To those who can't remember movies without stereophonic sound, Todd-AO or Tuesday Weld, the name Don Ameche may not mean much. At best, it conjures up an image of a dapper gentleman with a rainbow smile who guides viewers through NBC's International Showtime.
But say Don Ameche to anyone brought up on the movies of the late Thirties and Forties, and you've got yourself another story.
In those days, Ameche always was playing in something at the Bijou—and since he made some 30 pictures for 20th Century-Fox, he probably was. Combining a bubbly blend of Billy-Next-Door boyishness, Latin good-looks, a razzle-dazzle smile and a fudgy voice, Ameche hit big.
Today, at 56, Ameche looks about the same. The raven-black hair that always appeared pressed still looks pressed. Only now it's speckled with white. So is the famous Ameche musketeer mustache. The jawline's getting jowly; the face is heavier - but those are the only noticeable physical changes.
One thing that has changed considerably, however, is the Ameche personality—a personality once described as all "Seven-Up fizzy." Ameche exudes little fizz today. There is a striking solemnity about the man; a restraint you first notice in his eyes—"eyes that sparkled like angel dust," as one lady remembers. Today, they appear distant. Often-times, they're reflective and poignantly so. In a voice that's markedly weighty, Don explains: "I've gotten on in years, and there's so much I don't know. I'm trying to catch up. Years ago I was always so busy. Just working to be successful was a 24-hour job."
And it was. Don tells how, from the time he made his first picture ("Sins of Man") in 1936, he "couldn't live with" himself unless he "went all out to be successful." "I never once showed up late on a set," he says, "and I always knew my lines."
He appeared mostly in glossy musicals ("Alexander's Ragtime Band," "Moon over Miami," "Lillian Russell") but did straight roles as well (he is best remembered for "Alexander Graham Bell"). Besides pictures, Ameche also worked in radio. His eight-year stint on "The Chase and Sanborn Hour" prompted one trade paper to dub Ameche's voice "the most profitable larynx in America."
The rest of him made money too. Restaurateur Toots Shor, a friend for 30 years, recalls: "Ameche was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood. He was making $7500 a week when people like Gable were making nothing." Toots is not known for his understatement.
But though many, like Gable, weathered the TV tremor that shook Hollywood in the late Forties, Ameche didn't. One director explains: "Ameche was perfect for the tinselly, `Let's-think-about-it-tomorrow' prewar picture. After the war, however, the `Let's - think - about - it - today' films came into vogue."
In the early Fifties he tried TV, as emcee of ABC's Packard variety show. Then in the mid-Fifties he tried Broadway, and it, too, paid off—at first. Ameche's first show, "Silk Stockings," was a hit. But two other musicals, "Goldilocks" and "13 Daughters," flopped. "I'm not box office any more," Ameche concedes with a shrug.
In 1961, Ameche, who had never seen a circus in his life and "couldn't have cared less," took the job as host on International Showtime. Some who know Don well believe that the slide from major star to circus-chaser has affected him deeply. Says one: "I can't watch Don on that show. The smiles and gingersnap he puts into it all is sad. Somewhere, there's a part of Don that's died a little." Don himself claims to be "happy" with his circus chores. "I'm attracted to anything that's good," he says. "And when circuses are good, they're very good."
One thing's sure. Ameche's career has had its highs and lows. Even now, it has reached a new crossroads: International Showtime will not be back next fall. Yet, after some 30 years in show business Don seems relatively unscathed. "Acting has always been a business with me," he explains. "As in any business, there are good times and there are bad."
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Robert Higgins | TV Guide 1965-04-24 Northern California
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