Sig Ruman

Actor

Born: October 10, 1884 (82 years old)

Died: February 14, 1967

Place of birth: Hamburg, Germany

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 (90)

• To Be or Not to Be (1942, ★ 7.8)
• Stalag 17 (1953, ★ 7.7)
• Ninotchka (1939, ★ 7.5)
• It Happened Tomorrow (1944, ★ 6.8)
• Love Crazy (1941, ★ 6.7)
• A Day at the Races (1937, ★ 7.1)
• Only Angels Have Wings (1939, ★ 7.3)
• The Addams Family (1964, ★ 8)
• A Night in Casablanca (1946, ★ 6.8)
• Border Incident (1949, ★ 6.9)
• Houdini (1953, ★ 6.5)
• A Night at the Opera (1935, ★ 7.4)
• Nothing Sacred (1937, ★ 6.3)
• That Uncertain Feeling (1941, ★ 6.6)
• 36 Hours (1964, ★ 7)
• Thin Ice (1937, ★ 6.6)
• The Wings of Eagles (1957, ★ 6.2)
• The Glenn Miller Story (1954, ★ 6.9)
• Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation (1952, ★ 7.6)
• The Saint in New York (1938, ★ 6.4)
• They Came to Blow Up America (1943, ★ 6.2)
• I Was an Adventuress (1940, ★ 6.3)
• The Song of Bernadette (1943, ★ 7.1)
• O. Henry's Full House (1952, ★ 6.8)
• One, Two, Three (1961, ★ 7.5)
• The World in His Arms (1952, ★ 6.5)
• Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940, ★ 6.5)
• Father Is a Bachelor (1950, ★ 7.4)
• The Wagons Roll at Night (1941, ★ 6.4)
• This Is My Affair (1937, ★ 7.3)