Sig Ruman

Born: 1884-10-10 in Hamburg, Germany

Died: 1967-02-14

Known For: 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.

Filmography

1972

Hollywood: The Dream Factory as Self (archive footage)

1966

The Fortune Cookie as Professor Winterhalter
Doom of Dracula as The Burgomaster (archive footage)
The Last of the Secret Agents? as Prof. Werner von Koenig
Way... Way Out as Russian Delegate

1965

Hank

1964

The Addams Family as Eric Von Bissell
Daniel Boone as Van Coot
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as Conductor Schultz
36 Hours as German Guard
Robin and the 7 Hoods as Hammacher (uncredited)

1963

Petticoat Junction as Professor Lieberschmit
The Danny Kaye Show as Self

1961

One, Two, Three as Count von Droste Schattenburg (voice) (uncredited)
The Errand Boy as Baron Elston Carteblanche

1960

Pete and Gladys
Around the World with Nellie Bly as Tug Captain

1959

1955

Carolina Cannonball as Stefan
Spy Chasers as King Rinko
Many Rivers to Cross as Spectacle Man

1954

White Christmas as Landlord (uncredited)
The Glenn Miller Story as W. Kranz
Living It Up as Dr. Emile Egelhofer
3 Ring Circus as Fritz Schlitz

1953

Stalag 17 as Sgt. Johann Sebastian Schulz
Houdini as Schultz
The Girl on The Roof
Private Secretary
General Electric Theater as Dr. Haegendorff

1952

O. Henry's Full House as Menkie (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited)
Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation as Cyrus Kraft
The World in His Arms as General Ivan Vorashilov

1951

On the Riviera as Gapeaux

1950

Father Is a Bachelor as Jericho Schlosser

1949

Border Incident as Hugo Wolfgang Ulrich

1948

If You Knew Susie as Count Alexis
Give My Regards to Broadway as Arthur Dinkel
The Emperor Waltz as Dr. Zwieback

1947

Mother Wore Tights as Papa

1946

A Night in Casablanca as Count Pfefferman / Heinrich Stubel
Night and Day as Wilowski
Faithful in My Fashion as Professor Boris Riminoffsky

1945

A Royal Scandal as General Ronsky
The Dolly Sisters as Ignatz Tsimmis
She Went to the Races as Dr. Gurke
Men in Her Diary as Mme. Irene

1944

Summer Storm as Kuzma
House of Frankenstein as Burgomeister Hussman
It Happened Tomorrow as Mr. Beckstein
The Hitler Gang as General von Hindenburg

1943

Tarzan Triumphs as Sergeant
The Song of Bernadette as Louis Bouriette
Government Girl as Ambassador
Sweet Rosie O'Grady as Joe Flugelman
They Came to Blow Up America as Dr. Herman Holger

1942

Desperate Journey as Preuss
To Be or Not to Be as Col. Ehrhardt
China Girl as Jarubi
Berlin Correspondent as Dr. Dietrich
Remember Pearl Harbor as Dirk Van Hoorten
Crossroads as Dr. Alex Dubroc
Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen as Heinrich, Spy Leader

1941

Shining Victory as Professor Herman Von Reiter
World Premiere as Franz von Bushmaster
The Wagons Roll at Night as Hoffman the Great
That Uncertain Feeling as Kafka (as Sig Rumann)
The Man Who Lost Himself as Dr. Simms (as Sig Rumann)
So Ends Our Night as Ammers
This Woman Is Mine as John Jacob Astor
Breakdowns of 1941 as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Love Crazy as Dr. Wuthering

1940

Bitter Sweet as Herr Schlick
Victory as Mr. Schomberg
Four Sons as Newmann
I Was an Adventuress as Herr Protz
Comrade X as Emil Von Hofer
Outside the Three-Mile Limit as Van Cleve
Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet as Dr. Hans Wolfert

1939

Honolulu as Psychiatrist
Remember? as Dr. Schmidt
Ninotchka as Comrade Iranoff
Only Angels Have Wings as Dutchy
Confessions of a Nazi Spy as Krogman
Never Say Die as Poppa Ingleborg

1938

Suez as Sergeant Pellerin
The Great Waltz as Wertheimer
Girls on Probation as Roger Heath
Paradise for Three as Mr. Bold
The Saint in New York as Hutch Rellin
I'll Give a Million as Anatole Primerose

1937

Seventh Heaven as Durand (as Sig Rumann)
Nothing Sacred as Dr. Emil Eggelhoffer
Heidi as Police Captain
Lancer Spy as Lt. Col. Gottfried Hollen
A Day at the Races as Dr. Leopold X. Steinberg
Maytime as Fanchon (as Sig Rumann)
Thank You, Mr. Moto as Colonel Tchernov
Thin Ice as Prime Minister
Love Under Fire as General Montero
Think Fast, Mr. Moto as Nicolas Marloff
This Is My Affair as Gus
On the Avenue as Herr Hanfstangel
Midnight Taxi as John B. Rudd
The Great Hospital Mystery as Dr. Taggert

1936

The Princess Comes Across as Steindorf
The Bold Caballero as Commandante Sebastian Golle

1935

Spring Tonic as Matt Conklin
Under Pressure as Doctor
A Night at the Opera as Gottlieb
East of Java as Hans Muller
The Farmer Takes a Wife as Blacksmith
The Wedding Night as Mr. Jan Novak

1934

Marie Galante as Brogard
The World Moves On as Baron von Gerhardt (as Siegfried Rumann)
Servants' Entrance as Hans Hansen (as Siegfried Rumann)

1929

Lucky Boy as Bridge player (Unbilled)
Die Königsloge as Bailiff