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Donald Meek
Actor

Donald Meek

13 Jul 1878Born
18 Nov 1946Died
68Age at death
122Credits

Biography

Thomas Donald Meek (14 July 1878 – 18 November 1946) was a Scottish-American actor. He first performed publicly at the age of eight and began appearing on Broadway in 1903. Meek is perhaps best known for his roles in the films You Can't Take It with You (1938) and Stagecoach (1939). He posthumously received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.

Meek was born in Glasgow to Matthew and Annie Meek. In the 1890s, the Meek family emigrated to Canada and then to the United States.

Read the full biography

By 1900, they were living in Philadelphia where Meek was employed as a dry goods salesman, according to the United States census of that year with Meek later working on stage.

After years on the stage, Meek became a film actor, appearing memorably in several movies including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Little Miss Broadway, and State Fair. Before becoming an actor, he fought in the Spanish–American War in the United States Army and contracted yellow fever which caused him to lose his hair. He was cast as timid, worried characters in many of his films, and is perhaps best known for his roles as Mr. Poppins in Frank Capra's You Can't Take It With You and as whiskey salesman Samuel Peacock in John Ford's Stagecoach.

From 1931 through 1932, Meek was featured as criminologist Dr. Crabtree in a series of 12 Warner Brothers two-reel short subjects written by S.S. Van Dine. Meek and Isabella "Belle" Walken married in Boston in a Methodist church on January 3, 1909. By this marriage, the American-born Belle Meek lost her United States citizenship by taking her husband's British nationality. Donald Meek died of leukaemia on 18 November 1946 in Los Angeles, while filming the role of Mr. Twiddle in Magic Town. A prolific film actor in over 100 Hollywood movies during its Golden Age, he received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was entombed in the Fairmount Mausoleum at Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 122 credits.

  1. 1984Going Hollywood: The '30sFilm: (archive footage)
  2. 1947Magic TownFilm: Mr. Twiddle
  3. 1947The Fabulous JoeFilm: Henry Cadwallader, Lawyer
  4. 1946Affairs of GeraldineFilm: Casper Millhouse
  5. 1946Janie Gets MarriedFilm: Harley P. Stowers
  6. 1946Colonel Effingham's RaidFilm: Doc Buden
  7. 1946Because of HimFilm: Martin
  8. 1945State FairFilm: Hippenstahl
  9. 1944The Thin Man Goes HomeFilm: Willie Crump
  10. 1944Barbary Coast GentFilm: Bradford Bellamy I
  11. 1944Maisie Goes to RenoFilm: Parsons
  12. 1944Bathing BeautyFilm: Chester Klazenfrantz
  13. 1944Two Girls and a SailorFilm: Mr. Nizby
  14. 1944RationingFilm: Wilfred Ball
  15. 1943Lost AngelFilm: Professor Catty
  16. 1943Du Barry Was a LadyFilm: Mr. Jones / Duc de Choiseul
  17. 1943Air Raid WardensFilm: Eustace Middling
  18. 1943Keeper of the FlameFilm: Mr Arbuthnot
  19. 1943They Got Me CoveredFilm: Little Old Man
  20. 1942Seven SweetheartsFilm: Reverend Howgan, the Minister
  21. 1942The Omaha TrailFilm: Engineer Jonah McCleod
  22. 1942Maisie Gets Her ManFilm: Mr. Stickwell
  23. 1942Tortilla FlatFilm: Paul D. Cummings
  24. 1941Babes on BroadwayFilm: Mr. Stone
  25. 1941Rise and ShineFilm: Professor Philip Murray
  26. 1941The Feminine TouchFilm: Captain Makepeace Liveright
  27. 1941A Woman's FaceFilm: Herman Rundvik
  28. 1941Barnacle BillFilm: "Pop" Cavendish
  29. 1941Blonde InspirationFilm: 'Dusty' King
  30. 1941Come Live with MeFilm: Joe Darsie
  31. 1941The Wild Man of BorneoFilm: Professor Charles W. Birdo
  32. 1940HullabalooFilm: Mr. Clyde Perkins
  33. 1940Third Finger, Left HandFilm: Mr. Flandrin
  34. 1940Sky MurderFilm: Bartholomew
  35. 1940The Return of Frank JamesFilm: McCoy
  36. 1940Phantom RaidersFilm: Bartholomew
  37. 1940TurnaboutFilm: Henry, the Valet
  38. 1940Star DustFilm: Sam Wellman
  39. 1940The Ghost Comes HomeFilm: Mortimer Hopkins, Sr.
  40. 1940Dr. Ehrlich's Magic BulletFilm: Mittelmeyer
  41. 1940The Man from DakotaFilm: Mr. Vestry
  42. 1940My Little ChickadeeFilm: Amos Budge
  43. 1940Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love!Film: Adelbert Thistlebottom
  44. 1939Nick Carter, Master DetectiveFilm: Bartholomew, the bee man
  45. 1939The Housekeeper's DaughterFilm: Editor Wilson
  46. 1939Hollywood CavalcadeFilm: Lyle P. Stout
  47. 1939Blondie Takes a VacationFilm: Jonathan N. Gillis
  48. 1939Young Mr. LincolnFilm: Prosecutor John Felder
  49. 1939StagecoachFilm: Samuel Peacock
  50. 1939Jesse JamesFilm: McCoy
  51. 1938Hold That Co-edFilm: Dean Thatcher
  52. 1938You Can't Take It with YouFilm: Poppins
  53. 1938Little Miss BroadwayFilm: Willoughby Wendling
  54. 1938Having Wonderful TimeFilm: P.U. Rogers
  55. 1938Goodbye BroadwayFilm: Iradius P. Oglethorpe
  56. 1938The Adventures of Tom SawyerFilm: Sunday School Superintendent
  57. 1938Double DangerFilm: Gordon Ainsley, aka Henry Robinson
  58. 1937You're a SweetheartFilm: Conway Jeeters
  59. 1937Breakfast for TwoFilm: Justice of the Peace
  60. 1937Double WeddingFilm: Judge Blynn (uncredited)
  61. 1937Make a WishFilm: Joseph
  62. 1937Artists & ModelsFilm: Dr. Zimmer
  63. 1937The Toast of New YorkFilm: Daniel Drew
  64. 1937Three LegionnairesFilm: Uriah S. Grant
  65. 1937ParnellFilm: Nicholas Daniel Murphy
  66. 1937Behind The HeadlinesFilm: Potter
  67. 1937Maid of SalemFilm: Ezra Cheeves
  68. 1936Pennies from HeavenFilm: Gramp Smith
  69. 1936Love on the RunFilm: Caretaker
  70. 1936Two in a CrowdFilm: Bennett
  71. 1936Old HutchFilm: Mr. Gunnison
  72. 1936Three Married MenFilm: Mr. Frisbee
  73. 1936One Rainy AfternoonFilm: Judge
  74. 1936And So They Were MarriedFilm: Hotel Manager
  75. 1936Everybody's Old ManFilm: Finney
  76. 1935Captain BloodFilm: Dr. Whacker
  77. 1935The Bride Comes HomeFilm: The Judge
  78. 1935Kind LadyFilm: Mr. Foster
  79. 1935Peter IbbetsonFilm: Mr. Slade
  80. 1935Happiness C.O.D.Film: Thomas Sherridan

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.