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
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
in 1903.
Meek is perhaps best known for his roles in the films ''
You Can't Take It with You'' (1938) and ''
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...
'' (1939). He posthumously received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
in 1960.
Early years
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.
Career
Meek's Broadway credits include ''Take My Tip'' (1932), ''After Tomorrow'' (1931), ''Oh, Promise Me'' (1930), ''Broken Dishes'' (1929), in which he starred with a young
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...
, ''Jonesy'' (1929), ''Mr. Moneypenny'' (1928), ''The Ivory Door'' (1927), ''My Princess'' (1927), ''Spread Eagle'' (1927), ''The Shelf'' (1926), ''Love 'em and Leave 'em'' (1926), ''Fool's Bells'' (1925), ''Easy Terms'' (1925), ''The Potters'' (1923), ''Tweedles'' (1923), ''Six-Cylinder Love'' (1921), ''Little Old New York'' (1920), ''The Hottentot'' (1920), ''Nothing But Love'' (1919), ''Going Up'' (1917), and ''The Minister's Daughters'' (1903).
After years on the stage, Meek became a film actor, appearing memorably in several movies including ''
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' is an 1876 novel by Mark Twain about a boy growing up along the Mississippi River. It is set in the 1840s in the town of St. Petersburg, which is based on Hannibal, Missouri, where Twain lived as a boy. In the nov ...
,'' ''
Little Miss Broadway
''Little Miss Broadway'' is a 1938 American musical drama film directed by Irving Cummings. The screenplay was written by Harry Tugend and Jack Yellen. The film stars Shirley Temple in a story about a theatrical boarding house and its occupants ...
'', and ''
State Fair
A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in th ...
.'' Before becoming an actor, he fought in the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (clock ...
in the United States Army and contracted
yellow fever
Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...
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
Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...
's ''
You Can't Take It With You'' and as whiskey salesman Samuel Peacock in
John Ford
John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...
's ''
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...
''.
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
S. S. Van Dine (also styled S.S. Van Dine) is the pseudonym used by American art critic Willard Huntington Wright (October 15, 1888 – April 11, 1939) when he wrote detective novels. Wright was active in avant-garde cultural circles in pre-Worl ...
.
Personal life
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.
Death
Donald Meek died of
leukaemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...
on 18 November 1946 in Los Angeles, while filming the role of Mr. Twiddle in ''
Magic Town
''Magic Town'' is a 1947 comedy film directed by William A. Wellman and starring James Stewart and Jane Wyman. The picture is one of the first films about the then-new practice of public opinion polling. The film was inspired by the Middletown ...
''.
A prolific film actor in over 100 Hollywood movies during its Golden Age, he received a posthumous star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
. He was entombed in the
Fairmount Mausoleum
Fairmount Mausoleum is a public mausoleum at Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado. The building was designed by architects Frederick E. Mountjoy and Francis W. Frewan. Constructed in 1929 and opened in 1930, the Fairmount Mausoleum contains th ...
at
Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.
Selected filmography
*''
Six Cylinder Love'' (1923) as Richard Burton
*''
The Hole in the Wall'' (1929) as Goofy
*''The Love Kiss'' (1930) as William
*''
The Girl Habit
''The Girl Habit'' is a 1931 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline and written by Owen Davis, Clayton Hamilton, Gertrude Purcell and A.E. Thomas. The film stars Charlie Ruggles, Tamara Geva, Margaret Dumont, Allen Jenkins ...
'' (1931) as Jonesy
*''
Personal Maid
''Personal Maid'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code drama film directed by Monta Bell and Lothar Mendes and written by Adelaide Heilbron and Grace Perkins. The film stars Nancy Carroll, Pat O'Brien, Gene Raymond, Mary Boland, and George Fawcett. Th ...
'' (1931) as Pa Ryan
*''
Wayward'' (1932) as Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
*''
Love, Honor, and Oh Baby!
