Editing Paul Muni

{{short description|American stage and film actor (1895–1967)}}
{{for|the comedy writer and actor|Paul Mooney (comedian)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Paul Muni
| image              = Paul Muni - Zola - 1936.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| caption            = Muni in 1936
| birth_name         = Frederich Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1895|09|22}}
| birth_place        = [[Lemberg]], [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]]<br />(now [[Lviv]], [[Ukraine]])
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1967|08|25|1895|09|23}}
| death_place        = [[Montecito, California]], U.S.
| resting_place      = [[Hollywood Forever Cemetery]]
| spouse             = {{Marriage|Bella Finkel|1921}}
| other_names        = Muni Weisenfreund
| occupation         = Actor
| years_active       = 1908–1962
}}
'''Paul Muni''' (born '''Frederich Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund'''; September 22, 1895<ref>{{cite web |title=Ksiega urodzin izraelickiego okregu metrykalnego Lwów: Rocznik 1895| trans-title=Book of Jewish Births for the Record District of Lviv: Year 1895 |url=http://agadd.home.net.pl/metrykalia/300/sygn.%201793/pages/PL_1_300_1793_0385.htm |page=384 |quote=Entry Number 1258 – Born: September 14, 1895; Naming or Circumcision Date: September 22, 1895;|publisher=Central Archive of Historical Records| date=February 12, 2016 |access-date=September 3, 2020}}</ref> – August 25, 1967) was an American stage and film actor from [[Chicago]]. He started his acting career in the [[Yiddish theater]] and 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 (1932 film)|Scarface]]'' (1932), and was known for his intense preparation for his parts, often immersing himself in the study of the real characters' traits and mannerisms. He was also highly skilled in makeup techniques, a talent that he had learned from his parents, who were also actors, and from his early years on stage with the Yiddish theater in Chicago. At the age of 12, he played the stage role of an 80-year-old man, and in the film ''[[Seven Faces]],'' he played seven characters.

Muni appeared in 22 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 also starred in numerous [[Broadway (theatre)|Broadway]] plays and won the [[Tony Award]] for [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play|Best Actor in a Play]] for his role in the 1955 production of ''[[Inherit the Wind (play)|Inherit the Wind]]''.

== Early life and career ==
{{More citations needed|section|date=December 2022}}
Muni was born in 1895 as Frederich Meier Weisenfreund to a [[Jewish]] family in [[Lemberg]], [[Galicia (Central Europe)|Galicia]], then [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]] (now [[Lviv]], [[Ukraine]]). His Hebrew name was Meshilem. His parents were Salli (born Khaya Tsilke Fishler) and Phillip Weisenfreund.<ref>{{cite news| title=On The Screen| url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/49941616/| date=October 27, 1967| newspaper=[[Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle]]| url-access=subscription }}</ref> He learned [[Yiddish]] as his first language. When he was seven, he emigrated with his family to the United States in 1902; they settled in [[Chicago]].
[[File:Muni Pasteur.jpg|thumb|Muni's makeup skills were used for ''[[The Story of Louis Pasteur]]''.]]
As a boy, he was known as "Moony".<ref name="adler">{{cite book| last=Adler| first=Jacob| author2=Lulla Rosenfeld| title=A Life on the Stage: A Memoir| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E5I6Tw4_f9YC&q=muni| publisher=Hal Leonard Corp| year=2001| isbn=978-1557834584| page=377| quote="... Muni Weisenfreund, now Paul Muni"}}</ref> He started his acting career in the Yiddish theatre in Chicago with his parents, who were both actors. As a teenager, he developed skill in creating makeup, which enabled him to play much older characters.<ref name="Actors">{{cite book| title=International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers: Actors and Actresses| url=https://archive.org/details/International_Dictionary_of_Film_and_Filmmakers_Volume_3_Actors_And_Actresses/page/n873/mode/2up?q=muni| editor1-first=Tom| editor1-last=Pendergast| editor2=Sara Pendergast| publisher=St. James Press| location=Farmington Hills, Mich| edition=4th| year=2000| pages=869–870| volume=3| isbn=978-1558624528}}</ref> Film historian [[Robert Osborne]] notes that Muni's makeup skills were so creative that for most of his roles, "he transformed his appearance so completely, he was dubbed 'the new [[Lon Chaney]].'" In his first stage role at the age of 12, Muni played the role of an 80-year-old man.<ref name="Osborne">{{cite book| author2=Robert Osborne| last1=Miller| first1=Frank| title=Leading Men: The 50 Most Unforgettable Actors of the Studio Era| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M7X0EAXFR6wC&q=muni| publisher=Chronicle Books| year= 2006| pages=153–155| isbn=978-0811854672}}</ref> He was quickly recognized by [[Maurice Schwartz]], who signed him to perform in his [[Yiddish Art Theater]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Theodore |last=Strauss |title=Paul Muni, Less The 'Mr.,' Returns; Paul Muni, Less The 'Mr.,' Returns To Town |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 17, 1939 |access-date=April 1, 2010 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

