Sig Ruman

Sig Ruman

1884-10-10 – 1967-02-14 (age 82) Hamburg, Germany
View on IMDb ↗

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.

Photos

Known For

A Day at the Races
A Day at the Races

1937

as Dr. Leopold X. Steinberg

House of Frankenstein
House of Frankenstein

1944

as Burgomeister Hussman

Stalag 17
Stalag 17

1953

as Johann Schulz

One, Two, Three
One, Two, Three

1961

as Count von Droste Schattenburg (voice) (uncredited)

To Be or Not to Be
To Be or Not to Be

1942

as Col. Ehrhardt

White Christmas
White Christmas

1954

as Landlord (uncredited)

Ninotchka
Ninotchka

1939

as Comrade Iranoff

The World in His Arms
The World in His Arms

1952

as General Ivan Vorashilov

The Glenn Miller Story
The Glenn Miller Story

1954

as W. Kranz

The Wings of Eagles
The Wings of Eagles

1957

as Manager

Robin and the 7 Hoods
Robin and the 7 Hoods

1964

as Hammacher (uncredited)

The Fortune Cookie
The Fortune Cookie

1966

as Professor Winterhalter

The Song of Bernadette
The Song of Bernadette

1943

as Louis Bouriette

Houdini
Houdini

1953

as Schultz

Night and Day
Night and Day

1946

as Wilowski

Living It Up
Living It Up

1954

as Dr. Emile Egelhofer

A Night at the Opera
A Night at the Opera

1935

as Gottlieb

Way... Way Out
Way... Way Out

1966

as Russian Delegate

The Emperor Waltz
The Emperor Waltz

1948

as Dr. Zwieback

Only Angels Have Wings