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Leon Ames
from the trailer for the film The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
Born	Leon Wycoff January 20, 1903(1903-01-20) Portland, Indiana, U.S.
Died	October 12, 1993 (aged 90) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1931 – 1986
Spouse(s)	Christine Gossett (1938-1993) (his death) 2 children

Leon Ames (January 20, 1903 – October 12, 1993) was an American film and television actor.

Ames was born Leon Wycoff^[1] in Portland, Indiana to Russian immigrants. He is best remembered for playing fatherly figures in such films as Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), as Judy Garland's father, and in Little Women (1949).

Career

He also appeared in featured roles in Quick Millions (1931), Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), The Velvet Touch (1947), A Date with Judy (1948), the Doris Day-Gordon MacRae film On Moonlight Bay (1951) and its sequel, By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953), and Peyton Place (1957). He played the role of Samuel Eaton, Alfred Eaton (Paul Newman)'s father in From the Terrace (1960).

Other television roles included lead roles in the television adaptations of Life With Father (1953-55) and Father of the Bride (1961-62), and as Mr. Ed's neighbor, Gordon "The Colonel" Kirkwood (1961-66). He also appeared in the NBC anthology series, The Barbara Stanwyck Show.

He is also notable as one of the performers who founded the Screen Actors Guild in 1933.^[1] He served as president of SAG in 1957.

His last film role was in Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), with Kathleen Turner, as Barney Alvorg.

Selected filmography

• International Settlement (1938)

External links

• Leon Ames at the Internet Movie Database
• Leon Ames at Allmovie
• Leon Ames at the TCM Movie Database
• Leon Ames at the Internet Broadway Database
• Leon Ames at Find a Grave

References