A 1925 ''[[New York Times]]'' article mentioned [[Sam Kasten]]'s and Muni's performances at the People's Theater among the highlights of the year's Yiddish theater season, describing them as second only to [[Ludwig Satz]].

Muni began acting on [[Broadway theater|Broadway]] in 1926. His first role was that of an elderly Jewish man in the play ''We Americans'', written by playwrights Max Siegel and Milton Herbert Gropper. It was the first time that he had acted in English.

In 1921, he married Bella Finkel (February 8, 1898 – October 1, 1971), an actress in the Yiddish theatre and daughter of [[Moishe Finkel]]. They remained married until Muni's death in 1967.

== Hollywood ==
In 1929, Muni was signed by [[Fox Film Corporation|Fox]]. His name was simplified and anglicized to Paul Muni (derived from his nickname of youth "Moony"). His acting talents were quickly recognized, and he received an [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] nomination for his first film, ''[[The Valiant (1929 film)|The Valiant]]'' (1929), although the film fared poorly at the box office.<ref name="Actors" /> His second film, ''Seven Faces'' (also 1929), was also a financial failure. Unhappy with the roles offered to him, he returned to Broadway, where he starred in a major hit play, ''Counsellor at Law''.<ref name="Osborne" />

Muni soon returned to Hollywood to star in provocative [[pre-Code]] films such as ''[[Scarface (1932 film)|Scarface]]'' and ''[[I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang]]'' (both 1932). For his role in ''I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang'', Muni was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor. His acclaim as a result of his performance impressed Warner Bros., which signed him to a long-term contract, publicizing him as "the screen's greatest actor."<ref name="Osborne" />

{{quote box|align=right|width=25em|bgcolor = Cornsilk|quote=I had been wanting to see ''Scarface'' since 1974 ... The film just stopped me in my tracks. All I wanted to do was imitate Paul Muni. His acting went beyond the boundaries of naturalism into another kind of expression. It was almost abstract what he did. It was almost uplifting.|source=Al Pacino<ref name=pacino>{{cite book| last=Tucker| first=Ken| title=Scarface Nation: The Ultimate Gangster Movie and How It Changed America| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B7UQJAyrmLQC&q=imitate+paul+muni| publisher=St. Martin's Press| year= 2008| isbn=978-1429993296}}</ref>}}

''Scarface'', part of a cycle of [[gangster film]]s at the time,<ref>See also ''[[Little Caesar (film)|Little Caesar]]'' and ''[[The Public Enemy]]'' (both 1931).</ref> was written by [[Ben Hecht]]<ref name="Corliss" />{{rp|6}} and directed by [[Howard Hawks]]. Critic [[Richard Corliss]] noted in 1974 that while it was a serious gangster film, it also "manages both to congratulate journalism for its importance and to chastise it for its chicanery, by underlining the newspapers' complicity in promoting the underworld image."<ref name="Corliss">{{cite book| last=Corliss| first=Richard| title=Talking Pictures: Screenwriters of Hollywood| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dmlZAAAAMAAJ&q=muni| year=1975| publisher=David & Charles| page=54| url-access=subscription| isbn=978-0715368268}}</ref>{{rp|10}}

In 1935, Muni starred in ''[[Black Fury (film)|Black Fury]]''. At the 8th Academy Awards, Muni was not officially nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, but he came in second on the basis of write-in votes, which were allowed that year.

