Donald Meek

Who was Donald Meek?

Donald Meek was a Scottish American character actor. He first worked as a stage actor and later became a film actor, starring 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 and contracted yellow fever which caused him to lose his hair. He was cast as timid, worrisome 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 whisky salesman Samuel Peacock in John Ford's Stagecoach.

From 1931 through 1932 Meek was featured as criminologist Dr. Crabtree, in a series of twelve Warner Brothers two-reel short subjects written by S. S. Van Dine.