Don Ameche
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.
Photos
Don Ameche
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
37% |
|
Corrina, Corrina | Harry (Character) | $20.2M | 1994 |
87% |
|
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey | Shadow (Voice) | $41.6M | 1993 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sunstroke | Jake (Character) | - | 1992 |
0% |
|
Folks! | Harry Aldrich (Character) | $5.9M | 1992 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Oddball Hall | G. Paul Siebriese (Character) | - | 1991 |
12% |
|
Oscar | Father Clemente (Character) | $23.5M | 1991 |
73% |
|
Coming to America | Mortimer Duke (Character) | $128.1M | 1988 |
85% |
|
Things Change | Gino (Character) | $2.3M | 1988 |
31% |
|
Cocoon: The Return | Arthur "Art" Selwyn (Character) | $18.5M | 1988 |
48% |
|
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% |
|
Cocoon | Art Selwyn (Character) | $75.9M | 1985 |
89% |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Slightly French | John Gayle (Character) | - | 1949 |
No Score Yet |
|
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 |
|
Guest Wife | Joseph Jefferson `'Joe'` Parker (Character) | - | 1945 |
No Score Yet |
|
It's in the Bag | Self | - | 1945 |
80% |
|
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% |
|
Heaven Can Wait | Henry Van Cleve (Character) | - | 1943 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Magnificent Dope | Dwight Dawson (Character) | - | 1942 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Girl Trouble | Pedro Sullivan (Character) | - | 1942 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Feminine Touch | Prof. John Hathaway (Character) | - | 1941 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Confirm or Deny | "Mitch" Mitchell (Character) | - | 1941 |
No Score Yet |
|
That Night in Rio |
Impersonator Larry Martin/ |
- | 1941 |
No Score Yet |
|
Moon Over Miami |
Phil O'Neil (Credits)/ |
- | 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 |
|
Lillian Russell | Edward Solomon (Character) | - | 1940 |
No Score Yet |
|
Down Argentine Way | Unknown (Character) | - | 1940 |
No Score Yet |
|
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 |
|
Hollywood Cavalcade | Michael Linnett Connors (Character) | - | 1939 |
93% |
|
Midnight | Tibor Czerny (Character) | - | 1939 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Three Musketeers | D'Artagnan (Character) | - | 1939 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Gateway | Dick Court (Character) | - | 1938 |
No Score Yet |
|
Happy Landing | Jimmy Hall (Character) | - | 1938 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Josette | David Brassard Jr. (Character) | - | 1938 |
83% |
|
Alexander's Ragtime Band | Charlie Dwyer (Character) | - | 1938 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | You Can't Have Everything | George Macrae (Character) | - | 1937 |
67% |
|
In Old Chicago | Jack O'Leary (Character) | - | 1937 |
No Score Yet |
|
Love Is News | Marty Canavan (Character) | - | 1937 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Fifty Roads To Town | Peter Nostrand (Character) | - | 1937 |
No Score Yet |
|
One in a Million | Robert "Bob" Harris (Character) | - | 1936 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ramona | Alessandro (Character) | - | 1936 |
No Score Yet |
|
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 |