HUNGRY GERALD

Marlon Brando said the late Paul Muni (1895-1967) was the best actor in the world. Looking back, HG agrees. These days, the only actor who is comparable to Muni is Daniel Day Lewis. HG doesn’t know if Muni is remembered. He was an authentic movie star and equally brilliant on the Broadway stage. When HG was growing up in The Bronx, Muni was a hero of HG’s family. Born in Ukraine, Muni was Jewish and his first language was Yiddish. He got his start on the Yiddish stage (where he was a star). He was very talented at makeup. When he was 12 years old, his makeup skills allowed him to play a convincing 82 year old man. Muni could play anything. His crime boss (loosely based on Al Capone) in the 30’s movie, “Scarface”, launched the genre of Hollywood “gangster” movies. A contemporary remake starred Al Pacino.  “Goodfellas” and the Godfather trilogy owe much to Muni’s original “Scarface”.  Muni’s makeup skills allowed him to make “The Life of Louis Pasteur” and “The Life of Emile  Zola ” —both convincing biographical movies. Muni was riveting on stage. ‘Inherit the Wind”, based on the Scopes trial, starred Muni as Clarence Darrow and Frederick March as William Jennings Bryan.  Fabulous!!