''Love, Honor, and Oh Baby!'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film, starring Slim Summerville, ZaSu Pitts, and George Barbier. The 1940 Universal Pictures film with the same title is not a remake. Adapted from the stage play, ''"Oh, Promise ...
'' (1933) as Luther Bowen
*''
Ever in My Heart
''Ever in My Heart'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Otto Kruger, and Ralph Bellamy. It portrays the tragic consequences of the virulent propaganda that spread false stories of atroci ...
'' (1933) as Storekeeper (scenes deleted)
*''
College Coach
''College Coach'' (UK title ''Football Coach'') is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film starring Dick Powell and Ann Dvorak. The film features John Wayne in his last bit-part role.
Plot
Calvert College begins taking football more seriously, over ...
'' (1933) as Prof. Spencer Trask
*''
Hi Nellie!
''Hi, Nellie!'' is a 1934 American crime drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Paul Muni and Glenda Farrell. A newspaper editor is demoted to writing an advice column for refusing to go along with the crowd in declaring a missing lawye ...
'' (1934) as Durkin
*''
Bedside
''Bedside'' is a 1934 American pre-Code drama film starring Warren William, Jean Muir and Allen Jenkins. Plot
A man passes himself off as a doctor.
Cast
* Warren William as Bob Brown
* Jean Muir as Caroline Grant
* Allen Jenkins as Sam Sparks
...
'' (1934) as Dr. George Wiley
*''
The Last Gentleman'' (1934) as Judd Barr
*''
Murder at the Vanities
''Murder at the Vanities'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code musical film based on the 1933 Broadway show with music by Victor Young. It was released by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Mitchell Leisen, stars Victor McLaglen, Carl Brisson, Jac ...
'' (1934) as Dr. Saunders
*''
The Defense Rests
''The Defense Rests'' (or ''Take the Witness'') is a 1934 American film directed by Lambert Hillyer and starring Jack Holt, Jean Arthur, and Nat Pendleton. The movie was produced in May 1934 and released on 15 July 1934.
Cast
* Jack Holt as M ...
'' (1934) as Fogg
*''
The Merry Widow
''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt ...
'' (1934) as Valet
*''
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch'' (1934) as Mr. Wiggs
*''
What Every Woman Knows'' (1934) as Snibby - Jeweler (uncredited)
*''
The Captain Hates the Sea
''The Captain Hates the Sea'' is a 1934 comedy film directed by Lewis Milestone and released by Columbia Pictures. The film, which involves a ''Grand Hotel''-style series of intertwining stories involving the passengers on a cruise ship, is notab ...
'' (1934) as Josephus Bushmills
*''
It's a Gift
''It's a Gift'' is a 1934 American comedy film starring W.C. Fields. It was Fields's 16th sound film, and his fifth in 1934 alone. It was directed by Norman McLeod, who had directed Fields in his cameo as Humpty Dumpty in ''Alice in Wonderlan ...
'' (1934) as Uncle Bean in Photograph (uncredited)
*''
The Mighty Barnum
''The Mighty Barnum'' is a 1934 film starring Wallace Beery as P.T. Barnum. The movie was written by Gene Fowler and Bess Meredyth, adapted from their play of the same name, and directed by Walter Lang. Beery had played Barnum four years earlie ...
'' (1934) as Minor Role (scenes deleted)
*''
Biography of a Bachelor Girl
''Biography of a Bachelor Girl'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Edward H. Griffith and written by Horace Jackson and Anita Loos. It is based upon the play, "Biography," by S. N. Behrman. The film stars Ann Harding, Robert Montgomery ...
'' (1935) as Mr. Irish, Moose Village General Store
*''
Romance in Manhattan
''Romance in Manhattan'' is a 1935 American comedy/romance film directed by Stephen Roberts, starring Francis Lederer and Ginger Rogers, and released by RKO Radio Pictures.
Plot
Karel Novak (Lederer), an incredibly naive Czech immigrant, arr ...
'' (1935) as Minister
*''
The Gilded Lily'' (1935) as Hankerson
*''
Society Doctor
''Society Doctor'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by George B. Seitz and starring Robert Taylor, Chester Morris, and Virginia Bruce. It was produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was inspired by an unproduced play by Theodo ...
'' (1935) as Moxley
*''
The Whole Town's Talking
''The Whole Town's Talking'' (released in the UK as ''Passport to Fame'') is a 1935 American comedy film starring Edward G. Robinson as a law-abiding man who bears a striking resemblance to a killer, with Jean Arthur as his love interest. It w ...
'' (1935) as Hoyt
*''
Baby Face Harrington
''Baby Face Harrington'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by Raoul Walsh and written by Nunnally Johnson, Edwin H. Knopf and Charles Lederer. The film stars Charles Butterworth, Una Merkel, Harvey Stephens, Eugene Pallette and Nat Pendl ...
'' (1935) as Skinner
*''
Mark of the Vampire'' (1935) as Dr. Doskil
*''
The Informer'' (1935) as Peter Mulligan
*''
Village Tale
''Village Tale'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by John Cromwell and starring Randolph Scott, Kay Johnson, Arthur Hohl, and Robert Barrat. The screenplay by Allan Scott was adapted from author and scenarist Phil Stong in his 1934 novel ...
'' (1935) as Charlie
*''
Old Man Rhythm
''Old Man Rhythm'' is a 1935 American musical film directed by Edward Ludwig from a screenplay by Sig Herzig and Ernest Pagano, based on a story by Herzig, Lewis Gensler, and Don Hartman. The musical director was Roy Webb, with music composed b ...
'' (1935) as Paul Parker
*''
China Seas
The China Seas consist of a series of marginal seas in the Western Pacific Ocean, around China. They are the major components signifying the transition from the continent of Asia to the Pacific Ocean.Pinxian Wang, Qianyu Li, Chun-Feng Li, ''Geolog ...
'' (1935) as Passenger Playing Chess (uncredited)
*''
Accent on Youth'' (1935) as Orville (uncredited)
*''
Happiness C.O.D.
''Happiness C.O.D.'' is a 1935 American romantic comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring Maude Eburne, Donald Meek and Irene Ware.
Plot
When meek widower Thomas F. Sherridan, a construction engineer and owner of the Continental Constr ...
'' (1935) as Thomas Sherridan
*''
The Return of Peter Grimm'' (1935) as Mayor Everett Bartholomew
*''
She Couldn't Take It
''She Couldn't Take It'' is a 1935 screwball comedy film made at Columbia Pictures, directed by Tay Garnett, written by C. Graham Baker, Gene Towne and Oliver H.P. Garrett, and starring George Raft and Joan Bennett. It was one of the few comed ...
'' (1935) as Uncle Wyndersham
*''
Barbary Coast'' (1935) as Sawbuck McTavish
*''
Peter Ibbetson
''Peter Ibbetson'' is a 1935 American black-and-white drama/ fantasy film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Gary Cooper and Ann Harding. The film is loosely based on the 1891 novel of the same name by George du Maurier. A tale of a love th ...
'' (1935) as Mr. Slade
*''
Kind Lady'' (1935) as Mr. Foster
*''
Captain Blood'' (1935) as Dr. Whacker
*''
The Bride Comes Home
''The Bride Comes Home'' is a 1935 comedy film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Wesley Ruggles, and starring Claudette Colbert, Fred MacMurray and Robert Young (actor), Robert Young. It was written by Claude Binyon and Elisabeth Sanxay Hol ...
'' (1935) as The Judge
*''
Everybody's Old Man
''Everybody's Old Man'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by James Flood and written by Patterson McNutt and A.E. Thomas. The film stars Irvin S. Cobb, Rochelle Hudson, Johnny Downs, Norman Foster, Alan Dinehart, Sara Haden, Donald Mee ...
