This American actor, comedian, and vaudevillian went by the name of Don Ameche. Following his time spent performing in college productions, stock, and vaudeville, he became a great radio star in the early 1930s, which led to an offer of a film deal from 20th Century Fox the following year.
The Beginnings
Don Ameche’s birth on May 31, 1908, as Dominic Felix Amici in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is historically significant. In Montemonaco, Ascoli Piceno, Marche, Italy, his father Felice Amici ran a bar. Barbara Etta Hertel, his mother, had roots in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Germany.
Out of a total of eight children, Ameche was the second oldest. His siblings were three brothers named Umberto (Bert), James (Jim Ameche), and Louis, and four sisters named Elizabeth (Liz), Catherine (Cat), Mary (Anna), and Anna. His cousin Alan Ameche played football and won the Heisman Trophy in 1954 at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, which Ameche also attended.
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Don Ameche’s Income, Wealth, and Wage: $10 Million
His fortune was estimated at $10 million. He may have amassed a substantial fortune through his work, but he has been cagey about discussing details of his financial situation.
The Work and Life of Don Ameche
The Fox Corporation’s 1935 picture Dante’s Inferno was his cinematic debut, albeit he did not receive any credit for his small role. After that, he soon moved up to prominent roles, making his debut in Sins of Man (1936) as Jean Hersholt’s son. In Ramona (1936), the first color film from the company, he costarred with Loretta Young.
The pairing of Young and Tyrone Power in Love Is News from 1937. After that, he co-starred with Ann Sothern in the 1937 film Fifty Roads to Town. His next film appearance was in You Can’t Have Everything (1937), starring Alice Faye and The Ritz Brothers.
Similarly, Faye’s leading guy in Hollywood Cavalcade was played by Don Ameche (1939). He then portrayed yet another historical character, Stephen Foster, in Swanee River (1939). More than that, he had a role in the third Lillian Russell biopic he was a part of (1940). Then, he and Faye starred in the military picture Four Sons (1940). Moreover, there’s a musical titled “Down Argentine Way” (1940).
In addition, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993) and Corrina were his last two films. In 1994, he finished working on Corrina, a novel, just days before he passed away.
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Discreet Matters
Ameche was a co-owner of the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference (AFC), an NFL rival, from 1946 to 1949 along with other notable Los Angeles entertainers like Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. He was the team’s first president and had a key role in assembling the ownership group a year before the season began.
From 1932 until her death in 1986, Ameche was married to Honore Prendergast. They ended up having six kids. One of them, Ron Ameche, operated a restaurant in Coralville, Iowa, called Ameche’s Pumpernickel. Their names were Connie and Bonnie, and he had two of them. Jim Ameche, a well-known actor, and Ameche’s younger brother passed away in 1983 at the age of 67.
Catholicism was important in Ameche’s life. He voted for Republican candidates in both the 1944 and 1952 US presidential elections, supporting Thomas Dewey and Dwight Eisenhower respectively.
Awards and Nominations for Don Ameche
As a result of his work in Cocoon, he was awarded the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In a similar vein, he took home the Best Actor award at Venice for his work in Things Change. He also has a star on the Television and Radio Walk of Fame.
