Sig Ruman
Biography
Sig Ruman was a German-American actor known for his portrayals of pompous and often stereotypical Teutonic officials or villains. He made his film debut in Lucky Boy in 1929. Ruman became a favorite of the Marx Brothers, appearing in A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, and A Night in Casablanca. 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. He was known for his German accent and large stature, which kept him busy during World War II playing sinister Nazi characters.
Career overview
Sig Ruman began his acting career in 1929 with the film Lucky Boy. He went on to become a favorite of the Marx Brothers, appearing in several of their films including A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, and A Night in Casablanca. His portrayal of German characters, often stereotypical and pompous, became a hallmark of his acting style.
During World War II, Ruman's German accent and large stature made him a sought-after actor for roles as sinister Nazi characters in a series of wartime thrillers. He also appeared in films directed by Ernst Lubitsch, including Ninotchka and To Be or Not to Be. Later in his career, Ruman continued to play over-the-top German characters for directors such as Billy Wilder in The Emperor Waltz, Stalag 17, and The.
Sig Ruman's career also included a cameo role in The Fortune Cookie in 1966 and a notable instance of his voice being dubbed over in Wilder's One, Two, Three in 1961.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
125 titles- Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972) as Self (archive footage)
- The Fortune Cookie (1966) as Professor Winterhalter
- Way... Way Out (1966) as Russian Delegate
- Doom of Dracula (1966) as The Burgomaster (archive footage)
- The Last of the Secret Agents? (1966) as Prof. Werner von Koenig
- Hank (1965)
- Daniel Boone (1964) as Van Coot
- The Addams Family (1964) as Eric Von Bissell
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) as Conductor Schultz
- Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964) as Hammacher (uncredited)
- 36 Hours (1964) as German Guard
- Petticoat Junction (1963) as Professor Lieberschmit
- The Danny Kaye Show (1963) as Self
- One, Two, Three (1961) as Count von Droste Schattenburg (voice) (uncredited)
- The Errand Boy (1961) as Baron Elston Carteblanche
- Pete and Gladys (1960)
- Around the World with Nellie Bly (1960) as Tug Captain
- One Step Beyond (1959) as Franz Schuldorf
- The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959) as Himelmayer
- Johnny Staccato (1959)
- Lawman (1958)
- Maverick (1957)
- Maverick (1957) as Capt. Steeger
- The Wings of Eagles (1957) as Manager
- The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (1956) as Self
- Many Rivers to Cross (1955) as Spectacle Man
- Spy Chasers (1955) as King Rinko
- Carolina Cannonball (1955) as Stefan
- White Christmas (1954) as Landlord (uncredited)
- The Glenn Miller Story (1954) as W. Kranz
- Living It Up (1954) as Dr. Emile Egelhofer
- 3 Ring Circus (1954) as Fritz Schlitz
- Private Secretary (1953)
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Dr. Haegendorff
- Stalag 17 (1953) as Johann Schulz
- Houdini (1953) as Schultz
- The Girl on The Roof (1953)
- O. Henry's Full House (1952) as Menkie (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited)
- The World in His Arms (1952) as General Ivan Vorashilov
- Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation (1952) as Cyrus Kraft
- On the Riviera (1951) as Gapeaux
- Father Is a Bachelor (1950) as Jericho Schlosser
- Border Incident (1949) as Hugo Wolfgang Ulrich
- The Emperor Waltz (1948) as Dr. Zwieback
- If You Knew Susie (1948) as Count Alexis
- Give My Regards to Broadway (1948) as Arthur Dinkel
- Mother Wore Tights (1947) as Papa
- Night and Day (1946) as Wilowski
- A Night in Casablanca (1946) as Count Pfefferman / Heinrich Stubel
- Faithful in My Fashion (1946) as Professor Boris Riminoffsky
- Men in Her Diary (1945) as Mme. Irene
- She Went to the Races (1945) as Dr. Gurke
- A Royal Scandal (1945) as General Ronsky
- The Dolly Sisters (1945) as Ignatz Tsimmis
- House of Frankenstein (1944) as Burgomeister Hussman
- It Happened Tomorrow (1944) as Mr. Beckstein
- Summer Storm (1944) as Kuzma
- The Hitler Gang (1944) as General von Hindenburg
- The Song of Bernadette (1943) as Louis Bouriette
- Government Girl (1943) as Ambassador
