Don Ameche (born
Dominic Felix Amici;
May 31 1908 –
December 6 1993) was an American actor.
Family
Ameche was born in
Kenosha,
Wisconsin, the son of Barbara, who was of
Irish and
German descent, and Felix Ameche, an immigrant from
Italy whose original surname was "Amici." He had two brothers, Burt and
Jim, and two sisters, Anne and Mary Jane.
[Yahoo! Entertainment: Don Ameche]
Vaudeville and films
Ameche began his career in
vaudeville with
Texas Guinan, until Guinan dropped him from the act, dismissing him as, "too stiff."
[Palmer, R. Barton. Don Ameche in Thomas, Nicholas ed. International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Vol. 3: Actors and Actresses, Detroit: St. James Press, 1992. p. 9.] He made his film debut in 1935 and by the late 1930s, he had established himself as a leading actor in
Hollywood. He appeared in such films as
Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938), as the
title character in
The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939), It led to the use of the word, "ameche," as slang for telephone in common
catchphrases, as noted by Mike Kilen in the
Iowa City Gazette (December 8, 1993): "The film prompted a generation to call people to the telephone with the phrase: 'You're wanted on the Ameche.'"
[Kilen, Mike. "Ameche's son in Iowa City recalls dad's legacy of joy". Iowa City Gazette. 8 December 1993.]] Another highlight was co-starring with
Gene Tierney in Ernest Lubitch's
Heaven Can Wait which was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Picture.
