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Happy Birthday Paul Muni From a modern point of view, Muni occasionally has a whiff of what goes between two slices of bread, but in the 1930s, the star of “Scarface” was one of the biggest names in Hollywood, showing flashes of real brilliance which earned him the privilege of choosing his own parts. Muni was born Frederich Meier Weisenfreund in 1895 in Austria-Hungary. When he was seven, he emigrated with his family to Chicago and was nicknamed “Moony". He started his acting career in the Yiddish theatre. Film historian Robert Osborne writes that his makeup skills were so consummate that for most of his roles, "he transformed himself so completely, he was dubbed 'the new Lon Chaney.'" In 1929, Muni was signed by Fox and his name was anglicised to Paul Muni (derived from his nickname). He received an Oscar nomination for his first film, “The Valiant” (1929) and achieved stardom in provocative pre-Code films such as “I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang” and the iconic gangster film “Scarface.” (both 1932). Warner Bros signed him to a long-term contract, publicising him as "the screen's greatest actor." “Scarface” , the film for which Muni is best remembered, was written by Ben Hecht and directed by Howard Hawks, and is worth at least one viewing. Raw, violent yet oddly touching, critic Richard Corliss commented in 1974 that while it was a conventional gangster movie, it also "managed to congratulate journalism for its importance, and to chastise it for its chicanery, by underlining the newspapers' complicity in promoting the underworld image." In 1935, Muni persuaded Warner Bros. to produce “The Story of Louis Pasteur”, the first of the actor’s biographical roles, for which he won an Oscar. Muni played several historical figures, including Zola in “The Life of Emile Zola” (1937), which won Best Picture and was seen as an attack on the repression of Nazi Germany. He also played the lead role in “Juarez” (1939), opposite Bette Davis, and portrayed a Chinese peasant in “The Good Earth.” The makeup was grotesque, and the part should have gone to an Asian, but, hey, in Old Hollywood that was an impossibility. To his credit, when Irving Thalberg offered him the role, Muni said, "I'm about as Chinese as Herbert Hoover." Dissatisfied with films, he chose not to renew his contract. Muni returned to the screen occasionally in later years, playing Frédéric Chopin's teacher in the unintentionally hilarious “A Song to Remember” (1945). In 1946, he gave a winning performance in a comic role in “Angel on My Shoulder”. Muni’s final part was as a doctor in “The Last Angry Man” (1959). After that, he retired from acting due to his failing eyesight and other health problems. Muni was noted for his intense preparation for his roles. Before playing Pasteur, the actor said he “read every book on him” and found an old woman who had met him, and who remembered his mannerisms. The New York Times commented, “to Paul Muni, acting was not just a career, but an obsession", and Arthur Miller believed that Muni "was pursued by a fear of failure." Extremely eccentric, he objected to anyone wearing red in his presence, and often played the violin between takes. Although Muni was considered one of the greats, and was hero-worshiped by Marlon Brando, some film critics, such as David Thomson and Andrew Sarris, accuse him of overacting. Thomson describes Muni as "a crucial negative illustration in any argument as to what constitutes screen acting." William Dieterle, who directed him in his three biopics, also called Muni “a slight ham at times.” Having seen four of his films, I have to admit that some of his performances haven’t travelled well. Muni died of a heart disorder in Montecito, California in 1967 at the age of 71.

43 Years Ago Today, ‘DUNGEONS & DRAGONS’ Premiered on CBS! 🐉⚔️✨ The beloved animated series followed Hank, Eric, Diana, Presto, Sheila and Bobby after they were transported into a dangerous fantasy realm, guided by the mysterious Dungeon Master. With unforgettable villains like Venger and the terrifying Tiamat, Dungeons & Dragons became a cult classic of 1980s Saturday-morning animation. 🏹🔥 #DungeonsAndDragons #80sCartoons #Animation