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Don Ameche: The Kenosha Comeback Kid

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It's about time somebody wrote a book about Don Ameche. He was a huge star in movies and on radio for many years. He was a top star at Twentieth Century-Fox and appeared in such classic films as MIDNIGHT, THE STORY OF ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL (remember the old joke about Don Ameche inventing the telephone?), HEAVEN CAN WAIT, and so many others in the golden era of Hollywood and then later had a second career in films in such 80's hits as TRADING PLACES and COCOON. On radio, who will forget THE BICKERSONS? But his is a career that began in vaudeville and included all aspects of show business. This book gives a behind the scenes look at the more complex private man. Long married and yet long estranged from his wife. We see the peaks and valleys of any long running Hollywood career and in Ameche's case he made a remarkable late life comeback. It's all here and told with style and sensitivity--with lots of great pictures. Enjoy!

Don Ameche on screen had a likeable intensity that manifested itself in both musical-comedy, and more dramatic turf. Ohmart does an excellent job of illustrating how this intensity translated into his personal life. A good selection of interviews with Ameche and his wife Honore carry the narrative for a personal touch. They are principled people, yet Ameche is so driven by his varied career, that hearth and home suffer. Lucky for his fans that Ameche was earnestly focused on film, radio, TV, and stage. His output was varied and consistently professional.
The author capably ties the story together with comments from Ameche's friends, co-workers, and children. Quite frankly, I was surprised by the dark edges of Ameche's personality -- I'm not as convinced as Ameche that his relgious affiliation was of any real benefit to his well-being. Overall, I found Ameche likeable, friendly, and interesting on the outside, but harboring some doubts within. Ohmart discusses Ameche's career with intelligence. A good seleciton of photos carry the narrative.

BearManor Media presents "DON AMECHE: THE KENOSHA COMEBACK KID" (Paperback), by Ben Ohmart (Author) with a foreword by John Landis.

In depth account, one of the most beloved and under-rated actors ever to grace radio, stage, screen and television.

Ameche made his film comeback in 1983 in the comedic hit "Trading Places". Two years later, he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in "Cocoon".

In the authors (Ohmart) own words: "Don Ameche's career lasted a sturdy 60 years, an impressive feat that was only strengthened into longevity by his eager, often perfectionists versatility. even today, whenever a "Cocoon" shows up on cable, or a BICKERSONS CD is sold to someone who was not even born before Don died, the work he tried so hard to perpetuate into something "good" and meaningful will continue to live, cheer, sing and smile".

Loaded with studio stills, family photographs and behind the scenes pictures, which is just the way I like it.

Very reasonable and a good value for the price --- For product description and editorial review check this out on the Amazon site above my review.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: (Chapter, Title and Page Numbers)

Foreword by John Landis --- 1
Introduction --- 2
CHAPTER ONE: The Kenosha Kid --- 5
CHAPTER TWO: Radio Star --- 19
CHAPTER THREE: Movie Star --- 33
CHAPTER FOUR: " You're Wanted On The Ameche!" --- 71
CHAPTER FIVE: Heaven Can Wait --- 102
CHAPTER SIX: Hollydon't --- 120
CHAPTER SEVEN: TV MC --- 146
CHAPTER EIGHT: The Comeback Kid --- 152
CHAPTER NINE: It's Showtime --- 163
CHAPTER TEN: The Lean years --- 169
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Return of the Comeback Kid --- 183
CHAPTER TWELVE: The Final Years --- 198
Credits --- 210
Index --- 219

BIOS:
Don Ameche [aka: Dominic Felix Ameche]
Date of Birth: May 31, 1908 - Kenosha, Wisconsin
Date of Death: December 06, 1993 - Scottsdale, Arizona

Big thank you to Ben Ohmart and his staff at BearManor Media, a small press that publishes BIG books. They pride themselves on publishing quality entertainment biographies, so they often put out the first book on unique subjects -- plus specializing in books with nostalgic themes and keeping classic Hollywood alive not only thru his publishing house, but thru his own books.

Highly recommend - a good read! Perfect coffee-table book.

* Special footnote: -- An interesting remark in the beginning introduction: Don Ameche may have found everlasting financial and artistic success through his now-classic movies, but, like Peter Sellers, he acted foremost with his voices and never lost that subtle radio skill that could be all but understated when the shouting began. His was not the most expressive of faces, but his vocal ability was without question. Could not have put it any better, and to that I say, A-men!

Total Page: 220 Pages ~ BearManor Media #ISBN-13: 978-1593930455 ~ (February 28, 2007)

Judging by his body of work, Don Amache should have led quite the interesting life. Radio, movies, the stage and even a Broadway musical. Yet, for all of Mr. Amache's charm and grace, he comes across as a rather too-private person who is oddly cold for no apparent reasons.

Ben Ohmart can not be faulted for this as his writing is crisp and his delivery straight forward and not trumped up gossip. If anything, perhaps Mr. Ohmart respects his subject too much to pry below the surface. Still, when you consider that Don Amache was a star for almost 60 years, you put the book down only to find him to be so vague that the man comes across as a minor character in his own life.

From his slightly aloof marriage to his distancing himself from his children, Mr. Amache's story is told basically as a series of facts. You know about his moods and how Don Amache separated himself from everyone and most things but the author never questions the oddity of this. Mr. Amache's eternal vagueness in life - as retold here - serves to make this book less satisfying as you really don't know anything about Don Amache except his professional credits.

Don Ameche had a very long and prolific career which encompassed radio, film, stage and television. This biography of the actor's career is a competent and fairly detailed account and it was written with the co-operation of Ameche's family.

There are a few holes, like exactly why Ameche lived apart from his wife for so long, but this was a conservative and private Catholic man so maybe that was simply his own business. Certainly, Ameche falls into that category of male who was much better communicating in public than privately with his own family.

Ameche was an extremely hard working professional of whose work the only real criticism is a certain lack of imagination and blandness. The same applies to this biography. A slightly colourless personality generates a colourless book with no feel for the times in which Ameche prospered. The author fails to make the yarn interesting.

Don Ameche in many ways was a Hollywood American treasure. I'm glad someone finally wrote a biography of a much beloved actor. From where I sit, this 209 page book has an abundance of photographs that I feel are used more as filler, than for historic exhibit.

Author Ben Ohmart certainly spent a lot of time with this subject, but I'm not sure his heart was always in it. While, at times, it is a humorous read, the work sometimes suffers from the lack of a competent editor, or none at all. Some sentences are poorly worded or structured, and require rereading to get the gist. His mention of Fred Allen's gag about Don Ameche playing Alexander Graham Bell, and therefore inventing the telephone is never fully explained to a generation that most likely never heard the expression: I was called on "The Ameche."

Still, it's a worthwhile read, and I did enjoy it. Don Ameche was a fascinating, and likeable man. And as you read this book, make a list of his films. If you like classic Hollywood, they're well worth watching.

Not only did the author cover the movie career of Don Ameche, but his radio career which has been untouched in most reference guides for years. The family of Ameche were obviously involved making this a treasure worth buying the reading.