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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Bob Hope's World of Comedy | Self - Tribute Montage (archive footage) | 1976-10-29 |
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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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Colonel Effingham's Raid | Doc Buden | 1946-01-24 |
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Because of Him | Martin | 1946-01-18 |
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State Fair | Hippenstahl | 1945-08-29 |
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The Thin Man Goes Home | Willie Crump | 1944-12-24 |
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Bathing Beauty | Chester Klazenfrantz | 1944-06-27 |
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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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Air Raid Wardens | Eustace Middling | 1943-04-04 |
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They Got Me Covered | Little Old Man | 1943-03-04 |
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Lost Angel | Professor Catty | 1943-12-23 |
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Keeper of the Flame | Mr Arbuthnot | 1943-04-01 |
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Du Barry Was a Lady | Mr. Jones / Duc de Choiseul | 1943-08-13 |
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The Omaha Trail | Engineer Jonah McCleod | 1942-09-01 |
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Maisie Gets Her Man | Mr. Stickwell | 1942-06-01 |
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Tortilla Flat | Paul D. Cummings | 1942-05-21 |
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Seven Sweethearts | Reverend Howgan, the Minister | 1942-11-13 |
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Babes on Broadway | Mr. Stone | 1941-12-31 |
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The Feminine Touch | Captain Makepeace Liveright | 1941-10-01 |
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Barnacle Bill | "Pop" Cavendish | 1941-04-07 |
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The Wild Man of Borneo | Professor Charles W. Birdo | 1941-01-24 |
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Rise and Shine | Professor Philip Murray | 1941-11-21 |
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A Woman's Face | Herman Rundvik | 1941-05-09 |
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Come Live with Me | Joe Darsie | 1941-01-31 |
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Blonde Inspiration | 'Dusty' King | 1941-02-07 |
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The Man from Dakota | Mr. Vestry | 1940-02-16 |
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Turnabout | Henry, the Valet | 1940-05-17 |
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Star Dust | Sam Wellman | 1940-04-06 |
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The Ghost Comes Home | Mortimer Hopkins, Sr. | 1940-03-08 |
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Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet | Mittelmeyer | 1940-02-23 |
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Hullabaloo | Mr. Clyde Perkins | 1940-10-25 |
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Sky Murder | Bartholomew | 1940-09-27 |
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Third Finger, Left Hand | Mr. Flandrin | 1940-10-11 |
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Phantom Raiders | Bartholomew | 1940-06-07 |
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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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Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love! | Adelbert Thistlebottom | 1940-01-01 |
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Young Mr. Lincoln | Prosecutor John Felder | 1939-06-09 |
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Jesse James | McCoy | 1939-01-14 |
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Nick Carter, Master Detective | Bartholomew, the bee man | 1939-12-13 |
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The Housekeeper's Daughter | Editor Wilson | 1939-10-26 |
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Blondie Takes a Vacation | Jonathan N. Gillis | 1939-07-20 |
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Stagecoach | Samuel Peacock | 1939-03-02 |
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Hollywood Cavalcade | Lyle P. Stout | 1939-10-13 |
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Goodbye Broadway | Iradius P. Oglethorpe | 1938-04-01 |
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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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You Can't Take It with You | Mr. Poppins | 1938-09-01 |
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Having Wonderful Time | P.U. Rogers | 1938-07-01 |
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Double Danger | Gordon Ainsley, aka Henry Robinson | 1938-01-28 |
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Hold That Co-ed | Dean Thatcher | 1938-09-16 |
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Parnell | Nicholas Daniel Murphy | 1937-06-04 |
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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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Three Legionnaires | Uriah S. Grant | 1937-07-10 |
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Double Wedding | Judge Blynn (uncredited) | 1937-10-15 |
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Maid of Salem | Ezra Cheeves | 1937-02-12 |
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Make a Wish | Joseph | 1937-09-01 |
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Breakfast for Two | Justice of the Peace | 1937-10-22 |
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Behind The Headlines | Potter | 1937-05-14 |
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The Toast of New York | Daniel Drew | 1937-07-22 |
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One Rainy Afternoon | Judge | 1936-05-13 |
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Three Married Men | Mr. Frisbee | 1936-09-24 |
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Two in a Crowd | Bennett | 1936-10-03 |
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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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Love on the Run | Caretaker | 1936-11-20 |
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Everybody's Old Man | Finney | 1936-03-20 |
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Old Hutch | Mr. Gunnison | 1936-09-25 |
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Old Man Rhythm | Paul Parker | 1935-08-02 |
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Mark of the Vampire | Dr. Doskil | 1935-04-26 |
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The Return Of Peter Grimm | Mayor Everett Bartholomew | 1935-09-13 |
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The Informer | Peter Mulligan | 1935-05-09 |
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The Whole Town's Talking | Hoyt | 1935-02-22 |
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Peter Ibbetson | Mr. Slade | 1935-11-07 |
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Captain Blood | Dr. Whacker | 1935-12-26 |
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Biography of a Bachelor Girl | Mr. Irish, Moose Village General Store | 1935-01-04 |
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China Seas | Chess Player (uncredited) | 1935-08-09 |
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Kind Lady | Mr. Foster | 1935-12-06 |
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Baby Face Harrington | Skinner | 1935-04-12 |
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Romance in Manhattan | Minister | 1935-01-11 |
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The Gilded Lily | Hankerson | 1935-01-25 |
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Society Doctor | Moxley | 1935-01-25 |
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The Bride Comes Home | The Judge | 1935-12-25 |
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Village Tale | Charlie | 1935-06-15 |
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She Couldn't Take It | Uncle Wyndersham | 1935-10-08 |
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Happiness C.O.D. | Thomas Sherridan | 1935-10-14 |
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Barbary Coast | Sawbuck McTavish | 1935-10-13 |
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Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch | Mr. Wiggs | 1934-10-28 |
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Murder at the Vanities | Dr. Saunders | 1934-05-18 |
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Bedside | Dr. George Wiley | 1934-01-27 |
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The Captain Hates the Sea | Josephus Bushmills | 1934-11-02 |
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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 Defense Rests | Fogg | 1934-07-15 |
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What Every Woman Knows | Snibby the Jeweler (uncredited) | 1934-10-18 |
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The Merry Widow | Valet | 1934-11-02 |
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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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Murder in the Pullman | Dr. Amos Crabtree | 1932-05-01 |
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Wayward | Hotel Clerk (uncredited) | 1932-02-19 |
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The Side Show Mystery | Dr. Amos Crabtree | 1932-06-01 |
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The Symphony Murder Mystery | Dr. Crabtree | 1932-01-13 |
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The Studio Murder Mystery | Dr. Crabtree | 1932-02-17 |
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The Cole Case | Dr. Crabtree | 1932-04-01 |
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The Crane Poison Case | Dr. Amos Crabtree | 1932-07-08 |
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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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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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Personal Maid | Pa Ryan | 1931-09-12 |
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The Girl Habit | Jonesy | 1931-06-27 |
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The Love Kiss | William | 1930-12-28 |
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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 |