Muni persuaded Warner Bros. to take a financial risk by producing the successful historical biography ''[[The Story of Louis Pasteur]]'', which was released in 1936. This became Muni's first of many biographical roles. Until that film, most Warner Bros. stories had originated from current events and major news stories, with the notable exceptions of [[George Arliss]]'s earlier biographical films ''[[Disraeli (1929 film)|Disraeli]]'', ''[[Alexander Hamilton (film)|Alexander Hamilton]]'' and ''[[Voltaire (film)|Voltaire]]''.<ref name="Osborne" /> Muni won an Oscar for his performance.

Muni played other historical figures, including [[Émile Zola]] in ''[[The Life of Emile Zola]]'' (1937), for which he was again nominated for an Oscar.<ref name="denby">{{cite magazine| first=David| last=Denby| title=Hitler in Hollywood| url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/09/16/hitler-in-hollywood| magazine=[[The New Yorker]]| date=September 9, 2013| access-date=September 3, 2020}}</ref> The film won Best Picture and was interpreted as indirectly attacking the repression of [[Nazi Germany]].<ref name="denby" /> He also played the lead role in ''[[Juarez (1939 film)|Juarez]]'' (1939).

In 1937, Muni played a Chinese peasant with a new bride in a film adaptation of [[Pearl Buck]]'s novel ''[[The Good Earth (film)|The Good Earth]]''. The film was a recreation of a revolutionary period in China and included special effects for a locust attack and the overthrow of the government. Because Muni was not of Asian descent, when producer [[Irving Thalberg]] offered him the role, he said, "I'm about as Chinese as [President] [[Herbert Hoover]]."<ref name="Osborne" />

Dissatisfied with life in Hollywood, Muni chose not to renew his contract. He returned to the screen only occasionally in later years for such roles as [[Frédéric Chopin]]'s teacher in ''[[A Song to Remember]]'' (1945). In 1946, he played a rare comic role in ''[[Angel on My Shoulder (film)|Angel on My Shoulder]]''.

== 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.

== Acting techniques, reputation and legacy ==
[[Image:Muni Scarface 2.JPG|thumb|300px|Paul Muni in the trailer for ''Scarface'']]
Muni was noted for his intense preparation for his roles, especially the biographies. While preparing for ''The Story of Louis Pasteur'', Muni said, "I read most everything that was in the library, and everything I could lay my hands on that had to do with Pasteur, with [[Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister|Lister]], or with his contemporaries."<ref name="NYT">{{cite news| title=Paul Muni, Actor, Dies on Coast; Won Fame in Biographical Roles; Portrayed Darrow, Pasteur, Zola, Juarez and Gangster in Stage and Film Career| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1967/08/26/archives/paul-muni-actor-dies-on-coast-won-fame-in-biographical-roles.html| newspaper=The New York Times| date=August 26, 1967|url-access=subscription }}</ref> He did the same in preparing for his role as Henry Drummond, based on Clarence Darrow, in the play ''Inherit the Wind''. He read what he could find, talked to people who knew Darrow personally, and studied physical mannerisms from photographs of him. "To Paul Muni, acting was not just a career, but an obsession", writes ''The New York Times''. They note that despite his enormous success both on Broadway and in films, "he threw himself into each role with a sense of dedication." Playwright [[Arthur Miller]] commented that Muni "was pursued by a fear of failure."<ref name="NYT" />

As Muni was born into an acting family, with both of his parents professional actors, "he learned his craft carefully and thoroughly." On stage, "a Muni whisper could reach the last balcony of any theater", writes the ''Times''. It wrote that his style "had drawn into it the warmth of the Yiddish stage", in which he made his debut at the age of 12. In addition, his technique in using makeup "was a work of art." Combined with acting which followed no "method", he perfected his control of voice and gestures into an acting style that was "unique."<ref name="NYT" />

