Donald Meek
Acting
🎂 1878-07-13
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.
Cast credits(120)
Samuel Peacock
1939
McCoy
1940
Dr. Whacker
1935
Mr. Poppins
1938
Willie Crump
1944
Judge
1936
Prosecutor John Felder
1939
Sunday School Superintendent
1938
Chester Klazenfrantz
1944
McCoy
1939
Dr. Doskil
1935
Sawbuck McTavish
1935
Mr. Jones / Duc de Choiseul
1943
Doc Buden
1946
Joe Darsie
1941
Mr. Stone
1941
Mr. Slade
1935
Mr. Nizby
1944
Mr Arbuthnot
1943
Chess Player (uncredited)
1935
Justice of the Peace
1937
Uncle Wyndersham
1935
Professor Philip Murray
1941
Mr. Twiddle
1947
Little Old Man
1943
Valet
1934
Hankerson
1935
Amos Budge
1940
Bennett
1936
Judge Blynn (uncredited)
1937
Mr. Foster
1935
Hippenstahl
1945
Herman Rundvik
1941
Peter Mulligan
1935
Ezra Cheeves
1937
Paul D. Cummings
1942
Gramp Smith
1936
Daniel Drew
1937
Mittelmeyer
1940
Jonathan N. Gillis
1939
Iradius P. Oglethorpe
1938
Josephus Bushmills
1934
Pa Ryan
1931
Parsons
1944
Henry, the Valet
1940
Conway Jeeters
1937
Minister
1935
Eustace Middling
1943
Willoughby Wendling
1938
Mr. Flandrin
1940
Reverend Howgan, the Minister
1942
Bartholomew
1940
Durkin
1934
Hoyt
1935
(archive footage)
1984
Joseph
1937
Dr. Saunders
1934
Adelbert Thistlebottom
1940
Caretaker
1936
Mr. Stickwell
1942
Uriah S. Grant
1937
Lyle P. Stout
1939
Snibby the Jeweler (uncredited)
1934
Goofy
1929
Skinner
1935
Spencer Trask
1933
Wilfred Ball
1944
Nicholas Daniel Murphy
1937
Henry Cadwallader, Lawyer
1947
Martin
1946
P.U. Rogers
1938
Captain Makepeace Liveright
1941
Mr. Clyde Perkins
1940
Bartholomew, the bee man
1939
Fogg
1934
Editor Wilson
1939
Dr. George Wiley
1934
Casper Millhouse
1946
Dr. Zimmer
1937
Hotel Manager
1936
Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
1932
Mortimer Hopkins, Sr.
1940
Mr. Wiggs
1934
'Dusty' King
1941
Professor Catty
1943
Potter
1937
Paul Parker
1935
Dr. Amos Crabtree
1931
Judd Barr, Cabot's son
1934
Mr. Gunnison
1936
Bartholomew
1940
Bradford Bellamy I
1944
The Judge
1935
Dean Thatcher
1938
Mayor Everett Bartholomew
1935
"Pop" Cavendish
1941
Sam Wellman
1940
Engineer Jonah McCleod
1942
Mr. Vestry
1940
Dr. Amos Crabtree
1931
Thomas Sherridan
1935
Professor Charles W. Birdo
1941
Gordon Ainsley, aka Henry Robinson
1938
Mr. Irish, Moose Village General Store
1935
Charlie
1935
Harley P. Stowers
1946
Dr. Crabtree
1932
Jonesy
1931
Dr. Amos Crabtree
1932
Moxley
1935
Dr. Amos Crabtree
1932
Dr. Crabtree
1932
Dr. Amos Crabtree
1932
Dr. Crabtree - Criminologist
1932
Dr. Crabtree
1932
Mr. Frisbee
1936
Doctor Crabtree
1931
Dr. Crabtree
1932
Richard Burton
1923
Finney
1936