Donald Meek
Donald Meek
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. 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
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
120
Gender
Male
Birthday
1878-07-13 (146 years old)
Place of Birth
Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Acting

1984

Going Hollywood: The '30s as (archive footage)

1947

Magic Town as Mr. Twiddle

1947

The Fabulous Joe as Henry Cadwallader, Lawyer

1946

Colonel Effingham's Raid as Doc Buden

1946

Janie Gets Married as Harley P. Stowers

1946

Because of Him as Martin

1946

Affairs of Geraldine as Casper Millhouse

1945

State Fair as Hippenstahl

1944

The Thin Man Goes Home as Willie Crump

1944

Bathing Beauty as Chester Klazenfrantz

1944

Two Girls and a Sailor as Mr. Nizby

1944

Maisie Goes to Reno as Parsons

1944

Barbary Coast Gent as Bradford Bellamy I

1944

Rationing as Wilfred Ball

1943

Du Barry Was a Lady as Mr. Jones / Duc de Choiseul

1943

Keeper of the Flame as Mr Arbuthnot

1943

Lost Angel as Professor Catty

1943

They Got Me Covered as Little Old Man

1943

Air Raid Wardens as Eustace Middling

1942

Tortilla Flat as Paul D. Cummings

1942

Seven Sweethearts as Reverend Howgan, the Minister

1942

The Omaha Trail as Engineer Jonah McCleod

1942

Maisie Gets Her Man as Mr. Stickwell

1941

A Woman's Face as Herman Rundvik

1941

Babes on Broadway as Mr. Stone

1941

Come Live with Me as Joe Darsie

1941

The Feminine Touch as Captain Makepeace Liveright

1941

Rise and Shine as Professor Philip Murray

1941

Blonde Inspiration as 'Dusty' King

1941

Barnacle Bill as "Pop" Cavendish

1941

The Wild Man of Borneo as Professor Charles W. Birdo

1940

Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet as Mittelmeyer

1940

Turnabout as Henry, the Valet

1940

My Little Chickadee as Amos Budge

1940

Third Finger, Left Hand as Mr. Flandrin

1940

The Ghost Comes Home as Mortimer Hopkins, Sr.

1940

Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love! as Adelbert Thistlebottom

1940

The Man from Dakota as Mr. Vestry

1940

Sky Murder as Bartholomew

1940

Star Dust as Sam Wellman

1940

Phantom Raiders as Bartholomew

1940

Hullabaloo as Mr. Clyde Perkins

1939

Stagecoach as Samuel Peacock

1939

Jesse James as McCoy

1939

Young Mr. Lincoln as Prosecutor John Felder

1939

Nick Carter, Master Detective as Bartholomew, the bee man

1939

Hollywood Cavalcade as Lyle P. Stout

1939

The Housekeeper's Daughter as Editor Wilson

1939

Blondie Takes a Vacation as Jonathan N. Gillis

1938

You Can't Take It with You as Mr. Poppins

1938

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as Sunday School Superintendent

1938

Little Miss Broadway as Willoughby Wendling

1938

Having Wonderful Time as P.U. Rogers

1938

Hold That Co-ed as Dean Thatcher

1938

Goodbye Broadway as Iradius P. Oglethorpe

1938

Double Danger as Gordon Ainsley, aka Henry Robinson

1937

Double Wedding as Judge Blynn (uncredited)

1937

Artists & Models as Dr. Zimmer

1937

The Toast of New York as Daniel Drew

1937

Make a Wish as Joseph

1937

Parnell as Nicholas Daniel Murphy

1937

Maid of Salem as Ezra Cheeves

1937

Breakfast for Two as Justice of the Peace

1937

You're a Sweetheart as Conway Jeeters

1937

Behind The Headlines as Potter

1937

Three Legionnaires as Uriah S. Grant

1936

Pennies from Heaven as Gramp Smith

1936

One Rainy Afternoon as Judge

1936

Love on the Run as Caretaker

1936

Two in a Crowd as Bennett

1936

And So They Were Married as Hotel Manager

1936

Everybody's Old Man as Finney

1936

Three Married Men as Mr. Frisbee

1936

Old Hutch as Mr. Gunnison

1935

China Seas as Chess Player (uncredited)

1935

Captain Blood as Dr. Whacker

1935

The Informer as Peter Mulligan

1935

Barbary Coast as Sawbuck McTavish

1935

Mark of the Vampire as Dr. Doskil

1935

Peter Ibbetson as Mr. Slade

1935

She Couldn't Take It as Uncle Wyndersham

1935

Village Tale as Charlie

1935

Romance in Manhattan as Minister

1935

The Gilded Lily as Hankerson

1935

The Bride Comes Home as The Judge

1935

Biography of a Bachelor Girl as Mr. Irish, Moose Village General Store

1935

The Return Of Peter Grimm as Mayor Everett Bartholomew

1935

Old Man Rhythm as Paul Parker

1935

Baby Face Harrington as Skinner

1935

Kind Lady as Mr. Foster

1935

Happiness C.O.D. as Thomas Sherridan

1935

Society Doctor as Moxley

1934

The Merry Widow as Valet

1934

Murder at the Vanities as Dr. Saunders

1934

What Every Woman Knows as Snibby the Jeweler (uncredited)

1934

Bedside as Dr. George Wiley

1934

The Defense Rests as Fogg

1934

Hi, Nellie! as Durkin

1934

The Captain Hates the Sea as Josephus Bushmills

1934

The Last Gentleman as Judd Barr, Cabot's son

1933

College Coach as Spencer Trask

1932

Wayward as Hotel Clerk (uncredited)

1932

The Trans-Atlantic Mystery as Dr. Crabtree - Criminologist

1932

The Studio Murder Mystery as Dr. Crabtree

1932

Murder in the Pullman as Dr. Amos Crabtree

1932

The Symphony Murder Mystery as Dr. Crabtree

1932

The Skull Murder Mystery as Dr. Crabtree

1932

The Crane Poison Case as Dr. Amos Crabtree

1932

The Cole Case as Dr. Crabtree

1932

The Side Show Mystery as Dr. Amos Crabtree

1931

Personal Maid as Pa Ryan

1931

The Wall Street Mystery as Doctor Crabtree

1931

The Week End Mystery as Dr. Amos Crabtree

1931

The Girl Habit as Jonesy

1931

The Clyde Mystery as Dr. Amos Crabtree

1929

The Hole in the Wall as Goofy

1923

Six Cylinder Love as Richard Burton