Don Ameche

Biography

Don Ameche was an American actor and comedian who also worked in vaudeville, starting in college shows, repertory theater and vaudeville before becoming a radio star in the early 1930s and signing with 20th Century Fox in 1935. Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, he played romantic leads at Fox, including Midnight (1939) and Heaven Can Wait (1943), and the title role in The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939). He later appeared on Broadway and television, hosting NBC's International Showtime from 1961 to 1965. After thirteen years, he returned to films as a villain in Trading Places (1983) and earned the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor with Cocoon (1985) and the Volpi Cup for Things Change (1988). His later credits included Harry and the Hendersons (1987), Cocoon: The Return (1988), Oscar (1991), the voice of Shadow in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993), and Corrina, Corrina (1994).

85years old at death

Born May 31, 1908Kenosha
Died December 6, 1993Scottsdale
Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
Dominic Felix Amici (birth name)

Movie Career

Films: 22
Career span: 57 years1937 to 1994

Genres

Comedy73%, 16 films
Drama55%, 12 films
Romance27%, 6 films
Musical14%, 3 films
Adventure9%, 2 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

A first
In the 1939 film The Story of Alexander Graham Bell, Ameche took the title part, and the word "ameche" came to be used by youngsters as slang for a telephone.

Don Ameche movies on Netflix

Corrina, Corrina1994IMDb rating 6.6as Grandpa Harry
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey1993IMDb rating 7.0as Shadow (voice)
Folks!1992IMDb rating 5.7as Harry Aldrich
Oscar1991IMDb rating 6.6as Father Clemente
Cocoon: The Return1988IMDb rating 5.4as Art Selwyn
Things Change1988IMDb rating 7.0as Gino
Harry and the Hendersons1987IMDb rating 6.1as Dr. Wallace Wrightwood
Cocoon1985IMDb rating 6.7as Art Selwyn
Trading Places1983IMDb rating 7.5as Mortimer Duke
Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?1970IMDb rating 5.4as Col. Flanders
The Boatniks1970IMDb rating 5.6as Commander Taylor
A Fever in the Blood1961IMDb rating 6.5as Senator Alex S. Simon
Sleep, My Love1948IMDb rating 6.8as Richard W. Courtland
It's in the Bag!1945IMDb rating 6.6as Don Ameche
Heaven Can Wait1943IMDb rating 7.3as Henry Van Cleve
That Night in Rio1941IMDb rating 6.7as Larry Martin / Baron Manuel Duarte
Down Argentine Way1940IMDb rating 6.4as Ricardo Quintana
Midnight1939IMDb rating 7.8as Tibor Czerny
The Story of Alexander Graham Bell1939IMDb rating 6.9as Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander's Ragtime Band1938IMDb rating 6.8as Charlie Dwyer
In Old Chicago1938IMDb rating 6.7as Jack O'Leary
Love Is News1937IMDb rating 6.9as Martin J. Canavan

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Trading Places1983 Comedyas Mortimer Duke
IMDb rating 7.5185K votes
Cocoon1985 Sci-Fias Art Selwyn
IMDb rating 6.774K votes
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey1993as Shadowvoice
IMDb rating 7.056K votes
Cocoon: The Return1988as Art Selwyn
IMDb rating 5.418K votes
Heaven Can Wait1943as Henry Van Cleve
IMDb rating 7.314K votes
Harry and the Hendersons1987as Dr. Wallace Wrightwood
IMDb rating 6.140K votes
Things Change1988as Gino
IMDb rating 7.04.4K votes
Midnight1939as Tibor Czerny
IMDb rating 7.86.5K votes

Most often with

Irving Cummings directed three of these films, John Landis two and Henry King two. Two actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Tyrone Power

