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Leon Ames

Leon Ames

Highest Rated: 100% Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

Lowest Rated: 14% Any Number Can Play (1949)

Birthday: Jan 20, 1902

Birthplace: Portland, Indiana, USA

Pleasant-looking, dapper, often mustachioed character actor best known for his paternal roles and a wide variety of professional types. Ames, who early in his career used the surname of "Waycoff," made his screen debut as the romantic hero in Robert Florey's striking horror film, "Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1932). Shortly afterward, Ames played a role as important as any he played onscreen when, in 1933, he was one of 19 actors who met to form the Screen Actors Guild. In an organization whose ranks eventually swelled to well over 80,000, Ames, card number 15, served long and well as a member of the board for over 30 years and also as recording secretary (1947-48), first vice president (1952-56) and president (1957-58).

Highest rated movies

100% On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
100% Meet Me in St. Louis
100% Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
92% They Were Expendable
91% Song of the Thin Man
89% Testament
89% The Postman Always Rings Twice
88% Son of Flubber

Photos

SABRE JET, Leon Ames, 1953 THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, Leon Ames, John Garfield, 1946 FROM THE TERRACE, Leon Ames, 1960, TM and Copyright ©20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. THE VELVET TOUCH, Leon Ames, Claire Trevor, 1948 THE VELVET TOUCH, Leon Ames, 1948 RECKLESS, from left: Leon Ames, Rosalind Russell, 1935 THE VELVET TOUCH, Leon Ames, Rosalind Russell, 1948 SCENE OF THE CRIME, from left: Leon Ames, Van Johnson, Arlene Dahl, 1949 THE VELVET TOUCH, Claire Trevor, Leon Ames, 1948 FROM THE TERRACE, Leon Ames, Myrna Loy, 1960, (c) 20th Century Fox, TM & Copyright THE VELVET TOUCH, from left, Rosalind Russell, Leon Ames, 1948 MYSTERIOUS MR. MOTO, Leon Ames, Peter Lorre, Billy Bevan, 1938, (c) 20th Century Fox, TM & Copyright MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE, Sidney Fox, Leon Waycoff [Ames], Charles Gemora, Bela Lugosi, Bert Roach, 1932, gorilla THE BIG HANGOVER, Leon Ames, Van Johnson, Percy Waram, 1950 ON AN ISLAND WITH YOU, Peter Lawford, Leon Ames, Esther Williams, 1948 AMBUSH, John Hodiak, Robert Taylor, Leon Ames, 1950 LADY IN THE LAKE, Audrey Totter, Leon Ames, 1947 MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE, Leon Ames, 1932 NO GREATER SIN, Luana Walters, Leon Ames, 1941 LADY IN THE LAKE, Leon Ames, Audrey Totter, Jayne Meadows, etc, 1947
See all photos

