1878-07-13 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.
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Going Hollywood: The '30s | (archive footage) | 1984-01-01 |
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The Fabulous Joe | Henry Cadwallader, Lawyer | 1947-08-28 |
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Magic Town | Mr. Twiddle | 1947-10-07 |
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Janie Gets Married | Harley P. Stowers | 1946-06-22 |
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Affairs of Geraldine | Casper Millhouse | 1946-11-18 |
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Because of Him | Martin | 1946-01-18 |
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Colonel Effingham's Raid | Doc Buden | 1946-01-24 |
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State Fair | Hippenstahl | 1945-08-29 |
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Barbary Coast Gent | Bradford Bellamy I | 1944-09-01 |
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Two Girls and a Sailor | Mr. Nizby | 1944-06-14 |
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Rationing | Wilfred Ball | 1944-03-24 |
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Maisie Goes to Reno | Parsons | 1944-08-15 |
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Bathing Beauty | Chester Klazenfrantz | 1944-06-27 |
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The Thin Man Goes Home | Willie Crump | 1944-12-24 |
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Air Raid Wardens | Eustace Middling | 1943-04-04 |
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Lost Angel | Professor Catty | 1943-12-23 |
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Du Barry Was a Lady | Mr. Jones / Duc de Choiseul | 1943-08-13 |
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They Got Me Covered | Little Old Man | 1943-03-04 |
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Keeper of the Flame | Mr Arbuthnot | 1943-04-01 |
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Tortilla Flat | Paul D. Cummings | 1942-05-21 |
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Maisie Gets Her Man | Mr. Stickwell | 1942-06-01 |
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Seven Sweethearts | Reverend Howgan, the Minister | 1942-11-13 |
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The Omaha Trail | Engineer Jonah McCleod | 1942-09-01 |
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The Feminine Touch | Captain Makepeace Liveright | 1941-10-01 |
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The Wild Man of Borneo | Professor Charles W. Birdo | 1941-01-24 |
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Barnacle Bill | "Pop" Cavendish | 1941-04-07 |
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Blonde Inspiration | 'Dusty' King | 1941-02-07 |
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Babes on Broadway | Mr. Stone | 1941-12-31 |
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Rise and Shine | Professor Philip Murray | 1941-11-21 |
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Come Live with Me | Joe Darsie | 1941-01-31 |
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A Woman's Face | Herman Rundvik | 1941-05-09 |
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Phantom Raiders | Bartholomew | 1940-06-07 |
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The Ghost Comes Home | Mortimer Hopkins, Sr. | 1940-03-08 |
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Turnabout | Henry, the Valet | 1940-05-17 |
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The Return of Frank James | McCoy | 1940-08-10 |
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My Little Chickadee | Amos Budge | 1940-02-09 |
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Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet | Mittelmeyer | 1940-02-23 |
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The Man from Dakota | Mr. Vestry | 1940-02-16 |
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Third Finger, Left Hand | Mr. Flandrin | 1940-10-11 |
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Star Dust | Sam Wellman | 1940-04-06 |
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Hullabaloo | Mr. Clyde Perkins | 1940-10-25 |
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Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love! | Adelbert Thistlebottom | 1940-01-01 |
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Sky Murder | Bartholomew | 1940-09-27 |
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The Housekeeper's Daughter | Editor Wilson | 1939-10-26 |
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Jesse James | McCoy | 1939-01-14 |
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Hollywood Cavalcade | Lyle P. Stout | 1939-10-13 |
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Nick Carter, Master Detective | Bartholomew, the bee man | 1939-12-13 |
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Blondie Takes a Vacation | Jonathan N. Gillis | 1939-07-20 |
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Young Mr. Lincoln | Prosecutor John Felder | 1939-06-09 |
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Stagecoach | Samuel Peacock | 1939-03-02 |
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Little Miss Broadway | Willoughby Wendling | 1938-07-29 |
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | Sunday School Superintendent | 1938-02-11 |
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Goodbye Broadway | Iradius P. Oglethorpe | 1938-04-01 |
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Hold That Co-ed | Dean Thatcher | 1938-09-16 |
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Having Wonderful Time | P.U. Rogers | 1938-07-01 |
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You Can't Take It with You | Mr. Poppins | 1938-09-01 |
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Double Danger | Gordon Ainsley, aka Henry Robinson | 1938-01-28 |
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Parnell | Nicholas Daniel Murphy | 1937-06-04 |
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Make a Wish | Joseph | 1937-09-01 |
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Behind The Headlines | Potter | 1937-05-14 |
