DON AMECHE - PROGRAM SIGNED CIRCA 1958 CO-SIGNED BY: IRENE MANNING - HFSID 322069

DON AMECHE and IRENE MANNING
Actors sign program for their production of Holiday for Lovers in blue ink
Program signed: "Don Ameche" (Robert Dean) and "Irene Manning" (Mary Dean), in blue ink. 24 pages, 5¼x7¼, affixed to 9x12 piece of construction paper. DON AMECHE (1908-1993) played mostly second leads until 1939, when he memorably played the title role in The Story of Alexander Graham Bell. (For years afterward a telephone was often called an "ameche". That same year he portrayed D'Artagnan in a musical comedy version of The Three Musketeers, and he had major starring roles throughout the 1940s. (He also co-starred with Frances Langford in the long-running radio series, The Bickersons. Much less active in the next three decades, despite some low budget films and TV guest roles, he made a big comeback in the 1980s. In 1985, Ameche starred in Cocoon and won the 1986 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. It was his only Oscar nomination. He followed up that role to even more acclaim in 1988's concoction Things Change. Before his death in 1993, Ameche rounded out his career with short but acclaimed performances in Oscar (1991) and Corrina, Corrina (1994). IRENE MANNING (1912-2004) was a light opera singer who became a leading lady in 12 movies between 1936 and 1945. Her most memorable movie role is that of Fay Templeton in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942). Manning was also fluent in singing German and recorded a number of American pop tunes with Glenn Miller in 1944 to be played into Nazi Germany over the American Broadcasting System in Europe; they were some of the last records Miller recorded before his death later that year. After appearing in two Broadway plays in 1939 and 1945, she returned to the stage for good, with an occasional appearance on TV. Toned. Soiled and worn throughout. Small stains throughout. Corners rounded. Otherwise, fine condition.