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Don Ameche: The Kenosha Comeback Kid
The official biography of the Oscar-winning actor of Cocoon, and the great radio actor, Don Ameche. Written with the aid of the Ameche family, this first book features over 100 rare photos and many interviews with family and friends. Foreword by John Landis, director of Trading Places. With over 100 pictures!
- GenresBiography
220 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 9, 2019
For those looking for scandal you'll not go away disappointed when you read this biography of Don
Ameche. That little bit I won't go into, but for the most part you'll read about his career in film, radio, and television, and Broadway where he triumphed in all four. Topping it off with an Oscar for
Best Supporting Actor as a senior citizen who goes to outer space.
Ameche was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 1908 to Italian immigrant parents who settled there where his father owned a bar. He majored in theater at Marquette University and went to New York
to seek fame and fortune. He got work where he could in the theater and on radio. He had the good
fortune to come to the attention of Darryl Zanuck the head of the newly created 20th Century Fox
studio.
Zanuck was revamping his studio top to bottom. Fox films merged with 20th Century Pictures to
create the new company. Fox at the time had two consistent moneymakers Shirley Temple and
Will Rogers and Rogers got himself killed in a plane crash. Zanuck had to find talented folks and
fast. Ameche was one of many signed and he scored heavily playing a Pueblo Indian in Ramona.
His nice guy image got him the girl in most instances except when he played with Zanuck's number
one male lead Tyrone Power. Ameche always came off second best. He had a pleasant and light
singing voice and did a few musicals. His best film and best known was a biographical film of
Alexander Graham Bell, his worst was an adaption of The Three Musketeers with the Ritz Brothers.
Ameche said his biggest mistake was to leave 20th Century Fox during a post World War 2 contract
dispute with Zanuck. He did a few more films to conclude the 40s. After that it was the stage both
Broadway and touring and his biggest success was the lead in Cole Porter's Silk Stockings on Broadway.
My first memory was Ameche as the relaxed and dapper host of a circus variety show International
Showtime. It ran for five years 1961-1966. During that time Ameche also resumed a film career,
this time in occasional character parts which he transitioned to gracefully both on the big and
small screen.
One thing more I should mention. Ameche did radio as well from his earliest days in film. He was
a relaxed dapper host there. But he and singer Frances Langford also did a radio comedy called The
Bickersons where they played a continually battling husband and wife. They set a standard for
all kinds of television comedy from I Love Lucy to Married With Children. The material is timeless.
In 1983 he and another Hollywood senior citizen Ralph Bellamy were cast as a pair of scheming
brothers in Trading Places and in his next role as a senior citizen resident of an old age home he
and most of the rest were taken to outer space in Cocoon. For that part Ameche won a Best Supporting Actor. He continued to make films until his death in 1993.
Ameche was married to the former Honore Prendergast and they had six kids. They had a couple
of rough patches and that's the scandal you will read. But for the most part they were happy.
Ameche seems to be a man without complications, a genuinely nice fellow you'd like to know. Get
to know him in Ben Ohmart's book.
Ameche. That little bit I won't go into, but for the most part you'll read about his career in film, radio, and television, and Broadway where he triumphed in all four. Topping it off with an Oscar for
Best Supporting Actor as a senior citizen who goes to outer space.
Ameche was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 1908 to Italian immigrant parents who settled there where his father owned a bar. He majored in theater at Marquette University and went to New York
to seek fame and fortune. He got work where he could in the theater and on radio. He had the good
fortune to come to the attention of Darryl Zanuck the head of the newly created 20th Century Fox
studio.
Zanuck was revamping his studio top to bottom. Fox films merged with 20th Century Pictures to
create the new company. Fox at the time had two consistent moneymakers Shirley Temple and
Will Rogers and Rogers got himself killed in a plane crash. Zanuck had to find talented folks and
fast. Ameche was one of many signed and he scored heavily playing a Pueblo Indian in Ramona.
His nice guy image got him the girl in most instances except when he played with Zanuck's number
one male lead Tyrone Power. Ameche always came off second best. He had a pleasant and light
singing voice and did a few musicals. His best film and best known was a biographical film of
Alexander Graham Bell, his worst was an adaption of The Three Musketeers with the Ritz Brothers.
Ameche said his biggest mistake was to leave 20th Century Fox during a post World War 2 contract
dispute with Zanuck. He did a few more films to conclude the 40s. After that it was the stage both
Broadway and touring and his biggest success was the lead in Cole Porter's Silk Stockings on Broadway.
My first memory was Ameche as the relaxed and dapper host of a circus variety show International
Showtime. It ran for five years 1961-1966. During that time Ameche also resumed a film career,
this time in occasional character parts which he transitioned to gracefully both on the big and
small screen.
One thing more I should mention. Ameche did radio as well from his earliest days in film. He was
a relaxed dapper host there. But he and singer Frances Langford also did a radio comedy called The
Bickersons where they played a continually battling husband and wife. They set a standard for
all kinds of television comedy from I Love Lucy to Married With Children. The material is timeless.
In 1983 he and another Hollywood senior citizen Ralph Bellamy were cast as a pair of scheming
brothers in Trading Places and in his next role as a senior citizen resident of an old age home he
and most of the rest were taken to outer space in Cocoon. For that part Ameche won a Best Supporting Actor. He continued to make films until his death in 1993.
Ameche was married to the former Honore Prendergast and they had six kids. They had a couple
of rough patches and that's the scandal you will read. But for the most part they were happy.
Ameche seems to be a man without complications, a genuinely nice fellow you'd like to know. Get
to know him in Ben Ohmart's book.
December 29, 2025
This is a very good biography about Don Ameche, a hard-working, private man whose career spanned radio, the Golden Age of Hollywood and into the 90s. He also did theater. Because of his rigorous work schedule and his love for race horses, his large family did not know him well and didn’t get to know him until his senior days.
In spite of the brevity of the book, it gives a good summary of the films that would make us interested in the man, but even more valuably, it gives the reader an idea of who Don Ameche the man was and why his co-workers enjoyed his presence.
I find it odd that movie titles and publication names are in bold. It makes them easy to find if you’re interested in information on a specific movie, but it stands out in an odd way.
In spite of the brevity of the book, it gives a good summary of the films that would make us interested in the man, but even more valuably, it gives the reader an idea of who Don Ameche the man was and why his co-workers enjoyed his presence.
I find it odd that movie titles and publication names are in bold. It makes them easy to find if you’re interested in information on a specific movie, but it stands out in an odd way.
May 29, 2020
A reasonably good read,its nice to see some of the other stars get a look in.seems to have a good life and career without to many bumps along the way.thanks to ray milland his career gave way to a second push(to find out why read the book).resulting in an oscar win.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews