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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).
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 | 43% | 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/ |
- | 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 | 42% | 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 | Unknown (Character) | - | 1946 |
| No Score Yet | 17% | The Show-Off | Frank Harlin (Character) | - | 1946 |
| No Score Yet | 56% | Weekend at the Waldorf | Henry Burton (Character) | - | 1945 |
| 53% | 78% | Anchors Aweigh | Commander (Admiral's Aide) (Character) | - | 1945 |
| 92% | 74% | 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 | No Score Yet | Fugitive at Large | Carter (Character) | - | 1939 |
| No Score Yet | 45% | Mr. Moto in Danger Island | Commissioner Madero (Character) | - | 1939 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Risky Business | Hinge Jackson (Character) | - | 1939 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Marshal of Mesa City | Sheriff Jud Cronin (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 | 41% | 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 |