Alice Faye

Bess Flowers

John Carradine

J. Carrol Naish

Steve GuttenbergIrving CummingsDirector, 3 films

John LandisDirector, 2 films Henry KingDirector, 2 films

Films together

Tyrone Power3 films together, 1937 to 1938
Tyrone Power's page
- Alexander's Ragtime Band1938IMDb rating 6.8Ameche as Charlie DwyerPower as Alexander - Roger Grant
- In Old Chicago1938IMDb rating 6.7Ameche as Jack O'LearyPower as Dion O'Leary
- Love Is News1937IMDb rating 6.9Ameche as Martin J. CanavanPower as Steve Leyton
Alice Faye3 films together, 1938 to 1941
Alice Faye's page
- That Night in Rio1941IMDb rating 6.7Ameche as Larry Martin / Baron Manuel DuarteFaye as Baroness Cecilia Duarte
- Alexander's Ragtime Band1938IMDb rating 6.8Ameche as Charlie DwyerFaye as Stella Kirby
- In Old Chicago1938IMDb rating 6.7Ameche as Jack O'LearyFaye as Belle Fawcett
Bess Flowers2 films together, 1941 to 1948
Bess Flowers's page
- Sleep, My Love1948IMDb rating 6.8Ameche as Richard W. CourtlandFlowers as Miss Miller
- That Night in Rio1941IMDb rating 6.7Ameche as Larry Martin / Baron Manuel DuarteFlowers as Nightclub Extra
John Carradine2 films together, 1938 to 1945
John Carradine's page
- It's in the Bag!1945IMDb rating 6.6Ameche as Don AmecheCarradine as Jefferson T. Pike
- Alexander's Ragtime Band1938IMDb rating 6.8Ameche as Charlie DwyerCarradine as Speakeasy Doorman
J. Carrol Naish2 films together, 1940 to 1941
J. Carrol Naish's page
- That Night in Rio1941IMDb rating 6.7Ameche as Larry Martin / Baron Manuel DuarteNaish as Machado
- Down Argentine Way1940IMDb rating 6.4Ameche as Ricardo QuintanaNaish as Casiano
Steve Guttenberg2 films together, 1985 to 1988
Steve Guttenberg's page
- Cocoon: The Return1988IMDb rating 5.4Ameche as Art SelwynGuttenberg as Jack Bonner
- Cocoon1985IMDb rating 6.7Ameche as Art SelwynGuttenberg as Jack Bonner
Irving CummingsDirector, 3 films, 1939 to 1941
All films by Irving Cummings
- That Night in Rio1941IMDb rating 6.7Ameche as Larry Martin / Baron Manuel Duarte
- Down Argentine Way1940IMDb rating 6.4Ameche as Ricardo Quintana
- The Story of Alexander Graham Bell1939IMDb rating 6.9Ameche as Alexander Graham Bell
John LandisDirector, 2 films, 1983 to 1991
All films by John Landis
- Oscar1991IMDb rating 6.6Ameche as Father Clemente
- Trading Places1983IMDb rating 7.5Ameche as Mortimer Duke
Henry KingDirector, 2 films, 1938
All films by Henry King
- Alexander's Ragtime Band1938IMDb rating 6.8Ameche as Charlie Dwyer
- In Old Chicago1938IMDb rating 6.7Ameche as Jack O'Leary
Also two films together27 more actors
- Frank PugliaThat Night in Rio (1941) and Down Argentine Way (1940)
- Wendy CrewsonCorrina, Corrina (1994) and Folks! (1992)
- Charles CoburnHeaven Can Wait (1943) and The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939)
- Hume CronynCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Spring ByingtonHeaven Can Wait (1943) and The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939)
- Fortunio BonanovaThat Night in Rio (1941) and Down Argentine Way (1940)
- Wilford BrimleyCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Loretta YoungThe Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939) and Love Is News (1937)
- Claudette ColbertSleep, My Love (1948) and Midnight (1939)
- Jessica TandyCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Maureen StapletonCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Leonid KinskeyThat Night in Rio (1941) and Down Argentine Way (1940)
- Jack GilfordCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Gwen VerdonCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Herta WareCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Barret OliverCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Armand KalizDown Argentine Way (1940) and Midnight (1939)
- Linda HarrisonCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Carmen MirandaThat Night in Rio (1941) and Down Argentine Way (1940)
- Eddie ConradThat Night in Rio (1941) and Midnight (1939)
- Bobs WatsonThe Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939) and In Old Chicago (1938)
- Tahnee WelchCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Mike NomadCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Tyrone Power Jr.Cocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- Wendy J. CookeCocoon: The Return (1988) and Cocoon (1985)
- David MacIntyreHomeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993) and Harry and the Hendersons (1987)
- Kevin ChevaliaHomeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993) and Folks! (1992)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Don Ameche's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$364 million

10 of the 22 films have a worldwide figure.

10Worldwide figure
3US gross only
9Figure not found

Top grosser

Trading Places1983Mortimer Duke$90.4 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 98% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
Trading Places1983as Mortimer Duke
$90M24.8% of the total
2
Cocoon1985as Art Selwyn
$85M23.4% of the total
3
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey1993as Shadow (voice)
$57M15.7% of the total
4
Harry and the Hendersons1987as Dr. Wallace Wrightwood
$50M13.7% of the total
5
Cocoon: The Return1988as Art Selwyn
$25M6.9% of the total
6
Oscar1991as Father Clemente
$24M6.5% of the total
7
Corrina, Corrina1994as Grandpa Harry
$20M5.5% of the total
8
Folks!1992as Harry Aldrich
$6.1M1.7% of the total

Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938), $4.0 million

$6.5 millionfrom the other 2 films with a worldwide figure, 2% of the total

Awards

Three awards and honors from 1960 to 1988, two of them major.

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Don Ameche's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Academy Awards
1986	Best Supporting Actor	Cocoon	Won
Venice Film Festival
1988	Volpi Cup for Best Actor	Things Change	Won
Other honors
1960	Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame		Honored

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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