Donald Meek
Acting
Born July 13, 1878 · Glasgow, Scotland, UK
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.
Films (121)
Going Hollywood: The '30s
1984
Magic Town
1947
The Fabulous Joe
1947
Affairs of Geraldine
1946
Janie Gets Married
1946
Colonel Effingham's Raid
1946
Because of Him
1946
State Fair
1945
The Thin Man Goes Home
1944
Barbary Coast Gent
1944
Maisie Goes to Reno
1944
Bathing Beauty
1944
Two Girls and a Sailor
1944
Rationing
1944
Lost Angel
1943
Du Barry Was a Lady
1943
Air Raid Wardens
1943
Keeper of the Flame
1943
They Got Me Covered
1943
Seven Sweethearts
1942
The Omaha Trail
1942
Maisie Gets Her Man
1942
Tortilla Flat
1942
Babes on Broadway
1941
Rise and Shine
1941
The Feminine Touch
1941
A Woman's Face
1941
Barnacle Bill
1941
Blonde Inspiration
1941
Come Live with Me
1941
The Wild Man of Borneo
1941
Hullabaloo
1940
Third Finger, Left Hand
1940
Sky Murder
1940
The Return of Frank James
1940
Phantom Raiders
1940
Turnabout
1940
Star Dust
1940
The Ghost Comes Home
1940
Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet
1940
The Man from Dakota
1940
My Little Chickadee
1940
Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love!
1940
Nick Carter, Master Detective
1939
The Housekeeper's Daughter
1939
Hollywood Cavalcade
1939
Blondie Takes a Vacation
1939
Young Mr. Lincoln
1939
Stagecoach
1939
Jesse James
1939
Hold That Co-ed
1938
You Can't Take It with You
1938
Little Miss Broadway
1938
Having Wonderful Time
1938
Goodbye Broadway
1938
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
1938
Double Danger
1938
You're a Sweetheart
1937
Breakfast for Two
1937
Double Wedding
1937
Make a Wish
1937
Artists & Models
1937
The Toast of New York
1937
Three Legionnaires
1937
Parnell
1937
Behind The Headlines
1937
Maid of Salem
1937
Pennies from Heaven
1936
Love on the Run
1936
Two in a Crowd
1936
Old Hutch
1936
Three Married Men
1936
One Rainy Afternoon
1936
And So They Were Married
1936
Everybody's Old Man
1936
Captain Blood
1935
The Bride Comes Home
1935
Kind Lady
1935
Peter Ibbetson
1935
Happiness C.O.D.
1935
Barbary Coast
1935
She Couldn't Take It
1935
The Return Of Peter Grimm
1935
China Seas
1935
Old Man Rhythm
1935
Village Tale
1935
The Informer
1935
Mark of the Vampire
1935
Baby Face Harrington
1935
The Whole Town's Talking
1935
The Gilded Lily
1935
Society Doctor
1935
Romance in Manhattan
1935
Biography of a Bachelor Girl
1935
The Captain Hates the Sea
1934
The Merry Widow
1934
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
1934
What Every Woman Knows
1934
The Defense Rests
1934
Murder at the Vanities
1934
The Last Gentleman
1934
Bedside
1934
Hi, Nellie!
1934
College Coach
1933
Love, Honor and Oh, Baby!
1933
The Trans-Atlantic Mystery
1932
The Crane Poison Case
1932
The Side Show Mystery
1932
Murder in the Pullman
1932
The Cole Case
1932
The Skull Murder Mystery
1932
Wayward
1932
The Studio Murder Mystery
1932
The Symphony Murder Mystery
1932
The Week End Mystery
1931
The Wall Street Mystery
1931
The Clyde Mystery
1931
Personal Maid
1931
The Girl Habit
1931
The Hole in the Wall
1929
Six Cylinder Love
1923