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Don Ameche

Highest Rated: 93% Midnight (1939)

Lowest Rated: 0% Folks! (1992)

Birthday: May 31, 1908

Birthplace: Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA

With his good looks and trademark pencil thin moustache, Don Ameche specialized in musicals and comedies during the 1930s and 1940s, often cast as likeable, upper-class sophisticates. He earned his first notoriety on radio, which led to a contract with 20th Century Fox and such popular features as "In Old Chicago" (1937) and "Alexander's Ragtime Band" (1938). He achieved his pinnacle of fame with the titular part in the biography "The Story of Alexander Graham Bell" (1939), though "Midnight" (1939) and "Heaven Can Wait" (1943) were arguably his finest showcases as a comedic leading man. Ameche's film opportunities dried up in the late 1940s, but he still managed to keep busy with a variety of television and stage assignments, and briefly reignited his career in the following decade via some Broadway successes. However, it was not until his turn as an evil billionaire in the hit comedy "Trading Places" (1983) that the now elderly actor found himself truly in demand once again. Recognition from his peers finally came via his role in Ron Howard's fantasy hit "Cocoon" (1985) for which he received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Over a career spanning more than six decades, Ameche managed to make his mark in three different mediums and weathered significant career lulls with veracity and hard work, offering three of his most indelible performances well into his golden years.

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Highest rated movies

93% 88% Midnight
Watchlist
89% 85% Trading Places Watchlist
89% 75% Heaven Can Wait
Watchlist
87% 71% Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
Watchlist
85% 80% Things Change
Watchlist
83% 46% Alexander's Ragtime Band
Watchlist
82% 60% Cocoon
Watchlist
80% 48% Wing and a Prayer
Watchlist
73% 85% Coming to America Watchlist
67% 52% In Old Chicago
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
37% 69% Corrina, Corrina Harry (Character) $20.2M 1994
87% 71% Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey Shadow (Voice) $41.6M 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Sunstroke Jake (Character) - 1992
0% 53% Folks! Harry Aldrich (Character) $5.9M 1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet Oddball Hall G. Paul Siebriese (Character) - 1991
12% 64% Oscar Father Clemente (Character) $23.5M 1991
73% 85% Coming to America Mortimer Duke (Character) $128.1M 1988
85% 80% Things Change Gino (Character) $2.3M 1988
31% 34% Cocoon: The Return Arthur "Art" Selwyn (Character) $18.5M 1988
48% 54% Harry and the Hendersons Dr. Wallace Wrightwood (Character) $27.1M 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet Pals Art Riddle (Character) - 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Masterpiece of Murder Frank Aherne (Character) - 1986
82% 60% Cocoon Art Selwyn (Character) $75.9M 1985
89% 85% Trading Places Mortimer Duke (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Chinese Typewriter Armand Beller (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Gidget Gets Married Otis Ramsey (Character) - 1972
No Score Yet 27% Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? Col. Flanders (Character) - 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet Shadow Over Elveron Justin Pettit (Character) - 1968
No Score Yet No Score Yet Rings Around the World Unknown (Character) - 1966
No Score Yet 52% Picture Mommy Dead Edward Shelley (Character) - 1966
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Fever in the Blood Senator Alex S. Simon (Character) - 1961
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fire One Commander Cannon (Character) - 1955
No Score Yet 31% Slightly French John Gayle (Character) - 1949
No Score Yet 67% Sleep, My Love Richard W. Courtland (Character) - 1948
No Score Yet No Score Yet That's My Man Joe Grange (Character) - 1947
No Score Yet No Score Yet So Goes My Love Hiram Stephen Maxim (Character) - 1946
No Score Yet 25% Guest Wife Joseph Jefferson `'Joe'` Parker (Character) - 1945
No Score Yet 47% It's in the Bag Self - 1945
80% 48% Wing and a Prayer Flight Cmdr. Bingo Harper (Character) - 1944
No Score Yet No Score Yet Greenwich Village Kenneth Harvey (Character) - 1944
No Score Yet No Score Yet Something to Shout About Ken Douglas (Character) - 1943
No Score Yet No Score Yet Happy Land Lew Marsh (Character) - 1943
89% 75% Heaven Can Wait Henry Van Cleve (Character) - 1943
No Score Yet 55% The Magnificent Dope Dwight Dawson (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet No Score Yet Girl Trouble Pedro Sullivan (Character) - 1942
No Score Yet 78% The Feminine Touch Prof. John Hathaway (Character) - 1941
No Score Yet No Score Yet Confirm or Deny "Mitch" Mitchell (Character) - 1941
No Score Yet 56% That Night in Rio Impersonator Larry Martin/Baron Manuel Duarte (Character) - 1941
No Score Yet 69% Moon Over Miami Phil O'Neil (Credits)/Phil 'Mac' McNeil (in Film) (Character) - 1941
No Score Yet No Score Yet Kiss the Boys Goodbye Lloyd Lloyd (Character) - 1941
No Score Yet No Score Yet Four Sons Chris Bern (Character) - 1940
No Score Yet 36% Lillian Russell Edward Solomon (Character) - 1940
No Score Yet 54% Down Argentine Way Unknown (Character) - 1940
No Score Yet 55% The Story of Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet No Score Yet Swanee River Stephen Foster (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet 46% Hollywood Cavalcade Michael Linnett Connors (Character) - 1939
93% 88% Midnight Tibor Czerny (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet 36% The Three Musketeers D'Artagnan (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet No Score Yet Gateway Dick Court (Character) - 1938
No Score Yet 17% Happy Landing Jimmy Hall (Character) - 1938
No Score Yet No Score Yet Josette David Brassard Jr. (Character) - 1938
83% 46% Alexander's Ragtime Band Charlie Dwyer (Character) - 1938
No Score Yet No Score Yet You Can't Have Everything George Macrae (Character) - 1937
67% 52% In Old Chicago Jack O'Leary (Character) - 1937
No Score Yet 77% Love Is News Marty Canavan (Character) - 1937
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fifty Roads To Town Peter Nostrand (Character) - 1937
No Score Yet 0% One in a Million Robert "Bob" Harris (Character) - 1936
No Score Yet No Score Yet Ramona Alessandro (Character) - 1936
No Score Yet 67% Ladies in Love Dr. Rudi Imre (Character) - 1936
No Score Yet No Score Yet Sins of Man Karl Freyman, Mario Signarelli (Character) - 1936

TV

Credit
No Score Yet 94% The Golden Girls Brother Martin (Guest Star) 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fantasy Island Unknown (Guest Star) 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Good Heavens Unknown (Guest Star) 1976
No Score Yet No Score Yet McCloud Rene Jauvert (Guest Star) 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Alias Smith and Jones Unknown (Guest Star) 1971
No Score Yet 80% Columbo Frank Simpson (Guest Star) 1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet Petticoat Junction Unknown (Guest Star) 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet Climax! Unknown (Character) 1958
No Score Yet No Score Yet I've Got a Secret Guest 1956-1957
No Score Yet No Score Yet What's My Line? Guest 1953