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Maid of Salem | Ezra Cheeves | 1937-02-12 |
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Breakfast for Two | Justice of the Peace | 1937-10-22 |
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You're a Sweetheart | Conway Jeeters | 1937-12-26 |
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Artists & Models | Dr. Zimmer | 1937-08-04 |
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The Toast of New York | Daniel Drew | 1937-07-22 |
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Three Legionnaires | Uriah S. Grant | 1937-07-10 |
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Double Wedding | Judge Blynn (uncredited) | 1937-10-15 |
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Two in a Crowd | Bennett | 1936-10-03 |
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Love on the Run | Caretaker | 1936-11-20 |
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Old Hutch | Mr. Gunnison | 1936-09-25 |
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One Rainy Afternoon | Judge | 1936-05-13 |
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And So They Were Married | Hotel Manager | 1936-05-10 |
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Pennies from Heaven | Gramp Smith | 1936-11-25 |
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Everybody's Old Man | Finney | 1936-03-20 |
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Three Married Men | Mr. Frisbee | 1936-09-24 |
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China Seas | Chess Player (uncredited) | 1935-08-09 |
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The Informer | Peter Mulligan | 1935-05-09 |
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Kind Lady | Mr. Foster | 1935-12-06 |
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Old Man Rhythm | Paul Parker | 1935-08-02 |
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Society Doctor | Moxley | 1935-01-25 |
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Happiness C.O.D. | Thomas Sherridan | 1935-10-14 |
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She Couldn't Take It | Uncle Wyndersham | 1935-10-08 |
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Village Tale | Charlie | 1935-06-15 |
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The Gilded Lily | Hankerson | 1935-01-25 |
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Romance in Manhattan | Minister | 1935-01-11 |
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Biography of a Bachelor Girl | Mr. Irish, Moose Village General Store | 1935-01-04 |
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Barbary Coast | Sawbuck McTavish | 1935-10-13 |
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Peter Ibbetson | Mr. Slade | 1935-11-07 |
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The Return Of Peter Grimm | Mayor Everett Bartholomew | 1935-09-13 |
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The Bride Comes Home | The Judge | 1935-12-25 |
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Mark of the Vampire | Dr. Doskil | 1935-04-26 |
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Baby Face Harrington | Skinner | 1935-04-12 |
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Captain Blood | Dr. Whacker | 1935-12-26 |
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The Whole Town's Talking | Hoyt | 1935-02-22 |
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The Merry Widow | Valet | 1934-11-02 |
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What Every Woman Knows | Snibby the Jeweler (uncredited) | 1934-10-18 |
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Murder at the Vanities | Dr. Saunders | 1934-05-18 |
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Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch | Mr. Wiggs | 1934-10-28 |
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Bedside | Dr. George Wiley | 1934-01-27 |
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The Last Gentleman | Judd Barr, Cabot's son | 1934-04-27 |
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Hi, Nellie! | Durkin | 1934-01-20 |
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The Captain Hates the Sea | Josephus Bushmills | 1934-11-02 |
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The Defense Rests | Fogg | 1934-07-15 |
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Love, Honor and Oh, Baby! | Luther Bowen | 1933-10-01 |
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College Coach | Spencer Trask | 1933-11-04 |
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The Cole Case | Dr. Crabtree | 1932-04-01 |
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Murder in the Pullman | Dr. Amos Crabtree | 1932-05-01 |
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The Symphony Murder Mystery | Dr. Crabtree | 1932-01-13 |
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The Crane Poison Case | Dr. Amos Crabtree | 1932-07-08 |
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The Side Show Mystery | Dr. Amos Crabtree | 1932-06-01 |
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The Studio Murder Mystery | Dr. Crabtree | 1932-02-17 |
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The Trans-Atlantic Mystery | Dr. Crabtree - Criminologist | 1932-08-31 |
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The Skull Murder Mystery | Dr. Crabtree | 1932-03-01 |
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Wayward | Hotel Clerk (uncredited) | 1932-02-19 |
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Personal Maid | Pa Ryan | 1931-09-12 |
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The Girl Habit | Jonesy | 1931-06-27 |
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The Wall Street Mystery | Doctor Crabtree | 1931-11-04 |
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The Clyde Mystery | Dr. Amos Crabtree | 1931-10-01 |
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The Week End Mystery | Dr. Amos Crabtree | 1931-12-01 |
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The Hole in the Wall | Goofy | 1929-04-27 |
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Six Cylinder Love | Richard Burton | 1923-11-04 |