Filmography

Movies

Credit
87% 55% Peggy Sue Got Married Barney Alvorg (Character) $37.7M 1986
20% 44% Jake Speed Pop (Character) $1.1M 1986
89% 74% Testament Henry Abhart (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet 42% Just You and Me, Kid Manduke the Magnificent (Character) - 1979
No Score Yet 29% Claws Ben Jones (Character) - 1977
No Score Yet No Score Yet Timber Tramps Deacon (Character) - 1977
No Score Yet 53% Sherlock Holmes in New York Daniel Furman (Character) - 1976
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Meal Kroger (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Toklat Unknown (Character) - 1972
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Capitol Affair Diedrick (Character) - 1971
100% 75% On a Clear Day You Can See Forever Clews (Character) - 1970
55% 81% Tora! Tora! Tora! Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox (Character) - 1970
No Score Yet 41% The Monkey's Uncle Judge Holmsby (Character) - 1965
No Score Yet 62% The Misadventures of Merlin Jones Judge Holmsby/Lex Fortas (Character) - 1964
88% 47% Son of Flubber President Rufus Daggett (Character) - 1963
83% 62% The Absent Minded Professor President Rufus Daggett (Character) - 1961
31% 59% From the Terrace Samuel Eaton (Character) - 1960
65% 73% Peyton Place Mr. Harrington (Character) - 1957
No Score Yet 78% Let's Do It Again Chet Stuart (Character) - 1953
No Score Yet 81% By the Light of the Silvery Moon George Winfield (Character) - 1953
77% 77% Angel Face Fred Barrett (Character) - 1952
No Score Yet 33% Cattle Drive Chester Graham Sr. (Character) - 1951
No Score Yet 80% On Moonlight Bay George "Father" Winfield (Character) - 1951
No Score Yet 75% Watch the Birdie Grantland D. Farns (Character) - 1951
No Score Yet 29% Dial 1119 Earl (Character) - 1950
71% 46% Crisis Sam Proctor (Character) - 1950
67% 33% The Big Hangover Carl Bellcap (Character) - 1950
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Skipper Surprised His Wife Dr. Philip Abbott (Character) - 1950
No Score Yet 86% The Happy Years Samuel H. Stover, Sr. (Character) - 1950
No Score Yet 45% Scene of the Crime Capt. A.C. Forster (Character) - 1949
No Score Yet 73% Ambush Maj. C.E. Breverly (Character) - 1949
14% 67% Any Number Can Play Dr. Palmer (Character) - 1949
78% 83% Battleground The Chaplain (Character) - 1949
57% 51% A Date With Judy Lucien T. Pringle (Character) - 1948
No Score Yet 68% The Velvet Touch Gordon Dunning (Character) - 1948
No Score Yet 45% On an Island With You Commander Harrison (Character) - 1948
No Score Yet No Score Yet Alias a Gentleman Matt Enley (Character) - 1948
No Score Yet No Score Yet Undercover Maisie Amor aka Willis Farnes (Character) - 1947
91% 71% Song of the Thin Man Mitchell Talbin (Character) - 1947
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Amazing Mr. Nordill Everett Nordill aka Everton (Character) - 1947
No Score Yet 45% Merton of the Movies Lawrence Rupert (Character) - 1947
89% 79% The Postman Always Rings Twice Kyle Sackett (Character) - 1946
60% 51% Lady in the Lake Derace Kingsby (Character) - 1946
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Cockeyed Miracle Ralph Humphrey (Character) - 1946
No Score Yet No Score Yet No Leave, No Love Colonel Elliott (Character) - 1946
No Score Yet 17% The Show-Off Frank Harlin (Character) - 1946
No Score Yet 58% Weekend at the Waldorf Henry Burton (Character) - 1945
53% 78% Anchors Aweigh Commander (Admiral's Aide) (Character) - 1945
92% 73% They Were Expendable Maj. James Morton (Character) - 1945
80% 45% Yolanda and the Thief Mr. Candle (Character) - 1945
No Score Yet 63% Son of Lassie Anton (Character) - 1945
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fall Guy Unknown (Character) - 1945
75% 79% The Thin Man Goes Home Edgar Draque (Character) - 1944
100% 87% Meet Me in St. Louis Mr. Alonzo Smith (Character) - 1944
100% 75% Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo Lieut. Jurika (Character) - 1944
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Iron Major Robert 'Bob' Stewart (Character) - 1943
No Score Yet 33% Crime Doctor .William Wheeler (Character) - 1943
No Score Yet No Score Yet No Greater Sin Dr. Edward Cavanaugh (Character) - 1941
No Score Yet No Score Yet East Side Kids Pat O'Day (Character) - 1940
No Score Yet No Score Yet Danger Island Commissioner Madero (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet No Score Yet Panama Patrol Maj. Phillip Waring (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet 45% Mr. Moto in Danger Island Commissioner Madero (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fugitive at Large Carter (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Marshal of Mesa City Sheriff Jud Cronin (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet No Score Yet Risky Business Hinge Jackson (Character) - 1939
No Score Yet 64% Suez Napoleon III - Emperor of France (Character) - 1938
No Score Yet No Score Yet Island in the Sky Marty Butler (Character) - 1938
No Score Yet No Score Yet Cipher Bureau Maj. Philip Waring (Character) - 1938
No Score Yet 46% Mysterious Mr. Moto Paul Brissac (Character) - 1938
No Score Yet 38% Charlie Chan on Broadway Buzz Moran (Character) - 1937
No Score Yet No Score Yet Soak the Poor Special Investigator Stanton (Character) - 1937
No Score Yet No Score Yet Pilot X Carl Goering (Character) - 1936
No Score Yet No Score Yet Rescue Squad Lester Vaughn (Character) - 1936
No Score Yet 44% Reckless Ralph Watson (Character) - 1935
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mutiny Ahead McMurtrie (Character) - 1935
No Score Yet No Score Yet Alimony Madness John Thurman (Character) - 1933
No Score Yet No Score Yet Forgotten Louie Strauss (Character) - 1933
No Score Yet No Score Yet Ship of Wanted Men Capt. John Holden (Character) - 1933
No Score Yet No Score Yet Uptown New York Max Silver (Character) - 1932
No Score Yet No Score Yet That's My Boy Al Williams (Character) - 1932
79% 46% Murders in the Rue Morgue Pierre Dupin (Character) - 1932
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Famous Ferguson Case Judd Brooks (Character) - 1932
No Score Yet 43% Quick Millions Hood (Character) - 1931

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Disney's Wonderful World President Rufus Daggett (Character) 1979-1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Littlest Hobo Unknown (Guest Star) 1979
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries Unknown (Guest Star) 1978
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Jeffersons Grandpa Willis (Guest Star) 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Apple's Way Henshaw (Guest Star) 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet Name of the Game Unknown (Guest Star) 1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet Men at Law Unknown (Guest Star) 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Unknown (Guest Star) 1970
No Score Yet 42% Bewitched Howard McMann (Guest Star) 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet My Three Sons Unknown (Guest Star) 1968
No Score Yet 100% The Andy Griffith Show Mr. Hampton (Guest Star) 1966
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Beverly Hillbillies Unknown (Guest Star) 1966
No Score Yet No Score Yet Please Don't Eat the Daisies Unknown (Guest Star) 1966
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Lucy Show Unknown (Guest Star) 1963
No Score Yet No Score Yet Father of the Bride Stanley Banks (Character) 1961-1962
No Score Yet No Score Yet G.E. Theater Malcolm Fownes (Character) 1960
No Score Yet No Score Yet Studio One Unknown (Character) 1958
No Score Yet No Score Yet Screen Directors Playhouse Unknown (Character) 1955