Polyphemus
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Personal Info

Gender

Male

Birthday

1884-10-10 (140 years old)

Place of Birth

Hamburg, Germany

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.

Known For

Acting

1972

Hollywood: The Dream Factory as Self (archive footage)

1966

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

1965

1964

36 Hours as German Guard
Robin and the 7 Hoods as Hammacher (uncredited)
Daniel Boone as Van Coot
The Addams Family as Eric Von Bissell

1963

Petticoat Junction as Professor Lieberschmit

1961

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

1960

1959

One Step Beyond as Franz Schuldorf

1958

1957

Maverick as Capt. Steeger

1956

1955

Many Rivers to Cross as Spectacle Man
Spy Chasers as King Rinko

1954

3 Ring Circus as Fritz Schlitz
Living It Up as Dr. Emile Egelhofer
White Christmas as Landlord (uncredited)

1953

Stalag 17 as Sgt. Johann Sebastian Schulz
Houdini as Schultz
General Electric Theater as Dr. Haegendorff

1952

The World in His Arms as General Ivan Vorashilov
O. Henry's Full House as Menkie (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited)

1951

On the Riviera as Gapeaux

1950

Father Is a Bachelor as Jericho Schlosser

1949

Border Incident as Hugo Wolfgang Ulrich

1948

The Emperor Waltz as Dr. Zwieback
If You Knew Susie as Count Alexis

1947

1946

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

1945

The Dolly Sisters as Ignatz Tsimmis
Men in Her Diary as Mme. Irene
A Royal Scandal as General Ronsky

1944

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

1943

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

1942

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

1941

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

1940

Comrade X as Emil Von Hofer
Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet as Dr. Hans Wolfert
Four Sons as Newmann
Bitter Sweet as Herr Schlick
I Was an Adventuress as Herr Protz
Victory as Mr. Schomberg

1939

Ninotchka as Comrade Iranoff
Never Say Die as Poppa Ingleborg
Remember? as Dr. Schmidt
Honolulu as Psychiatrist

1938

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

1937

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

1936

The Bold Caballero as Commandante Sebastian Golle

1935

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

1934

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

1929

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