Don Ameche

Don Ameche born Dominic Felix Amici May 31 1908 December 6 1993 was an American actor and radio entertainer whose career spanned over six decades Known for his charming dapper presence and signature mustache Ameche became one of 20th Century Foxs premier leading men throughout the 1930s and 1940s Born in Kenosha Wisconsin to an Italian immigrant father and a mother of European descent he adapted his familys surname from Amici to Ameche to preserve its original Italian pronunciation in the United States He began his entertainment career in vaudeville and radio where he achieved nationwide fame as the host of popular broadcasts like The Chase and Sanborn Hour He transitioned to film in 1935 starring in a string of successful musical comedies and dramas most notably Alexanders Ragtime Band 1938 The Story of Alexander Graham Bell 1939 and Ernst Lubitschs classic comedy Heaven Can Wait 1943 As film roles slowed in the 1950s Ameche worked extensively in live theatre and television His screen career experienced a celebrated renaissance in the 1980s beginning with his role as the scheming commodities broker Mortimer Duke in Trading Places 1983 Two years later he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a revitalized retiree in Ron Howards Cocoon 1985 In his final years Ameche introduced himself to a new generation of filmgoers providing the warm patriarchal voice of Shadow the Golden Retriever in Disneys Homeward Bound The Incredible Journey 1993 before completing his final screen appearance in Corrina Corrina 1994 Ameche was married to Honore Prendergast from 1932 until her death in 1986 the couple had six children Ameche died of prostate cancer in Scottsdale Arizona in 1993 at the age of 85