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Paul Muni

Paul Muni

Actor · Died August 25, 1967, aged 71 · Lemberg, Galicia, Austria-Hungary [now Lviv, Ukraine]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Paul Muni (born Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund, September 22, 1895 – August 25, 1967) was an Austro-Hungarian-born American stage and film actor. During the 1930s, he was considered the most prestigious actor at Warner Brothers studios, and one of the rare actors who was given the privilege of choosing which parts he wanted. His acting quality, usually playing a powerful character, such as Scarface, was partly a result of his intense preparation for his parts, often immersing himself in study of the real character's traits and mannerisms. He was also highly skilled in using makeup techniques, a talent he learned from his parents, who were also actors, and from his early years on stage with the Yiddish Theater, in New York. At the age of 12, he played the stage role of an 80-year-old man; in one of his films, Seven Faces, he played seven different characters. He was nominated six times for an Oscar, winning once as Best Actor in The Story of Louis Pasteur. Description above from the Wikipedia article Paul Muni, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 21, 1895
Died
August 25, 1967 (aged 71)
From
Lemberg, Galicia, Austria-Hungary [now Lviv, Ukraine]
Works as
Actor
Titles
18 on MovieCove · 30 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 18% in 30 days

What are Paul Muni's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
33%
Self
16%
Power
12%
Survival
12%
Ideas
11%
Bonds
9%
Society
7%
Justice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 3 · Dark 9

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 10 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 8 · Intense 5

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 7 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 14 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

14 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 10 of 14 analyzed roles.

Hero
10 of 14
Mentor
2 of 14
Shadow
1 of 14
Shapeshifter
1 of 14
Show the 14 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
12
Melancholic
9
Warm
4
Contemplative
5
Romantic
3
Other
10

How their films linger

Bittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet8
  • Tragic3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Paul Muni's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 18 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Paul Muni's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

30 credits, 18 with a MovieCove page; 11 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood(2019)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Keith Richards: Under the Influence(2015)

    as Tony

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood(2008)

    as James Allen (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Saints and Sinners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Samuel Foss

  • The Last Angry Man(1959)

    as Sam Abelman

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Senator Ryder

  • Stranger on the Prowl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as The Stranger With A Gun

  • The Philco Television Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as George Simon

  • Angel on My Shoulder(1946)

    as Eddie Kagle / Judge Fredrick Parker

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Counter-Attack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Alexei Kulkov

  • A Song to Remember(1945)

    as Professor Joseph Elsner

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Stage Door Canteen(1943)

    as Paul Muni

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Commandos Strike at Dawn(1942)

    as Eric Toresen

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Hudson's Bay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Pierre Esprit Radisson

  • We Are Not Alone(1939)

    as Dr. David Newcome

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Juarez(1939)

    as Benito Pablo Juárez

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Breakdowns of 1938 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Emile Zola (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • The Life of Emile Zola(1937)

    as Emile Zola

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Good Earth(1937)

    as Wang

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Woman I Love(1937)

    as Lt. Claude Maury

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Story of Louis Pasteur(1936)

    as Louis Pasteur

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Dr. Socrates (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Lee

  • Black Fury(1935)

    as Joe Radek

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Bordertown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Johnny Ramirez

  • Hi, Nellie(1934)

    as Samuel N. 'Brad' Bradshaw

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The World Changes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Orin Nordholm Jr.

  • I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang(1932)

    as James Allen

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Scarface(1932)

    as Antonio 'Tony' Camonte

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Seven Faces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Chibou / Diablero / Smith / Schubert / Juan / Gans / Napoleon

  • The Valiant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as James Dyke

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 29 titles from 1929 to 2019.

Biggest box office

Scarface (1932)

$855 worldwide

Highest rated

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Scarface (1932)

Film career

Top draw in 9 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting29 of 29: 29 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score75th

By decade

1920s2 · acting1930s14 · acting1940s7 · acting1950s3 · acting1960s1 · acting2000s1 · acting2010s1 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 100% of 10 roles
3237

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Paul Muni's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 76th percentile, the median of all 18; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 72nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 18 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th8

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 18 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · actor

Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood (2019)

81st percentile spread · 27% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

Midcredits 98th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 48. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Paul Muni work with?

People who share at least 2 of Paul Muni's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Hal B. Wallis shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers