actress and sister of Broadway director Abe Finkel. They remained married until his death.

In 1926, Muni made his debut on Broadway in the production of "We Americans." In 1929, at the age of thirty-four, Muni was offered a contract by Fox Studios, and he appeared in two films that same year, "The Valiant" and "Seven Faces." Although he received an Oscar nomination for his role in "The Valiant," Muni was disappointed with the film industry and returned to the theater. It wasn't until 1932 that Muni returned to the big screen, starring alongside Ann Dvorak in the film noir "Scarface" and the crime film "I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang," which earned him another Oscar nomination.

Afterward, Warner Bros. took notice of Muni and signed him to a long-term contract, allowing him to choose his scripts and earn $50,000 per film. His film career took off rapidly after the drama "The World Changes" in 1933 and the comedy "Hi, Nellie!" in 1934. In 1935, he starred in four films, including the film noir "Bordertown" with Bette Davis, the crime dramas "Black Fury" and "Dr. Socrates," and the biographical film "The Story of Louis Pasteur," in which he played the renowned French microbiologist and chemist Louis Pasteur. His exceptional performance in the latter film earned him an Oscar and a Venice Film Festival award.

Muni received another Oscar nomination in 1937 for his portrayal of French writer Emile Zola in the film "The Life of Emile Zola." In 1939, he appeared in another biographical film, "Juarez," about the life of Mexican national hero Benito Juarez, co-starring with Bette Davis once again. In addition to his talent as an actor, Muni was known for his eccentricities. He played the violin between takes to calm his nerves and had a fear of red clothing. He was a shy person and often remained silent or used only a few short phrases when talking to strangers. Muni highly valued his wife's opinion and would reshoot scenes if Belle felt they were not up to par.

Muni's contract with Warner Bros. ended in July 1940. He continued to perform in theater and occasionally appeared in films, with only five films released in the 1940s. During the 1950s, he transitioned to television and in 1955, received a Tony Award for his role as Henry Drummond in the play "Inherit the Wind." In the same year, he underwent surgery to remove a tumor near his eye, which resulted in the loss of one eye. In 1959, his final film, "The Last Angry Man," was released, earning him his sixth Oscar nomination. After this, Muni retired from film and passed away on August 25, 1967, at the age of seventy-two.

Throughout his career, Muni collaborated most notably with director William Dieterle, with whom he made four films together. Muni's wife, Belle, was the niece of theater actor Boris Tomashewsky. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in August 1937, he appeared on the cover of Time magazine. Muni received numerous accolades for his performances, including an Academy Award, a Venice Film Festival award, and a New York Film Critics Circle award for Best Actor.