Portrait of Sig Ruman

Sig Ruman

Acting

Biography

Sig Ruman was a German-American actor known for his portrayals of pompous and often stereotypical Teutonic officials or villains. Ruman made his film debut in Lucky Boy (1929). He became a favorite of the Marx Brothers, appearing in A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, and A Night in Casablanca. His German accent and large stature kept him busy during World War II, playing sinister Nazi characters in a series of wartime thrillers. During this period, he also appeared in several films by director Ernst Lubitsch including Ninotchka and To Be or Not to Be. Ruman continued playing over-the-top German characters later in his career for Billy Wilder in The Emperor Waltz, Stalag 17, and The Fortune Cookie.

Born: October 10, 1884

Place of Birth: Hamburg, Germany

Filmography

1972
Hollywood: The Dream Factory

as Self (archive footage)

1966
Way... Way Out

as Russian Delegate

1966
The Fortune Cookie

as Professor Winterhalter

1966
The Last of the Secret Agents?

as Prof. Werner von Koenig

1966
Doom of Dracula

as The Burgomaster (archive footage)

1965
1964
36 Hours

as German Guard

1964
Daniel Boone

as Van Coot

1964
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

as Conductor Schultz

1964
The Addams Family

as Eric Von Bissell

1964
Robin and the 7 Hoods

as Hammacher (uncredited)

1963
Petticoat Junction

as Professor Lieberschmit

1961
One, Two, Three

as Count von Droste Schattenburg (voice) (uncredited)

1961
The Errand Boy

as Baron Elston Carteblanche

1959
One Step Beyond

as Franz Schuldorf

1958
1957
Maverick

as Capt. Steeger

1957
1955
Spy Chasers

as King Rinko

1955
Many Rivers to Cross

as Spectacle Man

1955
1954
3 Ring Circus

as Fritz Schlitz

1954
White Christmas

as Landlord (uncredited)

1954
Living It Up

as Dr. Emile Egelhofer

1954
1953
Houdini

as Schultz

1953
Stalag 17

as Sgt. Johann Sebastian Schulz

1953
General Electric Theater

as Dr. Haegendorff

1952
The World in His Arms

as General Ivan Vorashilov

1952
O. Henry's Full House

as Menkie (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited)

1951
On the Riviera

as Gapeaux

1950
Father Is a Bachelor

as Jericho Schlosser

1949
Border Incident

as Hugo Wolfgang Ulrich

1948
The Emperor Waltz

as Dr. Zwieback

1948
1948
If You Knew Susie

as Count Alexis

1946
Faithful in My Fashion

as Professor Boris Riminoffsky

1946
Night and Day

as Wilowski

1946
A Night in Casablanca

as Count Pfefferman / Heinrich Stubel

1945
The Dolly Sisters

as Ignatz Tsimmis

1945
1945
Men in Her Diary

as Mme. Irene

1945
A Royal Scandal

as General Ronsky

1944
House of Frankenstein

as Burgomeister Hussman

1944
Summer Storm

as Kuzma

1944
The Hitler Gang

as General von Hindenburg

1944
It Happened Tomorrow

as Mr. Beckstein

1943
The Song of Bernadette

as Louis Bouriette

1943
Government Girl

as Ambassador

1943
Sweet Rosie O'Grady

as Joe Flugelman

1943
They Came to Blow Up America

as Dr. Herman Holger

1943
Tarzan Triumphs

as Sergeant

1942
China Girl

as Jarubi

1942
1942
Berlin Correspondent

as Dr. Dietrich

1942
Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen

as Heinrich, Spy Leader

1942
Crossroads

as Dr. Alex Dubroc

1942
To Be or Not to Be

as Col. Ehrhardt

1942
Remember Pearl Harbor

as Dirk Van Hoorten

1941
Breakdowns of 1941

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

1941
This Woman Is Mine

as John Jacob Astor

1941
World Premiere

as Franz von Bushmaster

1941
Shining Victory

as Professor Herman Von Reiter

1941
Love Crazy

as Dr. Wuthering

1941
The Wagons Roll at Night

as Hoffman the Great

1941
That Uncertain Feeling

as Kafka (as Sig Rumann)

1941
The Man Who Lost Himself

as Dr. Simms (as Sig Rumann)

1941
1940
Victory

as Mr. Schomberg

1940
Comrade X

as Emil Von Hofer

1940
Bitter Sweet

as Herr Schlick

1940
Four Sons

as Newmann

1940
1940
Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet

as Dr. Hans Wolfert

1939
Remember?

as Dr. Schmidt

1939
Ninotchka

as Comrade Iranoff

1939
Never Say Die

as Poppa Ingleborg

1939
Honolulu

as Psychiatrist

1938
The Great Waltz

as Wertheimer

1938
Suez

as Sergeant Pellerin

1938
Girls on Probation

as Roger Heath

1938
I'll Give a Million

as Anatole Primerose

1938
1938
The Saint in New York

as Hutch Rellin

1937
Thank You, Mr. Moto

as Colonel Tchernov

1937
Nothing Sacred

as Dr. Emil Eggelhoffer

1937
Heidi

as Police Captain

1937
Lancer Spy

as Lt. Col. Gottfried Hollen

1937
Thin Ice

as Prime Minister

1937
Love Under Fire

as General Montero

1937
Think Fast, Mr. Moto

as Nicolas Marloff

1937
A Day at the Races

as Dr. Leopold X. Steinberg

1937
1937
Midnight Taxi

as John B. Rudd

1937
Maytime

as Fanchon (as Sig Rumann)

1937
Seventh Heaven

as Durand (as Sig Rumann)

1937
On the Avenue

as Herr Hanfstangel

1936
The Bold Caballero

as Commandante Sebastian Golle

1935
East of Java

as Hans Muller

1935
1935
1935
Spring Tonic

as Matt Conklin

1935
The Wedding Night

as Mr. Jan Novak

1935
1934
Marie Galante

as Brogard

1934
Servants' Entrance

as Hans Hansen (as Siegfried Rumann)

1934
The World Moves On

as Baron von Gerhardt (as Siegfried Rumann)

1929
Die Königsloge

as Bailiff

1929
Lucky Boy

as Bridge player (Unbilled)