Sig Ruman

Personal Info

Known For
Acting
Born
October 10, 1884 (82 years old)
Died
February 14, 1967
Place of Birth
Hamburg, Germany
Popular Genres
Comedy Drama Romance
Career Span
1929 – 1972

Sig Ruman

6 wins
35 nominations
6 Oscars
108 credits

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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Personal Info

Born
Oct 10, 1884
From
Hamburg, Germany
Known For
Acting
Career
1929 – 1972

Known For

Nothing Sacred
Nothing Sacred
1937
as Dr. Emil Eggelhoffer
The Fortune Cookie
The Fortune Cookie
1966
as Professor Winterhalter
The Errand Boy
The Errand Boy
1961
as Baron Elston Carteblanche
O. Henry's Full House
O. Henry's Full House
1952
as Menkie (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited)
Stalag 17
Stalag 17
1953
as Sgt. Johann Sebastian Schulz
The Song of Bernadette
The Song of Bernadette
1943
as Louis Bouriette
One, Two, Three
One, Two, Three
1961
as Count von Droste Schattenburg (voice) (uncredited)
The Bold Caballero
The Bold Caballero
1936
as Commandante Sebastian Golle
A Night at the Opera
A Night at the Opera
1935
as Gottlieb
House of Frankenstein
House of Frankenstein
1944
as Burgomeister Hussman
Night and Day
Night and Day
1946
as Wilowski
That Uncertain Feeling
That Uncertain Feeling
1941
as Kafka (as Sig Rumann)

Frequent Collaborators

Howard McNear
Howard McNear
2 shared projects
in "The Errand Boy"
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Kathleen Freeman
Kathleen Freeman
2 shared projects
in "O. Henry's Full House"
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Fritz Feld
Fritz Feld
2 shared projects
in "O. Henry's Full House"
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Herb Vigran
Herb Vigran
2 shared projects
in "O. Henry's Full House"
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Will Wright
Will Wright
2 shared projects
in "O. Henry's Full House"
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Thomas Browne Henry
Thomas Browne Henry
2 shared projects
in "O. Henry's Full House"
 View Shared Movies
Carl Betz
Carl Betz
2 shared projects
in "O. Henry's Full House"
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Bert Stevens
Bert Stevens
2 shared projects
in "O. Henry's Full House"
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Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard
1 shared project
in "Nothing Sacred"
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Fredric March
Fredric March
1 shared project
in "Nothing Sacred"
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Charles Winninger
Charles Winninger
1 shared project
in "Nothing Sacred"
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Walter Connolly
Walter Connolly
1 shared project
in "Nothing Sacred"
 View Shared Movies

Award Recognition

6
Wins
35
Nominations
6
Oscars

Complete Filmography

1972

Hollywood: The Dream Factory as Self (archive footage) Award

1966

The Fortune Cookie as Professor Winterhalter Award
The Last of the Secret Agents? as Prof. Werner von Koenig
Way... Way Out as Russian Delegate
Doom of Dracula as The Burgomaster (archive footage)

1964

36 Hours as German Guard Award
Robin and the 7 Hoods as Hammacher (uncredited)

1961

The Errand Boy as Baron Elston Carteblanche Award
One, Two, Three as Count von Droste Schattenburg (voice) (uncredited) Award

1957

The Wings of Eagles as Manager

1955

Many Rivers to Cross as Spectacle Man
Carolina Cannonball as Stefan
Spy Chasers as King Rinko

1954

White Christmas as Landlord (uncredited) Award
Living It Up as Dr. Emile Egelhofer
The Glenn Miller Story as W. Kranz
3 Ring Circus as Fritz Schlitz

1953

Stalag 17 as Sgt. Johann Sebastian Schulz Award
Houdini as Schultz Award
The Girl on The Roof

1952

O. Henry's Full House as Menkie (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited) Award
The World in His Arms as General Ivan Vorashilov Award
Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation as Cyrus Kraft

1951

On the Riviera as Gapeaux

1950

Father Is a Bachelor as Jericho Schlosser

1949

Border Incident as Hugo Wolfgang Ulrich

1948

If You Knew Susie as Count Alexis
The Emperor Waltz as Dr. Zwieback
Give My Regards to Broadway as Arthur Dinkel

