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

Stagecoach

Captain Blood

Jesse James

You Can't Take It with You

A Woman's Face

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Bathing Beauty

The Informer
All Movies (123)
- Going Hollywood: The '30s1984 · as (archive footage)
- Bob Hope's World of Comedy1976 · as Self - Tribute Montage (archive footage)
- Magic Town1947 · as Mr. Twiddle
- The Fabulous Joe1947 · as Henry Cadwallader, Lawyer
- Affairs of Geraldine1946 · as Casper Millhouse
- Janie Gets Married1946 · as Harley P. Stowers
- Colonel Effingham's Raid1946 · as Doc Buden
- Because of Him1946 · as Martin
- State Fair1945 · as Hippenstahl
- The Thin Man Goes Home1944 · as Willie Crump
- Barbary Coast Gent1944 · as Bradford Bellamy I
- Maisie Goes to Reno1944 · as Parsons
- Bathing Beauty1944 · as Chester Klazenfrantz
- Two Girls and a Sailor1944 · as Mr. Nizby
- Rationing1944 · as Wilfred Ball
- Lost Angel1943 · as Professor Catty
- Du Barry Was a Lady1943 · as Mr. Jones / Duc de Choiseul
- Air Raid Wardens1943 · as Eustace Middling
- Keeper of the Flame1943 · as Mr Arbuthnot
- They Got Me Covered1943 · as Little Old Man
- Seven Sweethearts1942 · as Reverend Howgan, the Minister
- The Omaha Trail1942 · as Engineer Jonah McCleod
- Maisie Gets Her Man1942 · as Mr. Stickwell
- Tortilla Flat1942 · as Paul D. Cummings
- Babes on Broadway1941 · as Mr. Stone
- Rise and Shine1941 · as Professor Philip Murray
- The Feminine Touch1941 · as Captain Makepeace Liveright
- A Woman's Face1941 · as Herman Rundvik
- Barnacle Bill1941 · as "Pop" Cavendish
- Blonde Inspiration1941 · as 'Dusty' King
- Come Live with Me1941 · as Joe Darsie
- The Wild Man of Borneo1941 · as Professor Charles W. Birdo
- Hullabaloo1940 · as Mr. Clyde Perkins
- Third Finger, Left Hand1940 · as Mr. Flandrin
- Sky Murder1940 · as Bartholomew
- The Return of Frank James1940 · as McCoy
- Phantom Raiders1940 · as Bartholomew
- Turnabout1940 · as Henry, the Valet
- Star Dust1940 · as Sam Wellman
- The Ghost Comes Home1940 · as Mortimer Hopkins, Sr.
- Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet1940 · as Mittelmeyer
- The Man from Dakota1940 · as Mr. Vestry
- My Little Chickadee1940 · as Amos Budge
- Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love!1940 · as Adelbert Thistlebottom
- Nick Carter, Master Detective1939 · as Bartholomew, the bee man
- The Housekeeper's Daughter1939 · as Editor Wilson
- Hollywood Cavalcade1939 · as Lyle P. Stout
- Blondie Takes a Vacation1939 · as Jonathan N. Gillis
- Young Mr. Lincoln1939 · as Prosecutor John Felder
- Stagecoach1939 · as Samuel Peacock
- Jesse James1939 · as McCoy
- Hold That Co-ed1938 · as Dean Thatcher
- You Can't Take It with You1938 · as Poppins
- Little Miss Broadway1938 · as Willoughby Wendling
- Having Wonderful Time1938 · as P.U. Rogers
- Goodbye Broadway1938 · as Iradius P. Oglethorpe
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer1938 · as Sunday School Superintendent
- Double Danger1938 · as Gordon Ainsley, aka Henry Robinson
- You're a Sweetheart1937 · as Conway Jeeters
- Breakfast for Two1937 · as Justice of the Peace
- Double Wedding1937 · as Judge Blynn (uncredited)
- Make a Wish1937 · as Joseph
- Artists & Models1937 · as Dr. Zimmer
- The Toast of New York1937 · as Daniel Drew
- Three Legionnaires1937 · as Uriah S. Grant
- Parnell1937 · as Nicholas Daniel Murphy
- Behind The Headlines1937 · as Potter
- Maid of Salem1937 · as Ezra Cheeves
- Pennies from Heaven1936 · as Gramp Smith
- Love on the Run1936 · as Caretaker
- Two in a Crowd1936 · as Bennett
- Old Hutch1936 · as Mr. Gunnison
- Three Married Men1936 · as Mr. Frisbee
- One Rainy Afternoon1936 · as Judge
- And So They Were Married1936 · as Hotel Manager
- Everybody's Old Man1936 · as Finney
- Captain Blood1935 · as Dr. Whacker
- The Bride Comes Home1935 · as The Judge
- Kind Lady1935 · as Mr. Foster
- Peter Ibbetson1935 · as Mr. Slade
- Happiness C.O.D.1935 · as Thomas Sherridan
- Barbary Coast1935 · as Sawbuck McTavish
- She Couldn't Take It1935 · as Uncle Wyndersham
- The Return Of Peter Grimm1935 · as Mayor Everett Bartholomew
- China Seas1935 · as Chess Player (uncredited)
- Old Man Rhythm1935 · as Paul Parker
- Village Tale1935 · as Charlie
- The Informer1935 · as Peter Mulligan
- Mark of the Vampire1935 · as Dr. Doskil
- Baby Face Harrington1935 · as Skinner
- The Whole Town's Talking1935 · as Hoyt
- The Gilded Lily1935 · as Hankerson
- Society Doctor1935 · as Moxley
- Romance in Manhattan1935 · as Minister
- Biography of a Bachelor Girl1935 · as Mr. Irish, Moose Village General Store
- The Captain Hates the Sea1934 · as Josephus Bushmills
- The Merry Widow1934 · as Valet
- Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch1934 · as Mr. Wiggs
- What Every Woman Knows1934 · as Snibby the Jeweler (uncredited)
- The Defense Rests1934 · as Fogg
- Murder at the Vanities1934 · as Dr. Saunders
- The Last Gentleman1934 · as Judd Barr, Cabot's son
- Bedside1934 · as Dr. George Wiley
- Hi, Nellie!1934 · as Durkin
- College Coach1933 · as Spencer Trask
- Love, Honor and Oh, Baby!1933 · as Luther Bowen
- The Trans-Atlantic Mystery1932 · as Dr. Crabtree - Criminologist
- The Crane Poison Case1932 · as Dr. Amos Crabtree
- The Side Show Mystery1932 · as Dr. Amos Crabtree
- Murder in the Pullman1932 · as Dr. Amos Crabtree
- The Cole Case1932 · as Dr. Crabtree
- The Skull Murder Mystery1932 · as Dr. Crabtree
- Wayward1932 · as Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
- The Studio Murder Mystery1932 · as Dr. Crabtree
- The Symphony Murder Mystery1932 · as Dr. Crabtree
- The Week End Mystery1931 · as Dr. Amos Crabtree
- The Wall Street Mystery1931 · as Doctor Crabtree
- The Clyde Mystery1931 · as Dr. Amos Crabtree
- Personal Maid1931 · as Pa Ryan
- The Girl Habit1931 · as Jonesy
- The Love Kiss1930 · as William
- The Hole in the Wall1929 · as Goofy
- Six Cylinder Love1923 · as Richard Burton