Film historian [[David Shipman (writer)|David Shipman]] described Muni as "an actor of great integrity",<ref name="Shipman">{{cite book| first=David| last=Shipman| title=The Great Movie Stars: The Golden Years| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yuK0AAAAIAAJ&q=muni| publisher=Crown| year=1970| pages=434, 437| isbn=978-0600338178}}</ref> noting he meticulously prepared for his roles. Muni was widely recognized as eccentric if talented: he objected to anyone wearing red in his presence, and he could often be found between sessions playing his [[violin]]. Over the years, he became increasingly dependent on his wife, Bella, a dependence which increased as his failing eyesight turned to blindness in his final years.<ref name="Shipman" /> Muni was "inflexible on matters of taste and principle", once turning down an $800,000 movie contract because he was not happy with the studio's choice of film roles.<ref name="NYT" />

Although Muni was considered one of the best film actors of the 1930s, some film critics such as [[David Thomson (film critic)|David Thomson]]<ref name = "thomson">{{cite book | last = Thomson | first = David | author-link = David Thomson (film critic) | title = [[The New Biographical Dictionary of Film]] | edition = 6th | date = 2014 | publisher = Alfred A. Knopf | location = New York | isbn = 978-0-375-71184-8| page = 739}}</ref> and [[Andrew Sarris]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Art of Falling Apart: Petulia and the Fate of Richard Lester |date=December 14, 2012 |url=http://www.screeningthepast.com/issue-35-first-release/the-art-of-falling-apart-petulia-and-the-fate-of-richard-lester/ |access-date=2024-06-26 |language=en-US}}</ref> accuse him of overacting. Thomson described Muni as "a crucial negative illustration in any argument as to what constitutes screen acting."<ref name = "thomson"/>

German director [[William Dieterle]], who directed him in his three biopics, also frequently accused him of overacting, despite his respect for the actor.<ref>{{cite book| first=Gerd| last=Gemünden| title=Continental Strangers: German Exile Cinema, 1933–1951| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pF2rAgAAQBAJ&q=muni+dieterle| publisher=McFarland| year=2014| page=60| isbn=978-0231166799}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
[[File:Paul and Bella Muni, 1937.jpg|thumb|upright|Muni with his wife Bella at the premier of ''Life of Emile Zola'']]
In his private life, Muni was considered to be very shy and was uncomfortable with being recognized in public. He enjoyed reading and taking walks with his wife in secluded sections of [[Central Park]].

Muni campaigned for the reelection of President [[Herbert Hoover]] in 1932.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1932-11-02 |title=Editorial |page=6 |work=[[The Napa Valley Register|The Napa Daily Register]]}}</ref>

After retiring from acting, he lived in California. In his den, which he called his "Shangri-La", he spent time reading books and listening to the radio.<ref name="NYT" />

== Death ==
Muni died of a heart disorder in [[Montecito, California]] in 1967 at the age of 71. He is interred at the [[Hollywood Forever Cemetery]] in Hollywood.<ref> https://www.nytimes.com/1967/08/26/archives/paul-muni-actor-dies-on-coast-won-fame-in-biographical-roles.html</ref>

== Legacy and honors ==
Muni had four official [[Academy Award]] nominations for Best Actor, winning for ''The Story of Louis Pasteur'' (1936) and receiving official nominations for ''I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang'' (1932), ''The Life of Emile Zola'' (1937) and ''[[The Last Angry Man]]'' (1959). His nomination for the film ''The Valiant'' (1929) is unofficial because at the [[2nd Academy Awards]], acting nominees were not announced, only the winners' names.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp? |work=Academy Awards Database |title=1928/29 2nd Academy Awards |date=24 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029194626/http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Muni's performance in ''Black Fury'' was not nominated for an Oscar.
* [[New York Film Critics Circle|New York Film Critics Circle Award]] for ''The Life of Emile Zola''
* [[Tony Awards|Tony Award]] for Best Actor in ''Inherit the Wind''
* A star was installed in his honor on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 6435 Hollywood Blvd.
* A film musical titled ''Actor: The Paul Muni Story'' (1978) was based on his life, with [[Herschel Bernardi]] starring.
* A biography titled ''[[Actor: The Life and Times of Paul Muni]]'' (1974) was written by [[Jerome Lawrence]].<ref>{{cite news| title=Anecdotes of the Famous: Keeping Cool| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OiohAAAAIBAJ&pg=3564%2C2298158| access-date=September 27, 2015| work=The Milwaukee Journal| date=January 6, 1976| page=40| via=[[Google News Archive]]}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
Referring to his childhood during the Great Depression, [[Hawkeye Pierce]] in the "Hawkeye" episode of the television series ''[[M*A*S*H*]]'' says: "You knew where you stood in those days. [[Franklin Roosevelt]] was always president, [[Joe Louis]] was always the champ, and Paul Muni played everybody."<ref>{{cite web| title= M*A*S*H (MASH) s04e18 Episode Script| url= http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=mash&episode=s04e18| publisher= Springfield! Springfield!| access-date= June 18, 2018| archive-date= June 18, 2018| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180618175403/https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=mash&episode=s04e18| url-status= dead}}</ref>

