Muni, Paul [né Frederich Weisenfreund] (1895–1967), actor. Born in Austria but raised in Chicago, he made his stage debut in Yiddish theatre in 1908 and his bow on professional English‐speaking stages 1926. Muni did not gain prominence until 1931 when he played the Jewish lawyer George Simon in Counsellor‐at‐Law followed by his commanding performance in 1939 when he portrayed the wartime deserter King McCloud in Key Largo (1939). His last important appearance was as attorney Henry Drummond in Inherit the Wind (1955). Muni was a superb technician, although some playgoers felt he wore his technique on his sleeve. He also enjoyed a distinguished career in Hollywood. Biography: Actor: The Life and Times of Paul Muni, Jerome Lawrence, 1974.

The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. Copyright © 2004 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved.