Leon Ames

DIED. LEON AMES, 90, actor; in Corona del Mar, California. On big screen and small, Ames’ warm voice and reassuring manner made him a favorite for roles requiring a paternal touch, from Judy Garland’s indulgent turn-of-the century dad in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) to Kathleen Turner’s mystical grandfather in Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), Ames’ last screen role. In all, he appeared in more than 100 films. His television work also had a fatherly bent, as in the short-lived series Life with Father and Father of the Bride. His best- known TV role was the neighbor Gordon Kirkwood on Mr. Ed. A founder of the Screen Actors Guild at a clandestine 1933 meeting, Ames served in a variety of union posts, including national president.