Little Italy in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Paul Muni
Actor 1895-1967
Born Muni Weisenfreund, the son of Yiddish actors, he was 13 when his family came to Chicago. His father opened Weisenfreund's Pavilion Theatre, here at 12th Street (now Roosevelt Road) and Halstead Street, in the Maxwell Street neighborhood. Here Muni learned the tricks of the trade — fixing his own makeup, mastering accents and playing a wide range of roles. Neighborhood residents flocked to the 300-seat theater for Muni's Friday night and Saturday afternoon performers.
Muni traveled the theater circuit, eventually making his Broadway debut in We Americans in 1926. Two years later he moved to Hollywood, where the studio promptly changed his name the more accessible Paul Muni. He won an Oscar for The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936). His other Academy Award nominated films include The Valiant, I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, The Life of Emile Zola, and The Last Angry Man.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Entertainment.
Location. 41° 52.037′ N, 87° 38.755′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Little Italy. Marker can be reached from West Roosevelt Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Chicago IL 60607, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Maxwell Street (approx. 0.2 miles away); Site of the Origin of the Chicago Fire of 1871 (approx. ¼ mile away); Juvenile Court of Cook County Building (approx. 0.3 miles away); Jane Addams' Hull-House and Dining Hall (approx. 0.3 miles away); Jane Addams' Hull House (approx. 0.3 miles away); Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (approx. 0.6 miles away); St. Patrick's Church (approx. 0.8 miles away); Charles R. Walgreen Sr. (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 23, 2016, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. This page has been viewed 518 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on November 23, 2016, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.