1908-05-31 Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA
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.
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Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1940s: Stars, Stripes and Singing | (archive footage) | 2009-12-31 |
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Hidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults | Self (archiveFootage) | 1997-11-18 |
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The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender | Self (archive footage) | 1997-11-01 |
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Corrina, Corrina | Grandpa Harry | 1994-08-12 |
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Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey | Shadow (voice) | 1993-02-03 |
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Sunstroke | Jake | 1992-09-23 |
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Folks! | Harry Aldrich | 1992-05-01 |
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Oscar | Father Clemente | 1991-04-26 |
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Oddball Hall | G. Paul Siebriese | 1990-06-22 |
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Coming to America | Mortimer Duke / Homeless Man #2 (uncredited) | 1988-06-29 |
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Cocoon: The Return | Art Selwyn | 1988-09-13 |
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Things Change | Gino | 1988-10-21 |
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Pals | Fern Stobbs | 1987-01-01 |
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Harry and the Hendersons | Dr. Wallace Wrightwood | 1987-06-05 |
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A Masterpiece of Murder | Frank Aherne | 1986-01-27 |
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Cocoon | Arthur Selwyn | 1985-06-21 |
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Trading Places | Mortimer Duke | 1983-06-07 |
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Night of 100 Stars | Self | 1982-03-08 |
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The Chinese Typewriter | Armand Beller | 1979-03-03 |
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Gidget Gets Married | Otis Ramsey | 1972-01-04 |
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The Boatniks | Commander Taylor | 1970-07-01 |
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Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? | Col. Flanders | 1970-09-11 |
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Shadow Over Elveron | Justin Travers | 1968-03-05 |
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Rings Around the World | Host/Ringmaster | 1967-12-06 |
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Picture Mommy Dead | Edward Shelley | 1966-11-02 |
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A Fever in the Blood | Senator Alex S. Simon | 1961-01-28 |
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Slightly French | John Gayle | 1949-02-02 |
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Sleep, My Love | Richard W. Courtland | 1948-02-18 |
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That's My Man | Joe Grange | 1947-06-01 |
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So Goes My Love | Hiram Stephen Maxim | 1946-05-01 |
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Guest Wife | Joseph Jefferson 'Joe' Parker | 1945-07-27 |
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It's in the Bag! | Don Ameche | 1945-04-21 |
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Greenwich Village | Kenneth Harvey | 1944-09-27 |
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Wing and a Prayer | Bingo Harper | 1944-01-01 |
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Heaven Can Wait | Henry Van Cleve | 1943-08-05 |
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Something to Shout About | Ken Douglas | 1943-02-25 |
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Happy Land | Lew Marsh | 1943-11-10 |
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The Magnificent Dope | Dwight Dawson | 1942-07-01 |
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Girl Trouble | Pedro Sullivan | 1942-10-09 |
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Moon Over Miami | Phil O'Neil (Credits) / Phil 'Mac' McNeil | 1941-07-04 |
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Kiss the Boys Goodbye | Lloyd Lloyd | 1941-08-01 |
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Confirm or Deny | 'Mitch' Mitchell | 1941-12-12 |
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The Feminine Touch | John Hathaway | 1941-10-01 |
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That Night in Rio | Larry Martin / Baron Manuel Duarte | 1941-04-11 |
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Lillian Russell | Edward Solomon | 1940-05-24 |
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Down Argentine Way | Ricardo Quintana | 1940-10-11 |
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Four Sons | Chris Bern | 1940-06-14 |
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Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8 | Don Ameche | 1939-04-08 |
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Swanee River | Stephen Foster | 1939-12-29 |
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Hollywood Cavalcade | Mike Connors | 1939-10-13 |
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Midnight | Tibor Czerny | 1939-03-24 |
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Land of Liberty | Alexander Graham Bell (archive footage) | 1939-06-15 |
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The Story of Alexander Graham Bell | Alexander Graham Bell | 1939-04-04 |
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The Three Musketeers | D'Artagnan | 1939-02-17 |
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Josette | David Brassard Jr. | 1938-06-03 |
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Happy Landing | Jimmy Hall | 1938-01-23 |
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Gateway | Dick Court | 1938-08-05 |
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Alexander's Ragtime Band | Charlie Dwyer | 1938-05-24 |
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In Old Chicago | Jack O'Leary | 1938-04-15 |
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Love Is News | Martin J. Canavan | 1937-02-26 |
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One in a Million | Bob Harris | 1937-01-01 |
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You Can't Have Everything | George Macrae | 1937-08-02 |
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Fifty Roads to Town | Peter Nostrand | 1937-06-03 |
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Love Under Fire | Tracy Egan | 1937-08-20 |
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Ramona | Alessandro | 1936-09-25 |
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Sins of Man | Karl Freyman / Mario Signarelli | 1936-06-19 |
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Ladies In Love | Dr. Rudi Imre | 1936-10-09 |
