Which 1932 film starring Paul Muni was based on Al Capone?

The 1932 film starring Paul Muni that was based on Al Capone is Scarface. Officially titled Scarface, or The Shame of the Nation, the crime drama follows Tony Camonte, a ruthless Chicago gangster whose rise echoes Capone’s career.

Produced by Howard Hughes and directed by Howard Hawks, the film was adapted from Armitage Trail’s 1929 novel Scarface. Screenwriter Ben Hecht drew on real Prohibition-era gang conflicts, though the movie is not a literal biography of Capone. Its violence, incestuous undertones, and glamorized criminal world caused serious censorship disputes before release.

Paul Muni played Tony, with Ann Dvorak as his sister Cesca and George Raft as rival gangster Guino Rinaldo. The famous “The World Is Yours” motif became part of the film’s legacy. It is distinct from the 1983 Brian De Palma remake starring Al Pacino, which relocates the story to Miami.