Muni and [[George Raft]] appeared as characters in the fifth season of ''[[Boardwalk Empire]]'', meeting with [[Al Capone]] to discuss the film ''Scarface''.<ref>{{cite web| title=Boardwalk Empire – Paul Muni and George Raft scene| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7y4zYQEjM4| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518161735/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7y4zYQEjM4| archive-date=2015-05-18 | url-status=dead| date=October 13, 2014| publisher=YouTube}}</ref>

Comedian and actor [[Paul Mooney (comedian)|Paul Mooney]] took his stage name, which was also his childhood nickname, from Muni.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mooney|first=Paul|title=Black is the New White|year=2009|publisher=Simon Spotlight Entertainment|isbn=978-1-4165-8795-8|page=47}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="row"|Year
! scope="row"|Title
! scope="row"|Role
! scope="row" class=unsortable|Notes
|-
| {{sort|1929.1|1929}}
| ''{{sort|valiant|[[The Valiant (1929 film)|The Valiant]]}}''
| {{sort|dyke|James Dyke}}
| Nominated — [[Academy Award for Best Actor]]
|-
| {{sort|1929.2|1929}}
| ''[[Seven Faces]]''
| {{sort|chibou|Papa Chibou / Diablero / Willie Smith /<br />[[Franz Schubert]] / [[Don Juan]] / Joe Gans / [[Napoleon]]}}
| Lost film
|-
| {{sort|1932.1|1932}}
| ''[[Scarface (1932 film)|Scarface]]''
| {{sort|camonte|Antonio "Tony" Camonte}}
|
|-
| {{sort|1932.2|1932}}
| ''[[I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang]]''
| {{sort|allen|James Allen}}
| Nominated — [[Academy Award for Best Actor]]
|-
| 1933
| ''{{sort|world|[[The World Changes]]}}''
| {{sort|nordholm|Orin Nordholm Jr.}}
|
|-
| 1934
| ''[[Hi, Nellie!]]''
| {{sort|bradshaw|Brad Bradshaw}}
|
|-
| {{sort|1935.1|1935}}
| ''[[Bordertown (1935 film)|Bordertown]]''
| {{sort|ramirez|Johnny Ramirez}}
|
|-
| {{sort|1935.2|1935}}
| ''[[Black Fury (1935 film)|Black Fury]]''{{efn|Muni was not nominated for an Oscar for his performance in ''[[Black Fury (film)|Black Fury]]''. For two years only, the Academy allowed a write-in vote. This meant that technically, any performance was eligible for an award. This decision was made in 1935 in response to the controversy surrounding [[Bette Davis]] failing to get a nomination for her performance in ''[[Of Human Bondage (1934 film)|Of Human Bondage]]''. Muni came in 2nd in the vote for Best Actor, but the Academy does not recognize Muni or Davis as nominees in those years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/help/helpMain.jsp?helpContentURL=statistics/indexStats.html |work=Academy Awards Database |title=Academy Awards statistics |access-date=24 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701093205/http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/help/helpMain.jsp?helpContentURL=statistics%2FindexStats.html |archive-date=July 1, 2016 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The Academy's nomination and winner database does note this under the 1935 Best Actor category and under the Paul Muni search, as well as for Davis in 1934 and Best Actress.}}
| {{sort|radek|Joe Radek}}
|
|-
| {{sort|1935.3|1935}}
| ''[[Dr. Socrates]]''
| {{sort|cardwell|Dr. Lee Cardwell, nicknamed "Dr. Socrates"}}
|
|-
| 1936
| ''{{sort|story|[[The Story of Louis Pasteur]]}}''
| {{sort|pasteur|[[Louis Pasteur]]}}
| [[Academy Award for Best Actor]]<br />[[Volpi Cup|Volpi Cup for Best Actor]]
|-
| {{sort|1937.1|1937}}
| ''{{sort|good|[[The Good Earth (film)|The Good Earth]]}}''
| {{sort|lung|Wang Lung}}
| Released in [[sepia tone]]
|-
| {{sort|1937.2|1937}}
| ''{{sort|woman|[[The Woman I Love (1937 film)|The Woman I Love]]}}''
| {{sort|maury|Lt. Claude Maury}}
|
|-
| {{sort|1937.3|1937}}
| ''{{sort|life|[[The Life of Emile Zola]]}}''
| {{sort|zola|[[Émile Zola]]}}
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor]]<br />Nominated — [[Academy Award for Best Actor]]
|-
| {{sort|1939.1|1939}}
| ''[[Juarez (1939 film)|Juarez]]''
| {{sort|juárez|[[Benito Juárez]]}}
|
|-
| {{sort|1939.2|1939}}
| ''[[We Are Not Alone (1939 film)|We Are Not Alone]]''
| {{sort|newcome|Dr. David Newcome}}
|
|-
| 1941
| ''[[Hudson's Bay (film)|Hudson's Bay]]''
| {{sort|radisson|[[Pierre-Esprit Radisson]]}}
|
|-
| 1942
| ''[[Commandos Strike at Dawn]]''
| {{sort|toresen|Erik Toresen}}
|
|-
| 1943
| ''[[Stage Door Canteen (film)|Stage Door Canteen]]''
| Himself
|
|-
| {{sort|1945.1|1945}}
| ''{{sort|song|[[A Song to Remember]]}}''
| {{sort|eisner|[[Józef Elsner|Prof. Joseph Elsner]]}}
| Filmed in [[Technicolor]]
|-
| {{sort|1945.2|1945}}
| ''[[Counter-Attack]]''
| {{sort|kulkov|Alexei Kulkov}}
|
|-
| 1946
| ''[[Angel on My Shoulder (film)|Angel on My Shoulder]]''
| {{sort|kagle|Eddie Kagle / Judge Fredrick Parker}}
|
|-
| 1952
| ''[[Imbarco a mezzanotte]]''
| {{sort|stranger|The Stranger with a Gun}}
| called ''Stranger on the Prowl'' in the U.S.
|-
| 1959
| ''{{sort|last|[[The Last Angry Man]]}}''
| {{sort|abelman|Dr. Samuel "Sam" Abelman}}
| [[Mar del Plata Film Festival|Mar del Plata Film Festival Award for Best Actor]]<br />Nominated — [[Academy Award for Best Actor]]<br />Nominated — [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor]]
|}

