Sig Ruman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sig Ruman
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From the trailer for Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937)
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| Born |
Siegfried Carl Alban Rumann
October 11, 1884 Hamburg, Germany
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| Died | February 14, 1967 (aged 82) Julian, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Julian Cemetery, San Diego County, California |
| Other names | Siegfried Rumann Sig Rumann |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1928–1966 |
| Spouse(s) |
Else Rumann
(m. 1905)
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| Children | 1 |
Siegfried Carl Alban Rumann (born October 11, 1884 – died February 14, 1967) was an actor known as Sig Ruman or Sig Rumann. He was a German-American character actor. He often played proud German officials or villains in over 100 movies.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Sig Ruman was born in Hamburg, Germany, on October 11, 1884. His parents were Alban and Caroline Rumann. He first studied electrical engineering. Later, he started working as an actor and musician.
During World War I, he served in the Imperial German Army. After the war, he went back to acting. In 1924, he moved to the United States. His acting career really took off there. He became friends with famous people like writer George S. Kaufman. He had great success in many plays on Broadway. Some of his Broadway shows included Grand Hotel (1930) and Alien Corn (1933).
Film Career Highlights
Ruman's first movie was Lucky Boy in 1929. He became a favorite actor for the famous comedy group, the Marx Brothers. He appeared in their movies like A Night at the Opera (1935) and A Day at the Races (1937). He also starred in A Night in Casablanca (1946).
Because of his German accent and tall build, he often played scary German characters during World War II. These roles were usually in movies about the war.
Working with Famous Directors
Sig Ruman worked with director Ernst Lubitsch many times. Lubitsch was also a German who had moved to the U.S. Ruman played a Russian in Ninotchka (1939). He also played the proud Nazi Colonel "Concentration-Camp Erhardt" in To Be or Not to Be (1942).
Later, he worked with director Billy Wilder, who was a student of Lubitsch. Ruman continued playing over-the-top German characters in Wilder's films. These included The Emperor Waltz (1948) and Stalag 17 (1953). He even had a small role in The Fortune Cookie (1966).
Around 1936, Sig Ruman changed his screen name. He went from Siegfried Rumann to Sig Ruman. He did this to make his name sound less German. This was because people were starting to have strong feelings against Germans before World War II began.
Even though his health declined in the 1950s and 1960s, Ruman kept acting. He appeared in movies and made many guest appearances on television. For example, he played a proud Broadway director in an episode of The Addams Family in 1965.
Later Life and Passing
Sig Ruman passed away from a heart attack on February 14, 1967. He was 82 years old. He died at his home in Julian, California. He was buried in Julian Cemetery in San Diego County, California.
He had one daughter named Senta from his first marriage to Else Rumann.
Selected Film Appearances
- Lucky Boy (1928)
- All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)
- A Night at the Opera (1935) as Herman Gottlieb
- A Day at the Races (1937) as Dr. Leopold X. Steinberg
- Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937) as Nicolas Marloff
- Ninotchka (1939) as Iranoff
- To Be or Not to Be (1942) as Colonel Ehrhardt
- A Night in Casablanca (1946) as Count Pfefferman
- The Emperor Waltz (1948) as Dr. Zwieback
- Stalag 17 (1953) as Sgt. Johann Sebastian Schulz
- White Christmas (1954) as Landlord
- The Fortune Cookie (1966) as Professor Winterhalter
