Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
October 10, 1884
Place of Birth:
Hamburg, Germany
Social Media
Sig Ruman
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.
Known For
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Hollywood: The Dream Factory | Self (archive footage) |
| 1966 | The Last of the Secret Agents? | Prof. Werner von Koenig |
| 1966 | Way... Way Out | Russian Delegate |
| 1966 | The Fortune Cookie | Professor Winterhalter |
| 1966 | Doom of Dracula | The Burgomaster (archive footage) |
| 1964 | 36 Hours | German Guard |
| 1964 | Robin and the 7 Hoods | Hammacher (uncredited) |
| 1961 | One, Two, Three | Count von Droste Schattenburg (voice) (uncredited) |
| 1961 | The Errand Boy | Baron Elston Carteblanche |
| 1957 | The Wings of Eagles | Manager |
| 1955 | Many Rivers to Cross | Spectacle Man |
| 1955 | Carolina Cannonball | Stefan |
| 1955 | Spy Chasers | King Rinko |
| 1954 | 3 Ring Circus | Fritz Schlitz |
| 1954 | The Glenn Miller Story | W. Kranz |
| 1954 | Living It Up | Dr. Emile Egelhofer |
| 1954 | White Christmas | Landlord (uncredited) |
| 1953 | Stalag 17 | Sgt. Johann Sebastian Schulz |
| 1953 | Houdini | Schultz |
| 1953 | The Girl on The Roof | |
| 1952 | The World in His Arms | General Ivan Vorashilov |
| 1952 | O. Henry's Full House | Menkie (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited) |
| 1952 | Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation | Cyrus Kraft |
| 1951 | On the Riviera | Gapeaux |
| 1950 | Father Is a Bachelor | Jericho Schlosser |
| 1949 | Border Incident | Hugo Wolfgang Ulrich |
| 1948 | Give My Regards to Broadway | Arthur Dinkel |
| 1948 | The Emperor Waltz | Dr. Zwieback |
| 1948 | If You Knew Susie | Count Alexis |
| 1947 | Mother Wore Tights | Papa |
| 1946 | A Night in Casablanca | Count Pfefferman / Heinrich Stubel |
| 1946 | Faithful in My Fashion | Professor Boris Riminoffsky |
| 1946 | Night and Day | Wilowski |
| 1945 | She Went to the Races | Dr. Gurke |
| 1945 | The Dolly Sisters | Ignatz Tsimmis |
| 1945 | Men in Her Diary | Mme. Irene |
| 1945 | A Royal Scandal | General Ronsky |
| 1944 | House of Frankenstein | Burgomeister Hussman |
| 1944 | It Happened Tomorrow | Mr. Beckstein |
| 1944 | Summer Storm | Kuzma |
| 1944 | The Hitler Gang | General von Hindenburg |
| 1943 | Government Girl | Ambassador |
| 1943 | Tarzan Triumphs | Sergeant |
| 1943 | They Came to Blow Up America | Dr. Herman Holger |
| 1943 | The Song of Bernadette | Louis Bouriette |
| 1943 | Sweet Rosie O'Grady | Joe Flugelman |
| 1942 | To Be or Not to Be | Col. Ehrhardt |
| 1942 | Crossroads | Dr. Alex Dubroc |
| 1942 | Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen | Heinrich, Spy Leader |
| 1942 | China Girl | Jarubi |
| 1942 | Desperate Journey | Preuss |
| 1942 | Berlin Correspondent | Dr. Dietrich |
| 1942 | Remember Pearl Harbor | Dirk Van Hoorten |
| 1941 | Love Crazy | Dr. Wuthering |
| 1941 | That Uncertain Feeling | Kafka (as Sig Rumann) |
| 1941 | The Wagons Roll at Night | Hoffman the Great |
| 1941 | Shining Victory | Professor Herman Von Reiter |
| 1941 | Breakdowns of 1941 | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 1941 | This Woman Is Mine | John Jacob Astor |
| 1941 | So Ends Our Night | Ammers |
| 1941 | The Man Who Lost Himself | Dr. Simms (as Sig Rumann) |
| 1941 | World Premiere | Franz von Bushmaster |
| 1940 | Comrade X | Emil Von Hofer |
| 1940 | Outside the Three-Mile Limit | Van Cleve |
| 1940 | Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet | Dr. Hans Wolfert |
| 1940 | Four Sons | Newmann |
| 1940 | Bitter Sweet | Herr Schlick |
| 1940 | I Was an Adventuress | Herr Protz |
| 1940 | Victory | Mr. Schomberg |
| 1939 | Ninotchka | Comrade Iranoff |
| 1939 | Only Angels Have Wings | Dutchy |
| 1939 | Never Say Die | Poppa Ingleborg |
| 1939 | Remember? | Dr. Schmidt |
| 1939 | Honolulu | Psychiatrist |
| 1939 | Confessions of a Nazi Spy | Krogman |
| 1938 | The Great Waltz | Wertheimer |
| 1938 | The Saint in New York | Hutch Rellin |
| 1938 | Girls on Probation | Roger Heath |
| 1938 | Paradise for Three | Mr. Bold |
| 1938 | Suez | Sergeant Pellerin |
| 1938 | I'll Give a Million | Anatole Primerose |
| 1937 | A Day at the Races | Dr. Leopold X. Steinberg |
| 1937 | Nothing Sacred | Dr. Emil Eggelhoffer |
| 1937 | Thin Ice | Prime Minister |
| 1937 | Think Fast, Mr. Moto | Nicolas Marloff |
| 1937 | Thank You, Mr. Moto | Colonel Tchernov |
| 1937 | Lancer Spy | Lt. Col. Gottfried Hollen |
| 1937 | Midnight Taxi | John B. Rudd |
| 1937 | The Great Hospital Mystery | Dr. Taggert |
| 1937 | On the Avenue | Herr Hanfstangel |
| 1937 | Love Under Fire | General Montero |
| 1937 | This Is My Affair | Gus |
| 1937 | Heidi | Police Captain |
| 1937 | Maytime | Fanchon (as Sig Rumann) |
| 1937 | Seventh Heaven | Durand (as Sig Rumann) |
| 1936 | The Princess Comes Across | Steindorf |
| 1936 | The Bold Caballero | Commandante Sebastian Golle |
| 1935 | A Night at the Opera | Gottlieb |
| 1935 | The Farmer Takes a Wife | Blacksmith |
| 1935 | The Wedding Night | Mr. Jan Novak |
| 1935 | Under Pressure | Doctor |
| 1935 | East of Java | Hans Muller |
| 1935 | Spring Tonic | Matt Conklin |
| 1934 | The World Moves On | Baron von Gerhardt (as Siegfried Rumann) |
| 1934 | Marie Galante | Brogard |
| 1934 | Servants' Entrance | Hans Hansen (as Siegfried Rumann) |
| 1929 | Die Königsloge | Bailiff |
| 1929 | Lucky Boy | Bridge player (Unbilled) |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Hank | |
| 1964 | Daniel Boone | Van Coot |
| 1964 | The Addams Family | Eric Von Bissell |
| 1963 | Petticoat Junction | Professor Lieberschmit |
| 1963 | The Danny Kaye Show | Self |
| 1960 | Pete and Gladys | |
| 1959 | Johnny Staccato | |
| 1959 | One Step Beyond | Franz Schuldorf |
| 1959 | The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis | |
| 1958 | Lawman | |
| 1957 | Maverick | |
| 1957 | Maverick | Capt. Steeger |
| 1956 | The Dinah Shore Chevy Show | Self |
| 1953 | General Electric Theater | Dr. Haegendorff |
| 1953 | Private Secretary |