'' (1936) as Finney
*''
And So They Were Married
or AND may refer to:
Logic, grammar, and computing
* Conjunction (grammar), connecting two words, phrases, or clauses
* Logical conjunction in mathematical logic, notated as "∧", "⋅", "&", or simple juxtaposition
* Bitwise AND, a boole ...
'' (1936) as Hotel Manager
*''
One Rainy Afternoon
''One Rainy Afternoon'' is a 1936 American romantic comedy film directed by Rowland V. Lee, starring Francis Lederer and Ida Lupino, and featuring Hugh Herbert, Roland Young and Erik Rhodes. It also marked the last film appearance by actress ...
'' (1936) as Judge
*''
Three Wise Guys
''Three Wise Guys'' is a 2005 Christmas television film.
In an update on the nativity of Jesus, a pregnant woman named Mary is helped in the desert by three mobsters. The film stars Tom Arnold, Eddie McClintock, Judd Nelson, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, ...
'' (1936) as Gribbie
*''
Three Married Men'' (1936) as Mr. Frisbee
*''
Old Hutch
''Old Hutch'' is a 1936 American romantic comedy film directed by J. Walter Ruben and starring Wallace Beery as a man who finds $100,000 in the depths of the Depression. It is a remake of the 1920 Will Rogers film '' Honest Hutch.''
Cast
*Wall ...
'' (1936) as Mr. Gunnison
*''
Two in a Crowd
''Two in a Crowd'' is a 1936 romantic comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Joan Bennett and Joel McCrea. It was released by Universal Pictures. The screenplay was written by Lewis R. Foster, Doris Malloy, and Earle Snell, based ...
'' (1936) as Bennett
*''
Love on the Run'' (1936) as Caretaker
*''
Pennies from Heaven'' (1936) as Gramp Smith
*''
Maid of Salem
''Maid of Salem'' is a 1937 film made by Paramount Pictures, directed by Frank Lloyd, and starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray.
Plot
It tells the story of a young girl in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692, who has an affair with an adventurer. ...
'' (1937) as Ezra Cheeves
*''
Behind the Headlines'' (1937) as Potter
*''
Parnell'' (1937) as Murphy
*''Three Legionnaires'' (1937) as Uriah S. Grant
*''
The Toast of New York
''The Toast of New York'' is a 1937 American biopic directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring Edward Arnold, Cary Grant, Frances Farmer, and Jack Oakie. The film is a fictionalized account of the lives of financiers James Fisk and Edward S. St ...
'' (1937) as Daniel Drew
*''
Artists and Models
''Artists and Models'' is a 1955 American musical romantic comedy film in VistaVision directed by Frank Tashlin, marking Martin and Lewis's 14th feature together as a team. The film co-stars Shirley MacLaine and Dorothy Malone, with Eva Gabor ...
'' (1937) as Dr. Zimmer
*''
Make a Wish'' (1937) as Joseph
*''
Double Wedding
A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...
'' (1937) as Judge Blynn (uncredited)
*''
Breakfast for Two
''Breakfast for Two'' is a 1937 American screwball comedy film made by RKO Radio Pictures. It was directed by Alfred Santell. The film stars Barbara Stanwyck, Herbert Marshall and Glenda Farrell. Stanwyck and Marshall worked together once more, ...
'' (1937) as Justice of the Peace
*''
You're a Sweetheart'' (1937) as Conway Jeeters
*''
Double Danger'' (1938) as Gordon Ainsley aka Henry Robinson
*''
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' is an 1876 novel by Mark Twain about a boy growing up along the Mississippi River. It is set in the 1840s in the town of St. Petersburg, which is based on Hannibal, Missouri, where Twain lived as a boy. In the nov ...
'' (1938) as Sunday School Superintendent
*''
Goodbye Broadway
''Goodbye Broadway'' is a 1938 American film. The movie is based on the play ''The Shannons of Broadway'' written by actor (and ex-vaudevillian) James Gleason. A previous film had been made of the play entitled ''The Shannons of Broadway''.
