
Don Ameche
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1908-05-31
Day of Death
1993-12-06 (85 years old)
Place of Birth
Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA
Don Ameche
Biography
Don Ameche born Dominic Felix Amici May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was a versatile and popular American film actor in the 1930s and '40s, usually as the dapper, mustached leading man. He was also popular as a radio master of ceremonies during this time. As his film popularity waned in the 1950s, he continued working in theater and some TV. His film career surged in a comeback in the 1980s with fine work as an aging millionaire in Trading Places (1983) and a rejuvenated oldster in Cocoon (1985). Don Ameche was an Academy Award winning American actor.
Ameche, standing in at a height of 5' 11" (1.8 m) was born May 31, 1908 (Gemini) in Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA as Dominic Felix Amici to mother, Barbara Edda (Hertel) and father, Felice Amici, a bartender. Has a younger brother Jim Ameche. His father was an Italian immigrant. His mother had German, English, Irish and Scottish ancestry. Americans pronounced his last name incorrectly in Italian ("Ah-mee-see"). So he changed it from "Amici" (correctly pronounced "Ah-mee-chee") into "Ameche", in order to keep the original Italian pronunciation. He had the nickname "The Latin Lover". Married Honore Prendergast on the 6th of December 1932. They had 6 children together. Became a father for the first time at age 25 when his wife Honore gave birth to their son Dominic Felix Ameche--aka Don Ameche Jr. on October 3, 1933. Became a father for the second time at age 27 when his wife Honore gave birth to their son Ronald Ameche on December 30, 1935. He died on January 2, 2001 in Iowa, aged 65. Became a father for the third time at age 31 when his wife Honore gave birth to their son Thomas Anthony Ameche on July 20, 1939. Became a father for the fourth time at age 32 when his wife Honore gave birth to their son Lawrence Michael Ameche on July 20, 1940. Became a father for the fifth time at age 36 when his wife Honore gave birth to their daughter Barbara Balinda Ameche on March 13, 1945. Became a father for the sixth time at age 39 when his wife Honore gave birth to their daughter Constance Victoria Ameche on February 22, 1948. His wife of 54 years, died on the 5th of September 1986. He died on December 6, 1993 at the age of 85 in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA from prostate cancer.
Known For
Acting
(2009)
(1997)
The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender
as Self (archive footage)
(1997)
Hidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults
as Self (archiveFootage)
(1994)
Corrina, Corrina
as Grandpa Harry
(1993)
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
as Shadow (voice)
(1992)
Folks!
as Harry Aldrich
(1992)
Sunstroke
as Jake
(1991)
Oscar
as Father Clemente
(1990)
Oddball Hall
as G. Paul Siebriese
(1988)
Coming to America
as Mortimer Duke / Homeless Man #2 (uncredited)
(1988)
Cocoon: The Return
as Art Selwyn
(1988)
Things Change
as Gino
(1987)
Harry and the Hendersons
as Dr. Wallace Wrightwood
(1987)
Pals
as Fern Stobbs
(1986)
A Masterpiece of Murder
as Frank Aherne
(1985)
Cocoon
as Arthur Selwyn
(1983)
Trading Places
as Mortimer Duke
(1982)
Night of 100 Stars
as Self
(1979)
The Chinese Typewriter
as Armand Beller
(1972)
Gidget Gets Married
as Otis Ramsey
(1970)
The Boatniks
as Commander Taylor
(1970)
Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?
as Col. Flanders
(1968)
Shadow Over Elveron
as Justin Travers
(1967)
Rings Around the World
as Host/Ringmaster
(1966)
Picture Mommy Dead
as Edward Shelley
(1961)
A Fever in the Blood
as Senator Alex S. Simon
(1949)
Slightly French
as John Gayle
(1948)
Sleep, My Love
as Richard W. Courtland
(1947)
That's My Man
as Joe Grange
(1946)
So Goes My Love
as Hiram Stephen Maxim
(1945)
It's in the Bag!
as Don Ameche
(1945)
Guest Wife
as Joseph Jefferson 'Joe' Parker
(1944)
Greenwich Village
as Kenneth Harvey
(1944)
Wing and a Prayer
as Bingo Harper
(1943)
Heaven Can Wait
as Henry Van Cleve
(1943)
Happy Land
as Lew Marsh
(1943)
Something to Shout About
as Ken Douglas
(1942)
Girl Trouble
as Pedro Sullivan
(1942)
The Magnificent Dope
as Dwight Dawson
(1941)
Moon Over Miami
as Phil O'Neil (Credits) / Phil 'Mac' McNeil
(1941)
That Night in Rio
as Larry Martin / Baron Manuel Duarte
(1941)
The Feminine Touch
as John Hathaway
(1941)
Confirm or Deny
as 'Mitch' Mitchell
(1941)
Kiss the Boys Goodbye
as Lloyd Lloyd
(1940)
Lillian Russell
as Edward Solomon
(1940)
Down Argentine Way
as Ricardo Quintana
(1940)
Four Sons
as Chris Bern
(1939)
Midnight
as Tibor Czerny
(1939)
The Three Musketeers
as D'Artagnan
(1939)
Hollywood Cavalcade
as Mike Connors
(1939)
Swanee River
as Stephen Foster
(1939)
The Story of Alexander Graham Bell
as Alexander Graham Bell
(1939)
Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8
as Don Ameche
(1939)
Land of Liberty
as Alexander Graham Bell (archive footage)
(1938)
In Old Chicago
as Jack O'Leary
(1938)
Gateway
as Dick Court
(1938)
Alexander's Ragtime Band
as Charlie Dwyer
(1938)
Josette
as David Brassard Jr.
(1938)
Happy Landing
as Jimmy Hall
(1937)
Love Is News
as Martin J. Canavan
(1937)
Fifty Roads to Town
as Peter Nostrand
(1937)
You Can't Have Everything
as George Macrae
(1937)
Love Under Fire
as Tracy Egan
(1937)
One in a Million
as Bob Harris
(1936)
Sins of Man
as Karl Freyman / Mario Signarelli
(1936)
Ladies In Love
as Dr. Rudi Imre
(1936)
Ramona
as Alessandro