== Radio appearances ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Program !! Episode !! Airdate
|-
| ''[[Lux Radio Theatre]]'' || ''[[The Story of Louis Pasteur]]''<ref name="ndsu17">{{cite journal|title=Those Were the Days|journal=Nostalgia Digest|date=Summer 2017|volume=43|issue=3|page=33}}</ref>  || 1936
|-
| ''[[Lux Radio Theater]]'' ||  "The Life of Emile Zola" ||  May 8, 1939
|-
| ''[[Cavalcade of America]]'' ||  "Edwin Booth" ||  March 31, 1941
|-
| ''The Free Company'' ||  "The Miracle Of The Danube" ||  April 27, 1941
|-
| ''[[Cavalcade of America]]'' ||  "Bolivar, The Liberator" ||  October 6, 1941
|-
| ''[[Cavalcade of America]]'' ||  "Eagle's Nest" ||  December 28, 1942
|-
| ''[[Radio Hall of Fame]]'' ||  "No Uncommon Clay" ||  April 30, 1944
|-
| ''[[Suspense Theater]]'' ||  "The Search For Henri Leferve" ||  July 6, 1944
|-
| ''[[Arch Oboler's Plays]]'' ||  "This Living Book" ||  October 11, 1945
|-
| ''[[Academy Award Theater]]'' || ||  April 13, 1946
|-
| ''Eternal Light'' ||  "And It Came To Pass" ||  December 7, 1947
|-
| ''[[Studio One (radio series)|Studio One]]'' ||  "Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse" ||  January 20, 1948
|-
| ''[[Cavalcade of America]]'' ||  "Alerting of Dr. Pomerantz" ||  February 16, 1948
|-
| ''[[Cavalcade of America]]'' ||  "Garden Key" ||  November 8, 1948
|-
| ''Biography in Sound'' ||  "Clarence Darrow" ||  September 13, 1956
|}