Pl ...
'' (1938) as Iradius P. Oglethorpe
*''
Having Wonderful Time
''Having Wonderful Time'' is a 1938 American romantic comedy film, based on the Broadway play of the same name, starring Ginger Rogers and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and directed by Alfred Santell. It was Red Skelton’s film debut.
Plot summary
Bo ...
'' (1938) as P.U. Rogers
*''
Little Miss Broadway
''Little Miss Broadway'' is a 1938 American musical drama film directed by Irving Cummings. The screenplay was written by Harry Tugend and Jack Yellen. The film stars Shirley Temple in a story about a theatrical boarding house and its occupants ...
'' (1938) as Willoughby Wendling
*''
You Can't Take It with You'' (1938) as Poppins
*''
Hold That Co-ed
''Hold That Co-ed'' is a 1938 comedy film directed by George Marshall, starring John Barrymore, George Murphy and Marjorie Weaver.
Plot summary
Former star quarterback Rusty Stevens believes he is being hired to be prosperous Clayton Universit ...
'' (1938) as Dean Fletcher
*''
Jesse James'' (1939) as Mc Coy
*''
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...
'' (1939) as Samuel Peacock
*''
Young Mr. Lincoln
''Young Mr. Lincoln'' is a 1939 American biographical drama western film about the early life of President Abraham Lincoln, directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda. Ford and producer Darryl F. Zanuck fought for control of the film, to ...
'' (1939) as Prosecutor John Felder
*''
Blondie Takes a Vacation
''Blondie Takes a Vacation'' is a 1939 American black-and-white comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer and starring Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, and Larry Simms. The film is based on Chic Young's comic strip of the same name.
This was the th ...
'' (1939) as Jonathan N. Gillis
*''
Hollywood Cavalcade
''Hollywood Cavalcade'' is a 1939 American film featuring Alice Faye as a young performer making her way in the early days of Hollywood, from slapstick silent pictures through the transition from silent to sound.
Production
In the wake of Alic ...
'' (1939) as Lyle P. Stout
*''
The Housekeeper's Daughter
''The Housekeeper's Daughter'' is a 1939 comedy film directed and produced by Hal Roach. The film stars Joan Bennett, Adolphe Menjou and John Hubbard. The screenplay was written by Rian James, Gordon Douglas, Jack Jevne and Claude Martin, base ...
'' (1939) as Editor Wilson
*''
Nick Carter, Master Detective
''Nick Carter, Master Detective'' was a Mutual radio crime drama based on tales of the fictional private detective Nick Carter from Street & Smith's dime novels and pulp magazines. Nick Carter first came to radio as ''The Return of Nick Carte ...
'' (1939) as Bartholomew
*''Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love'' (1940) as Adelbert Thistlebottom
*''
Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet'' (1940) as Mittelmeyer
*''
My Little Chickadee
''My Little Chickadee'' is a 1940 American comedy-western film starring Mae West and W. C. Fields, featuring Joseph Calleia, Ruth Donnelly, Margaret Hamilton, Donald Meek, Willard Robertson, Dick Foran, William B. Davidson, and Addison Ri ...
'' (1940) as Amos Budge
*''
The Man from Dakota'' (1940) as Mr. Vestry
*''
The Ghost Comes Home
''The Ghost Comes Home'' is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Wilhelm Thiele and written by Richard Maibaum and Harry Ruskin. The film stars Frank Morgan, Billie Burke, Ann Rutherford, John Shelton, Reginald Owen and Donald Meek. The fil ...
'' (1940) as Mortimer Hopkins, Sr.
*''
Star Dust'' (1940) as Sam Wellman
*''
Turnabout'' (1940) as Henry
*''
Phantom Raiders
''Phantom Raiders'' is a 1940 film, the second in the series starring Walter Pidgeon as detective Nick Carter. The film was part of a movie trilogy based on original stories featuring the character from the long-running ''Nick Carter, Detective'' ...
