Donald Meek

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

120

Gender

Male

Birthday

1878-07-13

Day of death

1946-11-18 (68 years old)

Place of Birth

Glasgow, Scotland, UK

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

  • The Bride Comes Home

    The Bride Comes Home

  • The Omaha Trail

    The Omaha Trail

  • The Symphony Murder Mystery

    The Symphony Murder Mystery

  • Captain Blood

    Captain Blood

  • Hollywood Cavalcade

    Hollywood Cavalcade

  • The Thin Man Goes Home

    The Thin Man Goes Home

  • The Ghost Comes Home

    The Ghost Comes Home

  • They Got Me Covered

    They Got Me Covered

  • The Fabulous Joe

    The Fabulous Joe

  • Behind The Headlines

    Behind The Headlines

  • The Return of Frank James

    The Return of Frank James

  • Rise and Shine

    Rise and Shine

  • Village Tale

    Village Tale

  • The Informer

    The Informer

  • Tortilla Flat

    Tortilla Flat

  • The Captain Hates the Sea

    The Captain Hates the Sea

  • The Crane Poison Case

    The Crane Poison Case

  • The Wild Man of Borneo

    The Wild Man of Borneo

  • Old Hutch

    Old Hutch

  • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

    The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

  • The Merry Widow

    The Merry Widow

  • Pennies from Heaven

    Pennies from Heaven

  • Barbary Coast

    Barbary Coast

  • Biography of a Bachelor Girl

    Biography of a Bachelor Girl

  • Happiness C.O.D.

    Happiness C.O.D.

  • Star Dust

    Star Dust

  • Young Mr. Lincoln

    Young Mr. Lincoln

  • Third Finger, Left Hand

    Third Finger, Left Hand

  • Three Married Men

    Three Married Men

  • The Wall Street Mystery

    The Wall Street Mystery

  • Because of Him

    Because of Him

  • Rationing

    Rationing

  • Bedside

    Bedside

  • Two in a Crowd

    Two in a Crowd

  • The Feminine Touch

    The Feminine Touch

  • Affairs of Geraldine

    Affairs of Geraldine

  • The Return Of Peter Grimm

    The Return Of Peter Grimm

  • Hullabaloo

    Hullabaloo

  • Artists & Models

    Artists & Models

  • Breakfast for Two

    Breakfast for Two

  • My Little Chickadee

    My Little Chickadee

  • Lost Angel

    Lost Angel

  • Stagecoach

    Stagecoach

  • Sky Murder

    Sky Murder

  • China Seas

    China Seas

  • Personal Maid

    Personal Maid

  • Janie Gets Married

    Janie Gets Married

  • Murder in the Pullman

    Murder in the Pullman

  • Phantom Raiders

    Phantom Raiders

  • Little Miss Broadway

    Little Miss Broadway

  • Having Wonderful Time

    Having Wonderful Time

  • The Clyde Mystery

    The Clyde Mystery

  • Hold That Co-ed

    Hold That Co-ed

  • The Defense Rests

    The Defense Rests

  • Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch

    Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch

  • Going Hollywood: The '30s

    Going Hollywood: The '30s

  • Love on the Run

    Love on the Run

  • Maisie Goes to Reno

    Maisie Goes to Reno

  • Turnabout

    Turnabout

  • One Rainy Afternoon

    One Rainy Afternoon

  • The Side Show Mystery

    The Side Show Mystery

  • The Toast of New York

    The Toast of New York

  • Barnacle Bill

    Barnacle Bill

  • The Skull Murder Mystery

    The Skull Murder Mystery

  • State Fair

    State Fair

  • The Gilded Lily

    The Gilded Lily

  • You Can't Take It with You

    You Can't Take It with You

  • Nick Carter, Master Detective

    Nick Carter, Master Detective

  • Old Man Rhythm

    Old Man Rhythm

  • The Cole Case

    The Cole Case

  • What Every Woman Knows

    What Every Woman Knows

  • The Trans-Atlantic Mystery

    The Trans-Atlantic Mystery

  • Mark of the Vampire

    Mark of the Vampire

  • Come Live with Me

    Come Live with Me

  • Keeper of the Flame

    Keeper of the Flame

  • College Coach

    College Coach

  • The Girl Habit

    The Girl Habit

  • Du Barry Was a Lady

    Du Barry Was a Lady

  • Kind Lady

    Kind Lady

  • Bathing Beauty

    Bathing Beauty

  • A Woman's Face

    A Woman's Face

  • The Hole in the Wall

    The Hole in the Wall

  • Double Danger

    Double Danger

  • The Man from Dakota

    The Man from Dakota

  • Make a Wish

    Make a Wish

  • Wayward

    Wayward

  • Peter Ibbetson

    Peter Ibbetson

  • The Housekeeper's Daughter

    The Housekeeper's Daughter

  • Magic Town

    Magic Town

  • Romance in Manhattan

    Romance in Manhattan

  • Air Raid Wardens

    Air Raid Wardens

  • The Last Gentleman

    The Last Gentleman

  • Colonel Effingham's Raid

    Colonel Effingham's Raid

  • The Week End Mystery

    The Week End Mystery

  • Blondie Takes a Vacation

    Blondie Takes a Vacation

  • Parnell

    Parnell

  • Hi, Nellie!

    Hi, Nellie!

  • Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love!

    Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love!

  • You're a Sweetheart

    You're a Sweetheart

  • And So They Were Married

    And So They Were Married

  • Goodbye Broadway

    Goodbye Broadway

  • Maisie Gets Her Man

    Maisie Gets Her Man

  • Blonde Inspiration

    Blonde Inspiration

  • Jesse James

    Jesse James

  • Maid of Salem

    Maid of Salem

  • Babes on Broadway

    Babes on Broadway

  • Six Cylinder Love

    Six Cylinder Love

  • Everybody's Old Man

    Everybody's Old Man

  • Society Doctor

    Society Doctor

  • Seven Sweethearts

    Seven Sweethearts

  • Two Girls and a Sailor

    Two Girls and a Sailor

  • Murder at the Vanities

    Murder at the Vanities

  • Double Wedding

    Double Wedding

  • The Whole Town's Talking

    The Whole Town's Talking

  • Baby Face Harrington

    Baby Face Harrington

  • Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet

    Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet

  • She Couldn't Take It

    She Couldn't Take It

  • Three Legionnaires

    Three Legionnaires

  • Barbary Coast Gent

    Barbary Coast Gent

  • The Studio Murder Mystery

    The Studio Murder Mystery