DON AMECHE BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Don Ameche was born on May 31st, 1908 in Kenosha, Wisconsin with the birth name Dominic Felix Amici, born to parents Barbara and Felix Ameche.  He came from a large family of three brothers and three sisters.  After High School, he went on to study at Marquette University, Loras College and the university of Wisconsin.  Originally his intent was to pursue a career in law, however during college he began to develop an interest in stage acting, so soon chose to switch his career direction.
 
He became a popular film actor during the 1930's and 1940's.  As his career progressed into the 50's work began to slow down, however he did continue working as a stage actor and made a couple of television appearances.  He then made a comeback to film in 1983 in the film, "Trading Places" and "Cocoon" (1985), which won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
 
His career in acting began after a friend of his convinced him to work as a stand in for an actor who did not show up for a stock company production.  From this role he then worked in vaudeville and soon was appearing in films.  
 
Some of his film roles were in, "Alexander's Ragtime Band" (1938), "Heaven Can Wait" (1943), Guest Wife" (1945), "That's My Man" (1947), "The Boatniks" (1970) and "Oscar" (1991).
 
He was also a major star on radio in the programs, "The Bickerson's", "Empire Builders", "Family Theater" and "The Betty and Bob Soap Opera".  Ameche was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1992.  He was also awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to Radio and Television.
 
Ameche also made guest appearances on such series as, "The Polly Bergen Show", "The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom", "The Greatest Show on Earth" and even worked on the other side of the industry as a director for, "Julia" which was a sitcom that aired on NBC in 1968 starring Diahnne Carroll.

Along with working as a film, television and radio performer he returned to working as a stage actor on occasion appearing in such productions as, "Silk Stockings", "Goldilocks", "Henry, Sweet Henry" and "Our Town".
 
Ameche married only once to Honre Prendergast in 1932 and the couple had six children, Ronald, Dominic, Thomas, Lonnie, Bonnie and Connie, and remained with his wife until she passed away in 1986.  He did not re-marry and he passed away at the age of eighty five, on December 6th, 1993 in Scottsdale, Arizona after suffering from prostate cancer.  His remains were cremated and he is interred at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery in Dubuque, Iowa.
 
Right before he passed away, his final two films he appeared in were completed just days before he passed, "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey" (1993) and "Corrina, Corrina" (1994).

Filmography

1994 Corrina, Corrina 
1993 Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey 
1992 Sunstroke 
1992 Folks! 
1991 Pros and Cons 
1991 Our Shining Moment
1991 Oscar 
1990 Oddball Hall 
1990 The Golden Girls 
1988 Cocoon: The Return
1988 Things Change
1988 Coming to America 
1987 Harry and the Hendersons 
1987 Pals 
1986 A Masterpiece of Murder 
1985 Cocoon
1984 Not in Front of the Kids
1979-1984 The Love Boat
1983 Mr. Smith
1983 Trading Places 
1980 Fantasy Island 
1979 Quincy M.E.
1979 The Chinese Typewriter
1976 Good Heavens 
1975 Ellery Queen 
1975 McCloud 
1972 Gidget Gets Married 
1971 Alias Smith and Jones 
1971 Columbo
1971 Shepherd's Flock
1970 Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? 
1970 The Boatniks
1969-1970 Julia 
1970 Petticoat Junction 
1968 Shadow Over Elveron 
1966 Picture Mommy Dead
1963-1964 The Christophers 
1964 Burke's Law 
1964 The Greatest Show on Earth 
1961 A Fever in the Blood 
1958 Climax! 
1957 The DuPont Show of the Month 
1957 Goodyear Playhouse 
1956 Saturday Spectacular: High Button Shoes 
1954 Phantom Caravan 
1954 Fire One 
1951 The Frances Langford-Don Ameche Show 
1950-1951 Don Ameche's Musical Playhouse
1949 The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre
1949 Slightly French
1948 Sleep, My Love 
1947 That's My Man 
1946 So Goes My Love 
1945 Guest Wife 
1945 It's in the Bag! 
1944 Greenwich Village
1944 Wing and a Prayer 
1943 Happy Land 
1943 Heaven Can Wait 
1943 Something to Shout About
1942 Girl Trouble
1942 The Magnificent Dope 
1941 Confirm or Deny
1941 The Feminine Touch 
1941 Kiss the Boys Goodbye 
1941 Moon Over Miami
1941 That Night in Rio 
1940 Down Argentine Way  
1940 Lillian Russell
1939 Swanee River 
1939 Hollywood Cavalcade 
1939 The Story of Alexander Graham Bell 
1939 Midnight
1939 The Three Musketeers 
1938 Gateway 
1938 Josette 
1938 Alexander's Ragtime Band 
1938 Happy Landing 
1937 Love Under Fire 
1937 You Can't Have Everything 
1937 Fifty Roads to Town
1937 Love Is News 
1937 In Old Chicago
1936 One in a Million
1936 Ladies in Love
1936 Ramona 
1936 Sins of Man
1935 Dante's Inferno 
1935 Clive of India