Editing Paul Muni (section)

== Later career ==
[[File:AlvinPlayhouse.jpg|thumb|left|New York City opening of ''A Flag is Born'' (1946)]]
Muni then focused most of his energies on stage work, and occasionally on television roles. In 1946, he appeared on Broadway in ''[[A Flag is Born]]'', written by Ben Hecht, to help promote the creation of a [[Jewish]] state in [[Israel]].<ref>[http://www.wymaninstitute.org/articles/2004-04-flagisborn.php ''A Flag Is Born''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150325063213/http://www.wymaninstitute.org/articles/2004-04-flagisborn.php |date=March 25, 2015 }}, David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, April 2004</ref> This play was directed by [[Luther Adler]] and co-starred [[Marlon Brando]]. Years later, in response to a question put to him by Alan King, Brando stated that Muni was the greatest actor he ever saw. At London's [[Phoenix Theatre (London)|Phoenix Theatre]] on July 28, 1949, Muni began a run as [[Willy Loman]] in the first British production of ''[[Death of a Salesman]]'' by [[Arthur Miller]]. He took over from [[Lee J. Cobb]], who had played the principal role in the original Broadway production. Both productions were directed by [[Elia Kazan]].

In 1952, Muni traveled to Italy to star in ''[[Stranger on the Prowl]]'' directed by [[Joseph Losey]], partly as an act of solidarity and support for blacklisted friends living abroad in exile.

A few years later, during 1955 and 1956, Muni had his biggest stage success in the United States as the crusading lawyer, Henry Drummond (based on [[Clarence Darrow]]), in ''[[Inherit the Wind (play)|Inherit the Wind]]'', winning a [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play]]. In late August 1955, Muni was forced to withdraw from the play due to a serious eye ailment causing deterioration in his eyesight. He was later replaced by actor [[Melvyn Douglas]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0L9OAAAAIBAJ&pg=7318%2C6099285| title=Paul Muni Quits Broadway Play; Has Eye Ailment| newspaper=[[The Blade (Toledo, Ohio)|Toledo Blade]]| date=August 31, 1955| agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

In early September 1955, Muni, then 59 years old, was diagnosed with a tumor of the left eye. The eye was removed in an operation at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York. His right eye was reported to be normal.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Y6kkAAAAIBAJ&pg=1815%2C4926989| title=Paul Muni Loses Left Eye to Tumor| newspaper=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|Milwaukee Sentinel]]| date=September 7, 1955| agency=Associated Press}}</ref> In early December 1955, Muni returned to his starring role as Henry Drummond in ''Inherit the Wind''.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AMBOAAAAIBAJ&pg=5561%2C5889912| title=Ovation Greets Paul Muni On Return To Play| agency=Associated Press| newspaper=Toledo Blade| date=December 2, 1955}}</ref>

His last movie role was as an aging doctor in ''[[The Last Angry Man]]'' (1959), and he was again nominated for an Oscar. After that, Muni mostly retired from acting to deal with failing eyesight and other health problems.<ref name="Osborne" /> He made his final screen appearance on television, in a guest role on the dramatic series ''[[Saints and Sinners (1962 TV series)|Saints and Sinners]]'' in 1962.