Donald Meek | WatchedThis

Donald Meek

Donald Meek

Acting

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.

Filmography Movies

Acting

Poster for Stagecoach
MOVIE

Stagecoach

7.6(1.2K)
Stagecoach
Samuel Peacock
Poster for Blondie Takes a Vacation
MOVIE

Blondie Takes a Vacation

6.3(0.0K)
Blondie Takes a Vacation
Jonathan N. Gillis
Poster for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
MOVIE

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

6.6(0.1K)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Sunday School Superintendent
Poster for Come Live with Me
MOVIE

Come Live with Me

6.8(0.0K)
Come Live with Me
Joe Darsie
Poster for Keeper of the Flame
MOVIE

Keeper of the Flame

6.6(0.0K)
Keeper of the Flame
Mr Arbuthnot
Poster for You Can't Take It with You
MOVIE

You Can't Take It with You

7.5(0.5K)
You Can't Take It with You
Mr. Poppins
Poster for A Woman's Face
MOVIE

A Woman's Face

6.8(0.1K)
A Woman's Face
Herman Rundvik
Poster for State Fair
MOVIE

State Fair

6.6(0.1K)
State Fair
Hippenstahl
The Clyde MysteryMOVIE
MOVIE

The Clyde Mystery

9.0(0.0K)
The Clyde Mystery
Dr. Amos Crabtree
The Side Show MysteryMOVIE
MOVIE

The Side Show Mystery

9.0(0.0K)
The Side Show Mystery
Dr. Amos Crabtree

Gallery

Donald Meek portrait
Donald Meek portrait
Donald Meek portrait
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