What Was Don Ameche's Net Worth?
Don Ameche was a celebrated American actor, comedian, and vaudevillian who had an estimated net worth of $5 million at the time of his death in 1993. Adjusted for inflation, this is equivalent to roughly $10 million today. In the early 1940s, Don was one of the highest-paid actors in the world. By 1943, SEC filings by Fox revealed that Ameche was the studio's highest-paid star, earning $247,667 annually, translating to around $4.5 million per year in today's dollars. The only person who earned more at the studio was the company President Spyros Skouras, who made $253,000.
Don Ameche's illustrious career spanned nearly six decades, originating from vaudeville. He starred in numerous iconic films including "Dante's Inferno," "Ramona," "One in a Million," "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "The Three Musketeers," "The Story of Alexander Graham Bell," "Moon Over Miami," "Heaven Can Wait," "Wing and a Prayer," "Greenwich Village," "Trading Places," "Cocoon," "Harry and the Hendersons," "Coming to America," "Cocoon: The Return," and "Corrina, Corrina." Ameche won an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for "Cocoon" in 1985. In 1960, he was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television and Radio. Don Ameche passed away on December 6, 1993, at the age of 85 due to prostate cancer.
Early Life
Don Ameche was born Dominic Felix Amici on May 31, 1908, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He later adopted the stage name Ameche when he ventured into entertainment. His father, Felice Amici, was a bartender from Montemonaco, Marche, Italy, while his mother, Barbara Etta Hertel, came from Scottish, Irish, and German descent. Don was the second eldest among eight siblings, growing up with three brothers and four sisters. He attended Marquette University, Loras College, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he developed his interest in acting through theater participation.
Career
Don Ameche's big break came when a lead actor for a stock company production of "Excess Baggage" failed to show up, and Don filled in. This experience fueled his passion for acting. Subsequently, he was cast in the lead role in "Jerry for Short" in New York, followed by a vaudeville tour.
Moving to Chicago, he transitioned to radio, joining the show "Empire Builders" in 1932. He became the leading man in two other Chicago radio programs: the dramatic anthology "First Nighter" and the soap opera "Betty and Bob."
In the late 1930s, Don Ameche's career took off in Hollywood, thanks to 20th Century Fox producer Darryl Zanuck. He often played romantic leads alongside top female stars of the era. Among his prominent roles was the title character in "The Story of Alexander Graham Bell" in 1939. The film popularized the term "ameche" as slang for a telephone. He also starred in "Hollywood Cavalcade" and "Swanee River" the same year. In 1940, Don appeared in "Lillian Russell," "Four Sons," and "Down Argentine Way," earning a spot as the 21st-most-popular star in Hollywood.
Throughout the early 1940s, Ameche appeared in numerous films such as "That Night in Rio," "Moon Over Miami," "Kiss the Boys Goodbye," "The Feminine Touch," "Confirm or Deny," "The Magnificent Dope," "Girl Trouble," and "Happy Land." His successful streak continued with "Wing and a Prayer" and "Greenwich Village" in 1944 and appearances in "It's in the Bag!" and "Guest Wife" in 1945. His career continued to flourish with roles in "So Goes My Love" (1946), "That's My Man" (1947), "Sleep, My Love" (1948), and "Slightly French" (1949).
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Moving to the 1950s, though Ameche continued his screen career, he took on more theater roles. In 1954, he starred in "Hazel Flagg" and in "Silk Stockings" the following year. In the late 1950s, his theater work included "Holiday for Lovers" and "Goldilocks." He also appeared in "13 Daughters" (1961) and starred in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" (1966) and "Henry, Sweet Henry" (1967).
The 1970s saw Don Ameche's stage career continue to thrive with performances in "The Moon is Blue," "No, No, Nanette," "Never Get Smart with an Angel," "Mame," and "Life with Father." He took a break from stage before returning in "Our Town" (1989). Films from the 1960s and 1970s included "A Fever in the Blood," "Rings Around the World," "Picture Mommy Dead," "The Boatniks," and "Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came." He also made a notable appearance in the TV series "Columbo."
Don Ameche revitalized his film career in the 1980s, with a standout role as Art Selwyn in "Cocoon" (1985), which earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Other notable films in this period included "Coming to America," "Harry and the Hendersons," "Things Change," and "Cocoon: The Return."
In the early 1990s, Ameche featured in "Oddball Hall," an episode of "The Golden Girls," and voiced a character in "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey" (1993).
Personal Life and Death
Don was married to Honore Prendergast from 1932 until her death in 1986. They had six children. Ameche followed the Roman Catholic faith and was politically active as a Republican. He supported Thomas Dewey in the 1944 U.S. presidential election and Dwight Eisenhower in the 1952 presidential election.
From 1946 to 1949, Don Ameche co-owned the Los Angeles Dons of the All-American Football Conference, alongside figures like Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. He played a key role in the ownership and served initially as the team's president.
Diagnosed with prostate cancer in his mid-80s, Don Ameche passed away on December 6, 1993, at his son Don Jr.'s home in Scottsdale at the age of 85. He was cremated, and his ashes are interred at Iowa's Resurrection Catholic Cemetery.
