Paul Muni, who was born Frederich Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund in 1895, was an exceptional American stage and film actor. Although most of us know that Muni was one of our greatest American film stars, he actually started his acting career in the Yiddish theatre. His first role was in the production, "Two Corpses at Breakfast" in 1908. During the years 1908 through 1926 he toured in Yiddish theatre productions, becoming a member of the Maurice Schwartz's famed Yiddish Art Theatre in 1918. At that time he used the stage name, "Mooney Weisenfreund."
He made his debut in American film in the movie, "Valiant," which was released in 1929. In the same year he acted in the film, “Seven Faces,” in which he played seven characters.
During the 1930s he was considered one of the most prestigious actors at the Warner Bros. studio and was given the rare privilege of choosing his own parts. Muni often played powerful characters, such as the lead role in "Scarface," which was released in 1932, and was known for his intense preparation for his parts, often immersing himself in the study of the real characters' traits and mannerisms. Muni appeared in twenty-two films and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor five times, winning the award for his role in the 1936 film “The Story of Louis Pasteur.”
He was also highly skilled in makeup techniques, a talent that he had learned from his parents, who were also Yiddish actors, and from his early years on stage with the Yiddish theatre in Chicago.
Paul Muni also starred in a number of plays on Broadway, including "Counsellor-at-Law" in 1942. He also had a great interest in the plight of European Jews, and this can be seen in the correspondence with his friends and professional contacts. In 1946 he starred in Ben Hecht's play, "A Flag Is Born," which rallied support for Israel. Co-starring with him was Marlon Brando, as well as the famed Yiddish actress Celia Adler. The director of the play was Luther Adler, Celia's stepbrother and son of Jacob P and Sarah Adler, who also were Yiddish actors. Muni also won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role in the 1955 production of “Inherit the Wind.”
Paul Muni will be remembered as one of America's finest actors.
