Celeb R.E.: Paul Muni’s Former Encino Estate Lists in Amestoy Estates

Paul Muni former Encino home at 5250 Louise Avenue

Paul Muni image courtesy Wikipedia

The reported former Encino home of actor Paul Muni is back on the market at 5250 Louise Avenue, bringing together old Hollywood history, estate-scale Encino grounds, and a listing that is being positioned as both a restoration and redevelopment opportunity.

Muni, born Frederich Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund, rose from the Yiddish theater to become one of the most respected dramatic actors of Hollywood’s Golden Age. His best-known films include Scarface, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, The Good Earth, The Life of Emile Zola, and The Story of Louis Pasteur, the 1936 biographical drama that earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor. He later returned to the stage and won a Tony Award for Inherit the Wind.

The Louise Avenue property sits in Encino’s Amestoy Estates area, where large lots, mature landscaping, and gated residential settings helped define the neighborhood’s appeal to generations of entertainment industry figures. Earlier coverage by the Los Angeles Times also identified the home as a onetime Muni residence and noted its Georgian-style architecture, 1941 construction, and later expansions.

According to the current listing, the estate is offered at $3,750,000 and includes 11 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, and approximately 5,149 square feet of interior space on a roughly 0.81-acre lot. The property is described as a fixer and cash-offer opportunity, but the scale is the draw: a full basement, a two-story library, a detached three-car garage, detached ADU, pool cabana, swimmer’s pool and spa, and more than 35,000 square feet of grounds.

What makes this listing especially interesting is the contrast between its Hollywood pedigree and its future potential. Some buyers may see an opportunity to restore an older Encino estate tied to one of the great actors of the 1930s, while others may view the lot size and location as a redevelopment play in one of the Valley’s more established estate neighborhoods.

Listing Snapshot

Address: 5250 Louise Avenue, Encino, CA 91316
Price: $3,750,000
Bedrooms / bathrooms: 11 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms
Interior: approximately 5,149 square feet
Lot: approximately 0.81 acres / more than 35,000 square feet
Year built: 1941
Notable features: two-story library, full basement, detached ADU, pool cabana, swimmer’s pool and spa, mature landscaping, and detached three-car garage