I Friday, November 30, 1945 DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and Pege Five The Legal Chronicle FROM 2nd AVENUE TO WORLD FAME - - - ON PAUL MUNI'S 50th BIRTHDAY By ALFRED WERNER A photographic exhibit, "The Jew in American Life," is now travelling from State to State. Intended to show the Jews' in- tegration into American life, it demonstrates by means of en- gravings, portraits and photo- graphs, that American Jews are farmers as well as scientists, athletes as well as artists. Hol- lywood's Jewish-born actors and a ctresses are represented by lovely Sylvia Sidney, flanked by Edward G. Robinson and Paul Muni. The latter's name recent- ly loomed in papers, not in such special columns as "The Screen," "Hollywood Ness's" or "Speaking of Movies," but on front pages, in connection with the name of Robert Elliott Burns. Burns, as you will recall, was convicted in 1922 for participa- tion in the hold-up of an At- lanta . grocer. A veteran of the first World War, he had return- ed to the States to find his old job gone. Winding up in Atlan- ta, Georgia, he became, against his will, involved in the rob- bery: two strangers, who had bought him food, threatened to shoot him if he refused to par- ticipate in the hold-up. He did not fully realize what was go- ing to be done, yet he was found by the police and sentenced to a decade of hard labor. Three months later he escaped from a chain gang, fled to Chicago married and started a business magazine. After seven years of liberty, in which he proved to be a perfect citizen, he was di- vorced and his former wife be- trayed his whereabouts to the Georgia authorities. Promised a pardon if he would return, Mr. Burns came back, but was dou- ble-crossed and imprisoned once again. After several months on another chain gang, he escaped anew. That time he went to New York where he wrote a stirring book, "I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang." In 1932 Warner Brothers de- cided to make a movie from the book, with Mr. Burns as techni- cal adviser, and a relatively unknown Jewish actor starring in the title role. It was a full success! Paul Muni's honest, straightforward characterization was a terrible indictment of the South's way with prisoners. For many years nothing came from Hollywood that was as exciting and socially vital as "I An a Fugitive from a Chain Gang." Some faint-hearted people ob- jected to the horror of the mo- vies realism — but should not people be aware of the cruelties often practiced on mankind by man Burns settled in New Jerse:i where he prospered and married again. Though he was a model citizen and family man, the in- famous Talmadge, Georgia's la- bor — and Negro-baiting gov- ernor — tried to catch him, but the New Jersey authorities de- __ 04:1-tleiXt Hied Georgia's extradition ap- peal. Last October, the strange case of Robert Elliott Burns came to a dram- atic end when the Georgia State prison and parole board un- der the govern- orship of Ellis Armin commut- ed to time served Burns' 28 - year old sentence of six to ten years. The happy news reached Paul Paul Muni Muni about the time he was celebrating his fiftieth birthday, and all those who know the ac- tor as a staunch champion of human rights, can imagine that no better birthday gift could have been presented than these good tidings. There is no doubt that Muni's superb acting, thir- teen years ago, was highly in- strumental in convincing millions of Americans that the atrocious chain gang system was a blot on America's shield of honor that must be erased! I happened to meet Paul Mu- ni five years after his first hit as a movie star. The time was December, 1937. 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