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Leon Ames

American actor (1902–1993) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leon Ames
For the Major League Baseball pitcher, see Red Ames.

Leon Ames (born Harry Leon Wycoff;[1][2][3] January 20, 1902 – October 12, 1993) was an American film and television actor. He is best remembered for playing father figures in such films as Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Little Women (1949), On Moonlight Bay (1951) and By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953). His best-known dramatic role may have been in the crime film The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946).

Quick Facts Born, Died ...
Leon Ames
Thumb
Ames in the trailer for The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
Born
Harry Leon Wycoff

(1902-01-20)January 20, 1902
Portland, Indiana, U.S.
DiedOctober 12, 1993(1993-10-12) (aged 91)
Laguna Beach, California, U.S.
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills
Other namesLeon Waycoff
OccupationActor
Years active1931–1986
Spouse
Christine Gossett
​
​
(m. 1938)​
Children3
President of the Screen Actors Guild
In office
1957–1958
Preceded byWalter Pidgeon
Succeeded byHoward Keel
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Early years

Leon Ames was born Harry Leon Wycoff on January 20, 1902 in Portland, Indiana to Charles Elmer Wycoff and Cora Alice (DeMoss) Wycoff.[4] Some sources list his original last name as Wykoff or Waycoff, and in his early films, he acted under the name of Leon Waycoff. In 1935, Ames explained that he had changed his name because Waycoff was often misspelled and mispronounced. Ames was his mother's maiden name.[5]

In the 1910 census, when his family was residing in Fowler, Indiana, Ames' name was given as Harry L. Wycoff and his father was listed as a manager of a meat market.[1] During World War I, Ames served in the field artillery of the U.S. Army and later in the flying corps (the Army Air Service).[6]

Stage

Ames' involvement with entertainment began when he worked as a stage manager for the Charles K. Champlin Theatre Company. He ventured into acting with the group and progressed to the lead in a production of Tomorrow and Tomorrow in Los Angeles.[7] He acted for three years with the Stuart Walker Stock Company in Cincinnati.[8]

He debuted on Broadway in It Pays to Sin (1933). His other Broadway credits include Howie (1958), Winesburg, Ohio, (1958), Slightly Married (1943), The Russian People (1942), Little Darling (1942), Guest in the House (1942), The Land Is Bright (1941), The Male Animal (1940), Thirsty Soil (1937), A House in the Country (1937) and Bright Honor (1936).[9]

Film

Ames made his film debut in Quick Millions in 1931. During the 1940s, he was under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Among his important roles at MGM was his portrayal of Mr. Smith in the studio's 1944 hit film Meet Me in St. Louis.

Ames was also featured in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), portraying the district attorney Kyle Sackett. He appeared in the Doris Day-Gordon MacRae film On Moonlight Bay (1951), its sequel By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953) and Peyton Place (1957) and From the Terrace (1960).

In the 1961 Walt Disney comedy The Absent-Minded Professor, Ames played college president Rufus Daggett. He reprised the role in the film's 1963 sequel Son of Flubber. In 1970, he was cast as Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox in the action war film Tora! Tora! Tora! His last screen role occurred in Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), playing the grandfather of Kathleen Turner's character.

Radio and television

Ames' first radio broadcast was in January 1942 on Grand Central Station.[10]

His television roles included leads in the adaptations of Life with Father (1953–55)[11]: 604  and Father of the Bride (1961–62).[11]: 336-337  His role in Father of the Bride was soon increased because he had become the series' dominant character.[12]

Ames had the title role of judge John Cooper in the syndicated series Frontier Judge[11]: 370  and played Howard McMann in Bewitched.[11] He joined the cast of Mister Ed (1963–66) as a neighbor[11]: 701  following the death of actor Larry Keating. Ames also appeared in episodes of the NBC anthology series The Barbara Stanwyck Show and on the short-lived CBS legal drama Storefront Lawyers. He played a grandfather in the 1975 The Jeffersons episode “Jenny’s Grandparents”.

Other professional activities

Ames was a founder of the Screen Actors Guild in 1933,[3] and he served as its president in 1957. During the 1960s, Ames owned several Ford dealerships in California.[citation needed]

Personal life

Ames was the father of Robert Fletcher, who was left with his mother when she and Ames split up in 1923.[13][14]

Ames wed actress Christine Gossett in 1938. The couple had a daughter, Shelley (b. 1940), and a son, Leon (b. 1943). Christine retired early from acting to raise their family. They remained married until Ames' death in 1993.[15]

Ames supported Barry Goldwater in the 1964 United States presidential election.[16]

Kidnapping

On February 12, 1964, Ames and his wife were held hostage in their home as an intruder demanded $50,000 before he would free them. Ames called his business partner, who obtained the money from a bank and delivered it to the house as instructed. After inspecting the cash, the kidnapper left Ames in the house, bound with tape, and instructed Mrs. Ames to drive him in the couple's car. He also forced both the business partner and a guest in the Ames house into the trunk. Eventually, police (who had been alerted by the partner while he was picking up the money) surrounded the car and freed the hostages.[17]

Death

On October 12, 1993, Ames died at the age of 91 in Laguna Beach, California of complications after suffering a stroke.[18] His gravesite is at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.[19]

Recognition

In 1980, after 50 years in show business, Ames received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.[20]

Filmography

Partial television credits

See also

References

External links

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