Donald Meek


Thomas Donald Meek was a Scottish-American actor. He first performed publicly at the age of eight and began appearing on Broadway in 1903.
Meek appeared in the films You Can't Take It with You and Stagecoach. He posthumously received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.

Early years

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.

Career

Meek's Broadway credits include The Minister's Daughters, Going Up, Nothing But Love, The Hottentot, Little Old New York, Six-Cylinder Love, Tweedles, The Potters, Easy Terms, Fool's Bells, Love 'em and Leave 'em, The Shelf, Spread Eagle, My Princess, The Ivory Door, Mr. Moneypenny, and Jonesy. In Broken Dishes, he starred with a young Bette Davis.
After years on the stage, Meek became a film actor. His movies include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, ''Little Miss Broadway, and State Fair.
Meek, who had lost his hair due to yellow fever, 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 Bros. two-reel short subjects written by S.S. Van Dine.

Personal life

Meek and Isabella "Belle" Walken married in Boston in a Methodist church on 3 January 1909. By this marriage, the American-born Belle Meek lost her United States citizenship by taking her husband's British nationality.

Death

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.

Selected filmography

  • Six Cylinder Love as Richard Burton
  • The Hole in the Wall as Goofy
  • The Love Kiss as William
  • The Girl Habit as Jonesy
  • Personal Maid as Pa Ryan
  • Wayward as Hotel Clerk
  • Love, Honor, and Oh Baby! as Luther Bowen
  • Ever in My Heart as Storekeeper
  • College Coach as Prof. Spencer Trask
  • Hi Nellie! as Durkin
  • Bedside as Dr. George Wiley
  • The Last Gentleman as Judd Barr
  • Murder at the Vanities as Dr. Saunders
  • The Defense Rests as Fogg
  • The Merry Widow as Valet
  • Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch as Mr. Wiggs
  • What Every Woman Knows as Snibby – Jeweler
  • The Captain Hates the Sea as Josephus Bushmills
  • It's a Gift as Uncle Bean in Photograph
  • The Mighty Barnum as Minor Role
  • Biography of a Bachelor Girl as Mr. Irish, Moose Village General Store
  • Romance in Manhattan as Minister
  • The Gilded Lily as Hankerson
  • Society Doctor as Moxley
  • The Whole Town's Talking as Hoyt
  • Baby Face Harrington as Skinner
  • Mark of the Vampire as Dr. Doskil
  • The Informer as Peter Mulligan
  • Village Tale as Charlie
  • Old Man Rhythm as Paul Parker
  • China Seas as Passenger Playing Chess
  • Accent on Youth as Orville
  • Happiness C.O.D. as Thomas Sherridan
  • The Return of Peter Grimm as Mayor Everett Bartholomew
  • She Couldn't Take It as Uncle Wyndersham
  • Barbary Coast as Sawbuck McTavish
  • Peter Ibbetson as Mr. Slade
  • Kind Lady as Mr. Foster
  • Captain Blood as Dr. Whacker
  • The Bride Comes Home as The Judge
  • Everybody's Old Man as Finney
  • And So They Were Married as Hotel Manager
  • One Rainy Afternoon as Judge
  • Three Wise Guys as Gribbie
  • Three Married Men as Mr. Frisbee
  • Old Hutch as Mr. Gunnison
  • Two in a Crowd as Bennett
  • Love on the Run as Caretaker
  • Pennies from Heaven as Gramp Smith
  • Maid of Salem as Ezra Cheeves
  • Behind the Headlines as Potter
  • Parnell as Murphy
  • Three Legionnaires as Uriah S. Grant
  • The Toast of New York as Daniel Drew
  • Artists and Models as Dr. Zimmer
  • Make a Wish as Joseph
  • Double Wedding as Judge Blynn
  • Breakfast for Two as Justice of the Peace
  • You're a Sweetheart as Conway Jeeters
  • Double Danger as Gordon Ainsley aka Henry Robinson
  • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as Sunday School Superintendent
  • Goodbye Broadway as Iradius P. Oglethorpe
  • Having Wonderful Time as P.U. Rogers
  • Little Miss Broadway as Willoughby Wendling
  • You Can't Take It with You as Poppins
  • Hold That Co-ed as Dean Fletcher
  • Jesse James as Mc Coy
  • Stagecoach as Samuel Peacock
  • Young Mr. Lincoln as Prosecutor John Felder
  • Blondie Takes a Vacation as Jonathan N. Gillis
  • Hollywood Cavalcade as Lyle P. Stout
  • The Housekeeper's Daughter as Editor Wilson
  • Nick Carter, Master Detective as Bartholomew
  • Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love as Adelbert Thistlebottom
  • Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet as Mittelmeyer
  • My Little Chickadee as Amos Budge
  • The Man from Dakota as Mr. Vestry
  • The Ghost Comes Home as Mortimer Hopkins, Sr.
  • Star Dust as Sam Wellman
  • Turnabout as Henry
  • Phantom Raiders as Bartholomew
  • The Return of Frank James as McCoy
  • Sky Murder as Bartholomew
  • Third Finger, Left Hand as Mr. Flandrin
  • Hullabaloo as Mr. Clyde Perkins
  • Design for Scandal
  • The Wild Man of Borneo as Professor Birdo
  • Come Live with Me as Joe Darsie
  • Blonde Inspiration as 'Dusty' King
  • Free and Easy as Tout
  • Barnacle Bill as 'Pop' Cavendish
  • A Woman's Face as Herman Rundvik
  • The Feminine Touch as Captain Makepeace Liveright
  • Rise and Shine as Professor Philip Murray
  • Babes on Broadway as Mr. Stone
  • Tortilla Flat as Paul D. Cummings
  • Maisie Gets Her Man as Mr. Stickwell
  • The Omaha Trail as Engineer Jonah McCleod
  • Seven Sweethearts as Reverend Howgan, the Minister
  • Keeper of the Flame as Mr. Arbuthnot
  • They Got Me Covered as Little Old Man
  • Air Raid Wardens as Eustace Middling
  • Du Barry Was a Lady as Mr. Jones / Duc de Choiseul
  • Lost Angel as Professor Catty
  • Rationing as Wilfred Ball
  • Two Girls and a Sailor as Mr. Nizby
  • Bathing Beauty as Chester Klazenfrantz
  • Maisie Goes to Reno as Parsons
  • Barbary Coast Gent as Bradford Bellamy I
  • The Thin Man Goes Home as Willie Crump
  • State Fair as Hippenstahl
  • Because of Him as Martin
  • Colonel Effingham's Raid as Doc Buden
  • Janie Gets Married as Harley P. Stowers
  • Affairs of Geraldine as Casper Millhouse
  • The Hal Roach Comedy Carnival as Henry Cadwallader, in 'Fabulous Joe'
  • The Fabulous Joe as Henry Cadwallader, Lawyer
  • Magic Town as Mr. Twiddle