Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Leon Ames is exactly the sort of actor I think gets undervalued. Born Harry Leon Wycoff in Portland, Indiana, he became Hollywood's quintessential father figure in films like Meet Me in St. Louis, Little Women, and On Moonlight Bay, while showing real edge in The Postman Always Rings Twice. Anchoring a family story without stealing the scene is a craft few master, and he did it for decades. I respect just as much his work as a trade unionist serving the Screen Actors Guild, which earned him a 1980 Life Achievement Award. A steady, generous career spanning ninety years deserves lasting admiration.
Overview
Leon Ames (born Harry Leon Wycoff; 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).
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Leon Ames
- Name (Japanese)
- レオン・エイムズ
- Reading
- れおん・えいむず
- Born
- January 20, 1902 – October 12, 1993
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Tiger
- Origin
- Portland, Indiana, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- actor / stage actor / television actor / trade unionist / film actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 1980 Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Actor — see all → · Stage actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.