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.
Filmography
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
1972
as Self (archive footage)
Way... Way Out
1966
as Russian Delegate
The Fortune Cookie
1966
as Professor Winterhalter
The Last of the Secret Agents?
1966
as Prof. Werner von Koenig
Doom of Dracula
1966
as The Burgomaster (archive footage)
36 Hours
1964
as German Guard
Robin and the 7 Hoods
1964
as Hammacher (uncredited)
One, Two, Three
1961
as Count von Droste Schattenburg (voice) (uncredited)
The Errand Boy
1961
as Baron Elston Carteblanche
Around the World with Nellie Bly
1960
as Tug Captain
The Wings of Eagles
1957
as Manager
Spy Chasers
1955
as King Rinko
Many Rivers to Cross
1955
as Spectacle Man
Carolina Cannonball
1955
as Stefan
3 Ring Circus
1954
as Fritz Schlitz
White Christmas
1954
as Landlord (uncredited)
Living It Up
1954
as Dr. Emile Egelhofer
The Glenn Miller Story
1954
as W. Kranz
The Girl on The Roof
1953
Houdini
1953
as Schultz
Stalag 17
1953
as Johann Schulz
Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation
1952
as Cyrus Kraft
The World in His Arms
1952
as General Ivan Vorashilov
O. Henry's Full House
1952
as Menkie (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited)