Siegfried Carl Alban Rumann (October 11, 1884 – February 14, 1967), billed as Sig Ruman and Sig Rumann, was a

German-American German Americans (, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. According to the United States Census Bureau's figures from 2022, German Americans make up roughly 41 million people in the US, which is approximately 12% of the pop ...

character actor known for his portrayals of pompous and often stereotypically Teutonic officials or villains in more than 100 films.

Early years

Born in

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...

, to Alban Julius Albrecht Ludwig Rumann and his wife, Caroline Margarethe Sophie Rumann on October 11, 1884, he studied

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

, then began working as an actor and musician before serving with the

Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He resumed his acting career after the war. After emigrating to the United States in 1924, his acting career blossomed. Befriending

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

George S. Kaufman and theater critic Alexander Woollcott, he enjoyed success in many Broadway productions. His Broadway credits included ''Once There Was a Russian'' (1961), ''Lily of the Valley'' (1942), ''Eight Bells'' (1933), ''Alien Corn'' (1933), ''Grand Hotel'' (1930), ''Half Gods'' (1929), and ''The Channel Road'' (1929).

Film

Ruman made his film debut in '' Lucky Boy'' (1929). He became a favorite comic foil of the

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act known for their anarchic humor, rapid-fire wordplay, and visual gags. They achieved success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures. The core group consisted of brothers Chi ...

, appearing in '' A Night at the Opera'' (1935), '' A Day at the Races'' (1937), and '' A Night in Casablanca'' (1946). His German accent and large stature kept him busy during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, playing sinister

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

characters in a series of wartime thrillers. During this period, he also appeared in several films by director

Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch (; ; January 29, 1892November 30, 1947) was a German-born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; a ...

, a fellow German ''émigré'', including '' Ninotchka'' (1939), portraying a Russian, and in '' To Be or Not to Be'' (1942) as the pompous Nazi Colonel "Concentration-Camp Erhardt". He played the role of Professor Herman Von Reiter in '' Shining Victory'' (1941), an adaptation of an

A. J. Cronin Archibald Joseph Cronin (Cronogue) (19 July 1896 – 6 January 1981) was a Scottish physician and novelist. His best-known novel is ''The Citadel (novel), The Citadel'' (1937), about a Scottish physician who serves in a Welsh coal mining, minin ...

play. Ruman continued his trend of portraying over-the-top German characters later in his career for Lubitsch's protege

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an American filmmaker and screenwriter. His career in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and ver ...

, in his films '' The Emperor Waltz'' (1948), and '' Stalag 17'' (1953). Ruman's voice was dubbed over German actor Hubert Von Meyerinck's voice in Wilder's '' One, Two, Three'' (1961), and he had a cameo role in ''

The Fortune Cookie ''The Fortune Cookie'' (alternative United Kingdom, British title: ''Meet Whiplash Willie'') is a 1966 American black comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Billy Wilder. It is the first film in which Jack Lemmon collaborated with Wal ...

'' (1966). Around 1936, Ruman modified his screen name from Siegfried Rumann to Sig Ruman in an attempt to make it a little less German-sounding, as anti-German prejudice was rising at that time, just prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. Despite declining health during the 1950s and 1960s, Ruman continued to appear in films and made many guest appearances on

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

. He guest-starred as pompous Broadway director Eric von Bissell in the memorable 1965 episode of '' The Addams Family'', "My Fair Cousin Itt".

Death

Ruman died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

on February 14, 1967, at his home in Julian, California, at the age of 82. He was buried in Julian Cemetery,

San Diego County, California San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county (United States), county in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of California, north to its Mexico-United States border, border with Mexico. As of the 2020 United States Cen ...

. From his first marriage, to Else Rumann, he had a daughter named Senta.

Selected filmography

*'' Lucky Boy'' (1928) as Bit Part (uncredited) *'' The Royal Box'' (1929) as Bailiff *'' All Quiet On The Western Front'' (1930, uncredited) *'' The World Moves On'' (1934) as Baron von Gerhardt *'' Servants' Entrance'' (1934) as Hans Hansen *'' Marie Galante'' (1934) as Brogard *'' Under Pressure'' (1935) as Doctor *'' The Wedding Night'' (1935) as Mr. Jan Novak *''

Spring Tonic ''Spring Tonic'' is a 1935 American comedy film adapted from the 1927 play ''The Man-Eating Tiger'' by Ben Hecht and Rose Caylor. It was directed by Clyde Bruckman and stars Lew Ayres, Claire Trevor, Walter Woolf King, Jack Haley, ZaSu Pitts and ...

'' (1935) as Matt Conklin *'' The Farmer Takes a Wife'' (1935) as Blacksmith *'' A Night at the Opera'' (1935) as Herman Gottlieb *'' East of Java'' (1935) as Hans Muller *'' The Princess Comes Across'' (1936) as Detective Steindorf *'' The Bold Cabarello'' (1936) as Commandante Sebastian Golle *'' On the Avenue'' (1937) as Herr Hanfstangel *'' Seventh Heaven'' (1937) as Durand *'' Maytime'' (1937) as Fanchon *'' Thin Ice'' (1937) as Prime Minister Ulricht *'' Midnight Taxi'' (1937) as John B. Rudd *'' The Great Hospital Mystery'' (1937) as Dr. Taggert *'' This Is My Affair'' (1937) as Gus *'' A Day at the Races'' (1937) as Dr. Leopold X. Steinberg *'' Think Fast, Mr. Moto'' (1937) as Nicolas Marloff *'' Love Under Fire'' (1937) as General Montero *'' Lancer Spy'' (1937) as Lt. Col. Gottfried Hollen *'' Heidi'' (1937) as Police Captain *'' Nothing Sacred'' (1937) as Dr. Emil Eggelhoffer *'' Thank You, Mr. Moto'' (1937) as Colonel Tchernov *'' Paradise for Three'' (1938) as Mr. Bold *'' The Saint in New York'' (1938) as Hutch Rellin *'' I'll Give a Million'' (1938) as Anatole Primerose *''

Suez Suez (, , , ) is a Port#Seaport, seaport city with a population of about 800,000 in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez on the Red Sea, near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal. It is the capital and largest c ...

'' (1938) as Sergeant Pellerin *'' Girls on Probation'' (1938) as Roger Heath *'' The Great Waltz'' (1938) as Wertheimer *''

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

'' (1939) as Psychiatrist *'' Never Say Die'' (1939) as Poppa Ingleborg *'' Confessions of a Nazi Spy'' (1939) as Krogman *'' Only Angels Have Wings'' (1939) as Dutchy *'' Ninotchka'' (1939) as Iranoff *'' Remember?'' (1939) as Dr. Schmidt *'' Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet'' (1940) as Dr. Hans Wolfert *'' Outside the Three-Mile Limit'' (1940) as Van Cleve *''

I Was an Adventuress ''I Was an Adventuress'' is a 1940 American drama film directed by Gregory Ratoff, starring Vera Zorina, Richard Greene, Erich von Stroheim, and Peter Lorre. An actress/ballerina works as decoy for two international con artists. Plot Countess Ta ...

'' (1940) as Herr Protz *'' Four Sons'' (1940) as Newmann *'' Bitter Sweet'' (1940) as Herr Schlick *'' Comrade X'' (1940) as Emil Von Hofer *''

Victory The term victory (from ) originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes a strategic vi ...

'' (1940) as Mr. Schomberg *'' So Ends Our Night'' (1941) as Ammers *'' The Man Who Lost Himself'' (1941) as Dr. Simms *'' That Uncertain Feeling'' (1941) as Kafka *'' The Wagons Roll at Night'' (1941) as Hoffman the Great *'' Love Crazy'' (1941) as Dr. Wuthering *'' Shining Victory'' (1941) as Professor Herman Von Reiter *'' World Premiere'' (1941) as Franz von Bushmaster *'' This Woman Is Mine'' (1941) as John Jacob Astor *'' To Be or Not to Be'' (1942) as Colonel Ehrhardt *'' Remember Pearl Harbor'' (1942) as Dirk Van Hoorten *'' Crossroads'' (1942) as Dr. Alex Dubroc *'' Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen'' (1942) as Heinrich - Spy Leader *'' Berlin Correspondent'' (1942) as Dr. Dietrich *'' Desperate Journey'' (1942) as Preuss *'' China Girl'' (1942) as Jarubi *'' Tarzan Triumphs'' (1943) as German Sergeant *'' They Came to Blow Up America'' (1943) as Dr. Herman Holger *'' Sweet Rosie O'Grady'' (1943) as Joe Flugelman *'' Government Girl'' (1943) as Ambassador *'' The Song of Bernadette'' (1943) as Louis Bouriette *'' It Happened Tomorrow'' (1944) as Mr. Beckstein *'' The Hitler Gang'' (1944) as General von Hindenburg *'' Summer Storm'' (1944) as Kuzma *'' House of Frankenstein'' (1944) as Hussman *'' A Royal Scandal'' (1945) as Gen. Ronsky *'' Men in Her Diary'' (1945) as Mme. Irene *'' The Dolly Sisters'' (1945) as Ignatz Tsimmis *'' She Went to the Races'' (1945) as Dr. Gurke *'' A Night in Casablanca'' (1946) as Count Pfefferman alias Heinrich Stubel *'' Night and Day'' (1946) as Wilowski *'' Faithful in My Fashion'' (1946) as Professor Boris Riminoffsky *'' Mother Wore Tights'' (1947) as Papa *'' If You Knew Susie'' (1948) as Count Alexis *'' The Emperor Waltz'' (1948) as Dr. Zwieback *'' Give My Regards to Broadway'' (1948) as Arthur Dinkel *''

Border Incident ''Border Incident'' is a 1949 American film noir featuring Ricardo Montalbán, George Murphy, and Howard Da Silva. Directed by Anthony Mann, the MGM production was written by John C. Higgins from a story by John C. Higgins and George Zuckerman. ...

'' (1949) as Hugo Wolfgang Ulrich *'' Father Is a Bachelor'' (1950) as Jericho Schlosser *'' On the Riviera'' (1951) as Gapeaux *'' 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) *'' Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation'' (1953) as Cyrus Kraft *'' Stalag 17'' (1953) as Sgt. Johann Sebastian Schulz *'' Die Jungfrau auf dem Dach'' (1953) as Michael O'Neill *'' Houdini'' (1953) as Schultz *'' The Glenn Miller Story'' (1954) as Kranz *'' Living It Up'' (1954) as Dr. Emile Egelhofer *'' White Christmas'' (1954) as Landlord (uncredited) *'' 3 Ring Circus'' (1954) as Colonel Fritz Schlitz *'' Carolina Cannonball'' (1955) as Stefan *'' Many Rivers to Cross'' (1955) as Spectacle Man *'' Spy Chasers'' (1955) as King Rako of Truania *'' The Wings of Eagles'' (1957) as Manager *'' The Errand Boy'' (1961) as Baron Elston Carteblanche *'' One, Two, Three'' (1961) as Count von Droste Schattenburg (voice, uncredited) *'' Robin and the 7 Hoods'' (1964) as Hammacher (uncredited) *'' 36 Hours'' (1964) as German Guard *'' The Last of the Secret Agents?'' (1966) as Prof. Werner von Koenig *''

'' (1966) as Professor Winterhalter *'' Way...Way Out'' (1966) as Russian Delegate

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruman, Sig 1884 births 1967 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century German male actors American male film actors German Army personnel of World War I German emigrants to the United States German male film actors Male actors from Hamburg People from Julian, California