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Sig Ruman

Acting Born Oct 10, 1884 Hamburg, Germany 24 credits

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.

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Full filmography

  • Maverick (1957)
  • Maverick (1957) as Capt. Steeger
  • Lawman (1958)
  • Petticoat Junction (1963) as Professor Lieberschmit
  • Daniel Boone (1964) as Van Coot
  • The Addams Family (1964) as Eric Von Bissell
  • One Step Beyond (1959) as Franz Schuldorf
  • The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) as Conductor Schultz
  • The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959) as Himelmayer
  • The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (1956) as Self
  • The Danny Kaye Show (1963) as Self
  • Pete and Gladys (1960)
  • Johnny Staccato (1959)
  • General Electric Theater (1953) as Dr. Haegendorff
  • Private Secretary (1953)
  • Hank (1965)
  • White Christmas (1954) as Landlord (uncredited)
  • One, Two, Three (1961) as Count von Droste Schattenburg (voice) (uncredited)
  • Stalag 17 (1953) as Sgt. Johann Sebastian Schulz
  • Ninotchka (1939) as Comrade Iranoff
  • To Be or Not to Be (1942) as Col. Ehrhardt
  • Night and Day (1946) as Wilowski
  • The Glenn Miller Story (1954) as W. Kranz
  • Heidi (1937) as Police Captain