1947

Mother Wore Tights as Papa

1946

Night and Day as Wilowski Award
A Night in Casablanca as Count Pfefferman / Heinrich Stubel Award
Faithful in My Fashion as Professor Boris Riminoffsky

1945

A Royal Scandal as General Ronsky
Men in Her Diary as Mme. Irene
The Dolly Sisters as Ignatz Tsimmis
She Went to the Races as Dr. Gurke

1944

House of Frankenstein as Burgomeister Hussman Award
It Happened Tomorrow as Mr. Beckstein
Summer Storm as Kuzma
The Hitler Gang as General von Hindenburg

1943

The Song of Bernadette as Louis Bouriette Award
Sweet Rosie O'Grady as Joe Flugelman
Tarzan Triumphs as Sergeant
Government Girl as Ambassador
They Came to Blow Up America as Dr. Herman Holger

1942

To Be or Not to Be as Col. Ehrhardt
China Girl as Jarubi
Crossroads as Dr. Alex Dubroc
Desperate Journey as Preuss
Berlin Correspondent as Dr. Dietrich
Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen as Heinrich, Spy Leader
Remember Pearl Harbor as Dirk Van Hoorten

1941

That Uncertain Feeling as Kafka (as Sig Rumann) Award
Love Crazy as Dr. Wuthering
The Wagons Roll at Night as Hoffman the Great
This Woman Is Mine as John Jacob Astor
Breakdowns of 1941 as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
So Ends Our Night as Ammers
Shining Victory as Professor Herman Von Reiter
The Man Who Lost Himself as Dr. Simms (as Sig Rumann)
World Premiere as Franz von Bushmaster

1940

Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet as Dr. Hans Wolfert
Comrade X as Emil Von Hofer
Bitter Sweet as Herr Schlick
I Was an Adventuress as Herr Protz
Victory as Mr. Schomberg
Four Sons as Newmann
Outside the Three-Mile Limit as Van Cleve

1939

Only Angels Have Wings as Dutchy Award
Confessions of a Nazi Spy as Krogman
Ninotchka as Comrade Iranoff
Honolulu as Psychiatrist
Never Say Die as Poppa Ingleborg
Remember? as Dr. Schmidt

1938

The Saint in New York as Hutch Rellin
I'll Give a Million as Anatole Primerose
The Great Waltz as Wertheimer
Girls on Probation as Roger Heath
Paradise for Three as Mr. Bold
Suez as Sergeant Pellerin

1937

Nothing Sacred as Dr. Emil Eggelhoffer Award
Heidi as Police Captain Award
A Day at the Races as Dr. Leopold X. Steinberg
Midnight Taxi as John B. Rudd
Seventh Heaven as Durand (as Sig Rumann)
Maytime as Fanchon (as Sig Rumann)
On the Avenue as Herr Hanfstangel
Lancer Spy as Lt. Col. Gottfried Hollen
Thank You, Mr. Moto as Colonel Tchernov
Think Fast, Mr. Moto as Nicolas Marloff
Thin Ice as Prime Minister
Love Under Fire as General Montero
The Great Hospital Mystery as Dr. Taggert
This Is My Affair as Gus

1936

The Bold Caballero as Commandante Sebastian Golle Award
The Princess Comes Across as Steindorf

1935

A Night at the Opera as Gottlieb Award
The Farmer Takes a Wife as Blacksmith (as Siegfried Rumann)
The Wedding Night as Mr. Jan Novak
Spring Tonic as Matt Conklin
East of Java as Hans Muller
Under Pressure as Doctor

1934

Marie Galante as Brogard
Servants' Entrance as Hans Hansen (as Siegfried Rumann)
The World Moves On as Baron von Gerhardt (as Siegfried Rumann)

1929

Lucky Boy as Bridge player (Unbilled)
Die Königsloge as Bailiff

Photos & Videos

Featured in Trailers

Nothing Sacred
The Fortune Cookie
The Errand Boy
O. Henry's Full House
Stalag 17
The Song of Bernadette
One, Two, Three
A Night at the Opera
House of Frankenstein

Career Statistics

Roles by Genre
Genre Evolution