Donald Meek

Birthday: 1878-07-13
Deathday: 1946-11-18
Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Gender: Male
Owned By: Unowned

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. 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.

Credits

Year Title Character
1947-10-07 Magic Town Mr. Twiddle
1947-08-28 The Fabulous Joe Henry Cadwallader, Lawyer
1946-11-18 Affairs of Geraldine Casper Millhouse
1946-06-22 Janie Gets Married Harley P. Stowers
1946-01-24 Colonel Effingham's Raid Doc Buden
1946-01-18 Because of Him Martin
1945-08-29 State Fair Hippenstahl
1944-12-24 The Thin Man Goes Home Willie Crump
1944-09-01 Barbary Coast Gent Bradford Bellamy I
1944-08-15 Maisie Goes to Reno Parsons
1944-06-27 Bathing Beauty Chester Klazenfrantz
1944-06-14 Two Girls and a Sailor Mr. Nizby
1944-03-24 Rationing Wilfred Ball
1943-12-23 Lost Angel Professor Catty
1943-08-13 Du Barry Was a Lady Mr. Jones / Duc de Choiseul
1943-04-04 Air Raid Wardens Eustace Middling
1943-04-01 Keeper of the Flame Mr Arbuthnot
1943-03-04 They Got Me Covered Little Old Man
1942-11-13 Seven Sweethearts Reverend Howgan, the Minister
1942-09-01 The Omaha Trail Engineer Jonah McCleod
1942-06-01 Maisie Gets Her Man Mr. Stickwell
1942-05-21 Tortilla Flat Paul D. Cummings
1941-12-31 Babes on Broadway Mr. Stone
1941-11-21 Rise and Shine Professor Philip Murray
1941-10-01 The Feminine Touch Captain Makepeace Liveright
1941-05-09 A Woman's Face Herman Rundvik
1941-04-07 Barnacle Bill "Pop" Cavendish
1941-02-07 Blonde Inspiration 'Dusty' King
1941-01-31 Come Live with Me Joe Darsie
1941-01-24 The Wild Man of Borneo Professor Charles W. Birdo
1940-10-25 Hullabaloo Mr. Clyde Perkins
1940-10-11 Third Finger, Left Hand Mr. Flandrin
1940-09-27 Sky Murder Bartholomew
1940-08-10 The Return of Frank James McCoy
1940-06-07 Phantom Raiders Bartholomew
1940-05-17 Turnabout Henry, the Valet
1940-04-06 Star Dust Sam Wellman
1940-03-08 The Ghost Comes Home Mortimer Hopkins, Sr.
1940-02-23 Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet Mittelmeyer
1940-02-16 The Man from Dakota Mr. Vestry
1940-02-09 My Little Chickadee Amos Budge
1940-01-01 Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love! Adelbert Thistlebottom
1939-12-13 Nick Carter, Master Detective Bartholomew, the bee man
1939-10-26 The Housekeeper's Daughter Editor Wilson
1939-10-13 Hollywood Cavalcade Lyle P. Stout
1939-07-20 Blondie Takes a Vacation Jonathan N. Gillis
1939-06-09 Young Mr. Lincoln Prosecutor John Felder
1939-03-02 Stagecoach Samuel Peacock
1939-01-14 Jesse James McCoy
1938-09-16 Hold That Co-ed Dean Thatcher
1938-09-01 You Can't Take It with You Mr. Poppins
1938-07-29 Little Miss Broadway Willoughby Wendling
1938-07-01 Having Wonderful Time P.U. Rogers
1938-04-01 Goodbye Broadway Iradius P. Oglethorpe
1938-02-11 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Sunday School Superintendent
1938-01-28 Double Danger Gordon Ainsley, aka Henry Robinson
1937-12-26 You're a Sweetheart Conway Jeeters
1937-10-22 Breakfast for Two Justice of the Peace
1937-10-15 Double Wedding Judge Blynn (uncredited)
1937-09-01 Make a Wish Joseph
1937-08-04 Artists & Models Dr. Zimmer
1937-07-22 The Toast of New York Daniel Drew
1937-07-10 Three Legionnaires Uriah S. Grant
1937-06-04 Parnell Nicholas Daniel Murphy
1937-05-14 Behind The Headlines Potter
1937-02-12 Maid of Salem Ezra Cheeves
1936-11-25 Pennies from Heaven Gramp Smith
1936-11-20 Love on the Run Caretaker
1936-10-03 Two in a Crowd Bennett
1936-09-25 Old Hutch Mr. Gunnison
1936-09-24 Three Married Men Mr. Frisbee
1936-05-13 One Rainy Afternoon Judge
1936-05-10 And So They Were Married Hotel Manager
1936-03-20 Everybody's Old Man Finney
1935-12-26 Captain Blood Dr. Whacker
1935-12-25 The Bride Comes Home The Judge
1935-12-06 Kind Lady Mr. Foster
1935-11-07 Peter Ibbetson Mr. Slade
1935-10-14 Happiness C.O.D. Thomas Sherridan
1935-10-13 Barbary Coast Sawbuck McTavish
1935-10-08 She Couldn't Take It Uncle Wyndersham
1935-09-13 The Return Of Peter Grimm Mayor Everett Bartholomew
1935-08-09 China Seas Chess Player (uncredited)
1935-08-02 Old Man Rhythm Paul Parker
1935-06-15 Village Tale Charlie
1935-05-09 The Informer Peter Mulligan
1935-04-26 Mark of the Vampire Dr. Doskil
1935-04-12 Baby Face Harrington Skinner
1935-02-22 The Whole Town's Talking Hoyt
1935-01-25 The Gilded Lily Hankerson
1935-01-25 Society Doctor Moxley
1935-01-11 Romance in Manhattan Minister
1935-01-04 Biography of a Bachelor Girl Mr. Irish, Moose Village General Store
1934-11-02 The Captain Hates the Sea Josephus Bushmills
1934-11-02 The Merry Widow Valet
1934-10-28 Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch Mr. Wiggs
1934-10-18 What Every Woman Knows Snibby the Jeweler (uncredited)
1934-07-15 The Defense Rests Fogg
1934-05-18 Murder at the Vanities Dr. Saunders
1934-04-27 The Last Gentleman Judd Barr, Cabot's son
1934-01-27 Bedside Dr. George Wiley
1934-01-20 Hi, Nellie! Durkin
1933-11-04 College Coach Spencer Trask
1932-08-31 The Trans-Atlantic Mystery Dr. Crabtree - Criminologist
1932-07-08 The Crane Poison Case Dr. Amos Crabtree
1932-06-01 The Side Show Mystery Dr. Amos Crabtree
1932-05-01 Murder in the Pullman Dr. Amos Crabtree
1932-04-01 The Cole Case Dr. Crabtree
1932-03-01 The Skull Murder Mystery Dr. Crabtree
1932-02-19 Wayward Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
1932-02-17 The Studio Murder Mystery Dr. Crabtree
1932-01-13 The Symphony Murder Mystery Dr. Crabtree
1931-12-01 The Week End Mystery Dr. Amos Crabtree
1931-11-04 The Wall Street Mystery Doctor Crabtree
1931-10-01 The Clyde Mystery Dr. Amos Crabtree
1931-09-12 Personal Maid Pa Ryan
1931-06-27 The Girl Habit Jonesy
1929-04-27 The Hole in the Wall Goofy
1923-11-04 Six Cylinder Love Richard Burton