Sig Ruman
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
Way... Way Out
1966
as Russian Delegate
One, Two, Three
1961
as Count von Droste Schattenburg (voice) (uncredited)
White Christmas
1954
as Landlord (uncredited)
Ninotchka
1939
as Comrade Iranoff
Robin and the 7 Hoods
1964
as Hammacher (uncredited)
To Be or Not to Be
1942
as Col. Ehrhardt
Only Angels Have Wings
1939
as Dutchy
Stalag 17
1953
as Sgt. Johann Sebastian Schulz
Heidi
1937
as Police Captain
China Girl
1942
as Jarubi
Berlin Correspondent
1942
as Dr. Dietrich
A Night at the Opera
1935
as Gottlieb
Houdini
1953
as Schultz
The Fortune Cookie
1966
as Professor Winterhalter
The Glenn Miller Story
1954
as W. Kranz
Bitter Sweet
1940
as Herr Schlick
A Night in Casablanca
1946
as Count Pfefferman / Heinrich Stubel
The World in His Arms
1952
as General Ivan Vorashilov
Living It Up
1954
as Dr. Emile Egelhofer
36 Hours
1964
as German Guard