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== See also ==
* [[List of actors with Academy Award nominations]]
* [[List of German-speaking Academy Award winners and nominees]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book| last1=Druxman| first1=Michael B| title=Paul Muni: His Life and His Films| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7I44AAAAIAAJ&q=Paul%20Muni%3A%20His%20Life%20and%20His%20Films| year=1974| publisher=A.S. Barnes| location=South Brunswick| isbn=978-0498014130| oclc=762401| url-access=subscription}}
* {{cite book| last1=Fárberman| first1=Boris| last2=Muni| first2=Paul| title=Paul Muni| year=1970| publisher=Ejecutivo Sudamericano del Congreso Judío Mundial| location=Buenos Aires| language=es| oclc=7019258}}
* {{cite thesis| last1=Gerlach| first1=Michael Christopher| title=The acting of Paul Muni| year=1971| publisher=[[University of Michigan]]| location=Ann Arbor| oclc=6840065}}
* {{cite book| last=Lawrence| first=Jerome| author-link=Jerome Lawrence| title=[[Actor: The Life and Times of Paul Muni]]| year=1974| location=New York| publisher=G.P. Putnam's Sons| isbn=978-0399113413| oclc=1083129}}
* {{cite book| last1=Grimshaw| first1=Myrtle Lecky| editor1-last=Lotz| editor1-first=Philip Henry| title=Distinguished American Jews| year=1945| publisher=Association Press| location=New York| chapter=Paul Muni, Master Character Actor| volume=6| series=Creative Personalities Series| oclc=2055635}}
* {{cite news| last=Melamed| first=S.M.| title=The Yiddish Stage| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1925/09/27/archives/the-yiddish-stage.html| newspaper=The New York Times| date=September 27, 1925| page=X2| url-access=subscription}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Paul Muni}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{IMDb name|612847}}
* {{Tcmdb name}}
* [http://www.nypl.org/archives/4558 Paul Muni papers, circa 1920–1967], held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, [[New York Public Library for the Performing Arts]]
* [http://www.acertaincinema.com/browse/person/paul-muni/?p1=23&p2=1&p3=1&p4=1 Photos of Muni in various costumes and makeup]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080102030835/http://hollywood-legends.webs.com/munipaul/paulmuni.htm Paul Muni: Scarface and Beyond]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071205155847/http://channel1.radionostalgia.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=120113%2F Paul Muni in The Amazing Doctor Clitterhouse (1947 radio version)]
* [http://www.virtual-history.com/movie/person/1620/paul-muni Photographs and literature]
* {{Find a Grave|750}}

{{Navboxes
| title = Awards for Paul Muni
| list =
{{AcademyAwardBestActor 1927-1940}}
{{Distinguished Performance Award}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor}}
{{TonyAward PlayLeadActor 1947-1975}}
{{Volpi Cup for Best Actor}}
}}
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{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muni, Paul}}
[[Category:1895 births]]
[[Category:1967 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th Century Studios contract players]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:Best Actor Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery]]
[[Category:Donaldson Award winners]]
[[Category:Emigrants from Austria-Hungary to the United States]]
[[Category:Jewish American male actors]]
[[Category:Jews from Austria-Hungary]]
[[Category:American Ashkenazi Jews]]
[[Category:American people of Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Jewish American activists]]
[[Category:Tony Award winners]]
[[Category:Actors from the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria]]
[[Category:Male actors from Chicago]]
[[Category:Volpi Cup for Best Actor winners]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. contract players]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players]]
[[Category:Yiddish theatre performers]]
[[Category:American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Jews from Illinois]]
[[Category:Jews from California]]