'' (1940) as Bartholomew
*''
The Return of Frank James
''The Return of Frank James'' is a 1940 Western film directed by Fritz Lang and starring Henry Fonda and Gene Tierney. It is a sequel to Henry King's 1939 film ''Jesse James''. Written by Sam Hellman, the film loosely follows the life of Fran ...
'' (1940) as McCoy
*''
Sky Murder
''Sky Murder'' is a 1940 detective film starring Walter Pidgeon as detective Nick Carter in his third and final outing for MGM as Nick Carter. The film was part of a trilogy based on original screen stories starring the popular literary series ch ...
'' (1940) as Bartholomew
*''
Third Finger, Left Hand'' (1940) as Mr. Flandrin
*''
Hullabaloo'' (1940) as Mr. Clyde Perkins
*''
Design for Scandal'' (1941)
*''
The Wild Man of Borneo'' (1941) as Professor Birdo
*''
Come Live with Me'' (1941) as Joe Darsie
*''
Blonde Inspiration
''Blonde Inspiration'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Busby Berkeley and written by Marion Parsonnet. The film stars John Shelton, Virginia Grey, Albert Dekker, Charles Butterworth, and Donald Meek. The film was released on February ...
'' (1941) as 'Dusty' King
*''
Free and Easy'' (1941) as Tout (uncredited)
*''
Barnacle Bill'' (1941) as 'Pop' Cavendish
*''
A Woman's Face
''A Woman's Face'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by George Cukor and starring Joan Crawford, Melvyn Douglas and Conrad Veidt. It tells the story of Anna Holm, a facially disfigured blackmailer, who because of her appearance, despises eve ...
'' (1941) as Herman Rundvik
*''
The Feminine Touch'' (1941) as Captain Makepeace Liveright
*''
Rise and Shine'' (1941) as Professor Philip Murray
*''
Babes on Broadway
''Babes on Broadway'' is a 1941 American musical film starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland and directed by Busby Berkeley, with Vincente Minnelli directing Garland's big solo numbers. The film, which features Fay Bainter and Virginia Weidler ...
'' (1941) as Mr. Stone
*''
Tortilla Flat
''Tortilla Flat'' (1935) is an early John Steinbeck novel set in Monterey, California. The novel was the author's first clear critical and commercial success.
The book portrays a group of 'paisanos'—literally, countrymen—a small band of e ...
'' (1942) as Paul D. Cummings
*''
Maisie Gets Her Man
''Maisie Gets Her Man'' is a 1942 American romance film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Ann Sothern and Red Skelton. It is the sixth of the ten-film ''Maisie'' series.
Cast
* Ann Sothern as Maisie Rivier
* Red Skelton as Herbert P. 'Hap' H ...
'' (1942) as Mr. Stickwell
*''
The Omaha Trail
''The Omaha Trail'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Edward Buzzell. It stars James Craig and Pamela Blake.
Cast
* James Craig as Pat Candel
* Pamela Blake as Julie Santley
* Dean Jagger as Pipsestone Ross
* Edward Ellis as Mr. V ...
'' (1942) as Engineer Jonah McCleod
*''
Seven Sweethearts'' (1942) as Reverend Howgan, the Minister
*''
Keeper of the Flame'' (1943) as Mr. Arbuthnot
*''
They Got Me Covered
''They Got Me Covered'', also known as ''Washington Story'' and ''The Washington Angle'', is a 1943 comedy film directed by David Butler and starring Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. Otto Preminger appears in a supporting role.
Plot
In mid 1941, a ...
'' (1943) as Little Old Man
*''
Air Raid Wardens
''Air Raid Wardens'' is a 1943 comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick and starring Laurel and Hardy. It was the first of two feature films the duo made at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Plot
Set during World War II, just after Pearl Harbor, Stan (Stan L ...
