The King of the Biopic

is name was once famous the world over, but today Paul Muni is an almost forgotten figure, a mere shadow from the days of the Hollywood studio system and Warner Brothers' biopics.

Paul Muni plays the persecuted
French author Emile Zola.
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Born Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund on September 22, 1895 in what was then Lemberg, Galicia (part of Austria-Hungary, now Lviv, Ukraine), Paul Muni grew up in a German-speaking Jewish family of itinerant actors who made appearances across the eastern regions of the Austro-Hungarian empire. The family emigrated to America (via London) in the early 1900s, going into vaudeville and Yiddish theater in New York and other eastern cities. In May 1921 Muni married Bella Finkel in Manhattan. The couple never had children and remained married until Muni's death.

The Hollywood grave of
Paul Muni and his wife Bella.
Photo © Hyde Flippo

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Muni was 31 years old before he made his first English-language appearance on Broadway in 1926. In 1929 “Muni” Weisenfreund changed his name to Paul Muni, using his nickname to create a new last name. After successfully appearing on Broadway, Muni went to Hollywood, where he made his mark in the 1930s as an actor who lost his identity in the roles he played. Muni gained his first recognition in films such as Scarface (1932) and I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (based on a true story). He became a trademark at Warner Bros., particularly in a series of biographical films (“biopics“), winning an Academy Award for his role as Louis Pasteur in The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) and a New York Film Critics Award for The Life of Emile Zola (1937). Noted for the detailed research he did into the people and roles he portrayed, Muni's film career declined after he refused Warner Brothers' demands to become a “star” in more conventional roles. In 1939 Muni turned to Broadway and television. He received a Tony Award for his stage portrayal of Henry Drummond in “Inherit the Wind” in 1956. After eye problems ended his acting career in 1959, Muni retired to Montecito, California (near Santa Barbara) with is wife Bella. He died there of heart problems in 1967. The actor is buried in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. (See photo above.)

Selected Paul Muni Filmography

The Valiant (1929) Fox
As James Dyke, a convicted murderer; with Marguerite Churchill. Not a box-office success, but Muni got his first Academy Award nomination for this role.

Scarface (1932) United Artists
Howard Hughes produced and supervised this film, which stars Muni as Tony “Scarface” Camonte. The picture was key for both Muni and George Raft (as Guido Rinaldo). Directed by Howard Hawks.

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I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) Warner Bros.
Muni's first picture for Warner Brothers was based on the autobiographical book, I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang, by Robert E. Burns, who also served as technical advisor. Muni played the fictional fugitive James Allen. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy. “Muni turns in a pip performance.” - Variety

The World Changes (1933) First National/Warner Bros.
Muni plays the head of the Nordholm family, aging from a young man in his twenties to a man in his seventies. It was the first time Muni ever rode a horse. With Mary Astor as the social-climbing Virginia. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy.

Bordertown (1935) Warner Bros.
Muni plays the Mexican-American lawyer Johnny Ramirez. Betty Davis plays the murderous Marie Roark, who has designs on Ramirez, despite his interest in another woman. Directed by Archie Mayo.

Black Fury (1935) First National/Warner Bros.
Muni as coal miner Joe Radek in this drama about social injustice. Directed by Michael Curtiz.

Paul Muni's star on Hollywood Boulevard.
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Dr. Socrates (1935) Warner Bros.
A melodrama with Muni as surgeon Dr. Lee Caldwell, who is forced to become the “official” physician to a band of gangsters. Directed by the German William Dieterle (Wilhelm Dieterle), who would later direct three Warner biopics with Muni.

The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) Warner Bros.
This biopic earned Muni his first Oscar for his portrayal of the French scientist Louis Pasteur. Directed by William Dieterle, the film was made over the objections of Jack Warner (“Who wants to see a picture about bugs?”).

The Good Earth (1937) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Back in the days when Caucasian actors often played Asians, Muni played Wang Lung. His wife, O-Lan, was played by the German-born (not Austrian!) Luise Rainer (1910- ), who stole the show and won an Oscar for her work in this film. Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Pearl S. Buck. Directed by Sidney Franklin.

The Life of Emile Zola (1937) Warner Bros.
Most critics consider this film to be the pinnacle of Muni's Hollywood career. The film won an Academy Award for Best Picture and Muni was nominated for his depiction of the French author. Directed by William Dieterle, the picture also features the Austrian-born actor Josef Schildkraut (Best Supporting Actor) as Alfred Dreyfus and music by Austrian composer Max Steiner.   DVD > Order this DVD

Juarez (1939) Warner Bros.
Once again Muni steps into the role of a real person, in this case the Mexican reformer Benito Juarez. Based in part on the play Juarez and Maximilian by the Austrian writer Franz Werfel, this historical drama tells the story of the fateful events that led to the execution of the Austrian archduke Maximilian (played by Briam Aherne), who had been appointed emperoro of Mexico by Napoleon III (Claude Rains). Bette Davis plays Maximilian's wife Carlotta. Associate producer Henry Blanke explained the failure of Muni's third big biopic this way: “We made our mistake in dividing the action between Juarez and the Maximilian/Carlotta relationship. If we had followed the Franz Werfel play more closely, we would have had a much stronger film. Juarez never appears in the play.” Directed by William Dieterle, the finished picture was much too long and came off more like a documentary than a drama.

Stage Door Canteen (1943) United Artists/Sol Lesser
Muni, as only one of about 65 actors, makes a brief appearance as himself. Designed to be a wartime morale-booster and a fundraising effort, CANTEEN was re-released in 1949.

A Song to Remember (1945) Columbia
This was Muni's first and only film in color. He plays Prof. Joseph Elsner, teacher to Frederic Chopin (played by Cornel Wilde). Most critics find Muni's secondary role to be a prime example of overacting. Says Muni biographer Michael Druxman, “The highly fictionalized screenplay had very few interesting moments. In fact, the only strong points of the picture were the elaborate sets and beautiful music.”

Angel on my Shoulder (1946) United Artists
This comedy/gangster film is basically a repeat of Here Comes Mr. Jordan, which starred Robert Montgomery. Although at the time of its release it was compared less favorably with the first Harry Segall screenplay, some critics consider the Muni version the better of the two. Muni plays a murdered gangster who makes a deal with devil Claude Rains. Also with Anne Baxter and Hardie Albright. Directed by Archie Mayo.

The Last Angry Man (1959) Columbia
After deserting Hollywood for Broadway, Muni made his first screen appearance in 13 years in this film directed by Daniel Mann. His previous experience working for Harry Cohn at Columbia had not been a good one, and Muni took five months before deciding to do this picture. Perhaps he should have decided otherwise, as the picture, based on the novel by Gerald Green, was generally panned by critics and avoided by audiences. But Muni received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of the frustrated physician Dr. Sam Abelman. With Billy Dee Williams and David Wayne. This was Muni's last film.

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