- Tarzan Triumphs (1943) as Sergeant
- Sweet Rosie O'Grady (1943) as Joe Flugelman
- They Came to Blow Up America (1943) as Dr. Herman Holger
- To Be or Not to Be (1942) as Col. Ehrhardt
- China Girl (1942) as Jarubi
- Berlin Correspondent (1942) as Dr. Dietrich
- Crossroads (1942) as Dr. Alex Dubroc
- Desperate Journey (1942) as Preuss
- Remember Pearl Harbor (1942) as Dirk Van Hoorten
- Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen (1942) as Heinrich, Spy Leader
- That Uncertain Feeling (1941) as Kafka (as Sig Rumann)
- Breakdowns of 1941 (1941) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- The Wagons Roll at Night (1941) as Hoffman the Great
- Love Crazy (1941) as Dr. Wuthering
- So Ends Our Night (1941) as Ammers
- The Man Who Lost Himself (1941) as Dr. Simms (as Sig Rumann)
- Shining Victory (1941) as Professor Herman Von Reiter
- This Woman Is Mine (1941) as John Jacob Astor
- World Premiere (1941) as Franz von Bushmaster
- Comrade X (1940) as Emil Von Hofer
- Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940) as Dr. Hans Wolfert
- Outside the Three-Mile Limit (1940) as Van Cleve
- I Was an Adventuress (1940) as Herr Protz
- Bitter Sweet (1940) as Herr Schlick
- Victory (1940) as Mr. Schomberg
- Four Sons (1940) as Newmann
- Honolulu (1939) as Psychiatrist
- Ninotchka (1939) as Comrade Iranoff
- Only Angels Have Wings (1939) as Dutchy
- Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939) as Krogman
- Never Say Die (1939) as Poppa Ingleborg
- Remember? (1939) as Dr. Schmidt
- Girls on Probation (1938) as Roger Heath
- The Great Waltz (1938) as Wertheimer
- I'll Give a Million (1938) as Anatole Primerose
- The Saint in New York (1938) as Hutch Rellin
- Suez (1938) as Sergeant Pellerin
- Paradise for Three (1938) as Mr. Bold
- Heidi (1937) as Police Captain
- A Day at the Races (1937) as Dr. Leopold X. Steinberg
- Nothing Sacred (1937) as Dr. Emil Eggelhoffer
- Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937) as Nicolas Marloff
- Seventh Heaven (1937) as Durand (as Sig Rumann)
- Lancer Spy (1937) as Lt. Col. Gottfried Hollen
- Maytime (1937) as Fanchon (as Sig Rumann)
- Thin Ice (1937) as Prime Minister
- On the Avenue (1937) as Herr Hanfstangel
- Thank You, Mr. Moto (1937) as Colonel Tchernov
- This Is My Affair (1937) as Gus
- Love Under Fire (1937) as General Montero
- Midnight Taxi (1937) as John B. Rudd
- The Great Hospital Mystery (1937) as Dr. Taggert
- The Princess Comes Across (1936) as Steindorf
- The Bold Caballero (1936) as Commandante Sebastian Golle
- A Night at the Opera (1935) as Gottlieb
- The Wedding Night (1935) as Mr. Jan Novak
- The Farmer Takes a Wife (1935) as Blacksmith
- Spring Tonic (1935) as Matt Conklin
- East of Java (1935) as Hans Muller
- Under Pressure (1935) as Doctor
- Marie Galante (1934) as Brogard
- Servants' Entrance (1934) as Hans Hansen (as Siegfried Rumann)
- The World Moves On (1934) as Baron von Gerhardt (as Siegfried Rumann)
- Lucky Boy (1929) as Bridge player (Unbilled)
- Die Königsloge (1929) as Bailiff
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Sig Ruman best known for?
Sig Ruman is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including The Fortune Cookie (1966), Hank (1965), Flatfoot in Hong Kong (1975), The Addams Family (1964).
When and where was Sig Ruman born?
Sig Ruman was born on October 10, 1884 in Hamburg, Germany. They passed away on February 14, 1967.
How many credits does Sig Ruman have?
Sig Ruman has accumulated over 125 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1929 to 1972.
What is Sig Ruman's background in cinema and television?
Sig Ruman was a German-American actor known for his portrayals of pompous and often stereotypical Teutonic officials or villains. He made his film debut in Lucky Boy in 1929. Ruman became a favorite of the Marx Brothers, appearing in A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, and A Night in Casablanca. He also appeared ...
Sig Ruman by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- The Addams Family (1964) as Eric Von Bissell — aged about 79
- To Be or Not to Be (1942) as Col. Ehrhardt — aged about 57
- Stalag 17 (1953) as Johann Schulz — aged about 68
- One, Two, Three (1961) as Count von Droste Schattenburg (voice) (uncredited) — aged about 76
- Ninotchka (1939) as Comrade Iranoff — aged about 54
- A Night at the Opera (1935) as Gottlieb — aged about 50
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