'' (1943) as Eustace Middling
*''
Du Barry Was a Lady
''Du Barry Was a Lady'' is a Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and the book by Herbert Fields and Buddy DeSylva. '' (1943) as Mr. Jones / Duc de Choiseul
*''
Lost Angel'' (1943) as Professor Catty
*''
Rationing
Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one's allowed portion of the resources being distributed on a particular ...
'' (1944) as Wilfred Ball
*''
Two Girls and a Sailor
''Two Girls and a Sailor'' is a 1944 American musical film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Van Johnson, June Allyson and Gloria DeHaven. Set on the American homefront during World War II, it's about two singing sisters who create a lavish ...
'' (1944) as Mr. Nizby
*''
Bathing Beauty
''Bathing Beauty'' is a 1944 musical film starring Red Skelton, Basil Rathbone, and Esther Williams, and directed by George Sidney.
Although this was not Williams' screen debut, it was her first Technicolor musical. The film was initially to be ...
'' (1944) as Chester Klazenfrantz
*''
Maisie Goes to Reno
''Maisie Goes to Reno'' is the eighth film starring Ann Sothern as Maisie Ravier, preceded by '' Swing Shift Maisie'' and followed by ''Up Goes Maisie''. John Hodiak plays her love interest in this 1944 romantic comedy.
Plot
Overworked World Wa ...
'' (1944) as Parsons
*''
Barbary Coast Gent
''Barbary Coast Gent'' is a 1944 American Western comedy film set in 1880s San Francisco's Barbary Coast and Nevada starring Wallace Beery. The movie was directed by Roy Del Ruth and features Binnie Barnes, Beery's brother Noah Beery, Sr., Joh ...
'' (1944) as Bradford Bellamy I
*''
The Thin Man Goes Home
''The Thin Man Goes Home'' is a 1945 comedy- mystery film directed by Richard Thorpe. It is the fifth of the six '' Thin Man'' films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Dashiell Hammett's dapper ex-private detective Nick Charles and his ...
'' (1945) as Willie Crump
*''
State Fair
A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in th ...
'' (1945) as Hippenstahl
*''
Because of Him'' (1946) as Martin
*''
Colonel Effingham's Raid
''Colonel Effingham's Raid'' (UK title: ''Man of the Hour'') is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Irving Pichel. It is also known as ''Berry Fleming's Colonel Effingham's Raid'', ''Everything's Peaches Down in Georgia'' and ''Rebel Yell''. ...
'' (1946) as Doc Buden
*''
Janie Gets Married
''Janie Gets Married'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Vincent Sherman, and written by Agnes Christine Johnston. The film stars Joan Leslie, Robert Hutton, Edward Arnold, Ann Harding, Robert Benchley, and Dorothy Malone. The film wa ...
'' (1946) as Harley P. Stowers
*''
Affairs of Geraldine
''Affairs of Geraldine'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by George Blair and written by John K. Butler. The film stars Jane Withers, Jimmy Lydon, Raymond Walburn, Donald Meek, Charles Quigley and Grant Withers. The film was released on ...
'' (1946) as Casper Millhouse
*''The Hal Roach Comedy Carnival'' (1947) as Henry Cadwallader, in 'Fabulous Joe'
*''
The Fabulous Joe'' (1947) as Henry Cadwallader, Lawyer
*''
Magic Town
''Magic Town'' is a 1947 comedy film directed by William A. Wellman and starring James Stewart and Jane Wyman. The picture is one of the first films about the then-new practice of public opinion polling. The film was inspired by the Middletown ...
'' (1947) as Mr. Twiddle (final film role)
References
External links
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Portraits of Donald Meek from ''Stagecoach''by
Ned Scott
Ned Scott (April 16, 1907 – November 24, 1964) was an American photographer who worked in the Hollywood film industry as a still photographer from 1935–1948. As a member of the Camera Club of New York from 1930–34, he was heavily influ ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meek, Donald
1878 births
1946 deaths
Scottish male stage actors
20th-century Scottish male actors
Scottish male film actors
Deaths from leukemia
Deaths from cancer in California
Scottish emigrants to the United States