George Meeker Movies
Tall, handsome, wavy-haired character actor George Meeker was never in the upper echelons of Hollywood stardom; off-camera, however, he was highly regarded and much sought after -- as an expert polo player. Meeker switched from stage to screen in the silent era, playing leading roles in such important features as Four Sons (1928). In talkies, Meeker seemingly took every part that was tossed his way, from full secondary leads to one-line bits. In his larger roles, Meeker was frequently cast as a caddish "other man," a spineless wastrel who might be (but seldom was) the mystery killer, or the respectable businessman who's actually a conniving crook. He showed up frequently in the films of Humphrey Bogart, most memorably as the white-suited gent in Casablanca (1942) who turns to Bogart after the arrest of Peter Lorre and sneers "When they come to get me, Rick, I hope you'll be more of a help." Other significant George Meeker credits include the role of Robespierre in Marie Antoinette (1938) (cut down to a sniff and a single line -- "Guilty!" -- in the final release print), the supercilious dude who wins Mary Beth Hughes away from Henry Fonda in The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), and the smarmy would-be bridegroom of heiress Dorothy Lamour in The Road to Rio (1947). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1931
Preston Sturges' hit Broadway play Strictly Dishonorable was adapted for the movies in 1931 with virtually all its sexual innuendo intact. In New York City, a young American girl (Sidney Fox) tires of her abusive live-in boy friend. She falls for a roguish Italian singer (Paul Lukas) with a bad reputation, whose interest in her is purely carnal. Burned by her past relationships, the girl determinedly "holds out;" she will capitulate only on her terms, which include a matrimonial commitment. Impressed by the girl's iron will, the singer agrees to marriage, telling himself he is saving her reputation. Cheerfully uninhibited in the best pre-code manner, Strictly Dishonorable was laundered and musicalized for its 1951 remake, which starred Ezio Pinza and Janet Leigh. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Lukas
- 1928
Chicken a la King was based on Mr. Romeo, a play by Harry Wagstaff Gribble. When his brother-in-law Oscar Barrows (Arthur Stone) announces his plans to marry chorus girl Maisie DeVoe (Nancy Carroll), priggish Horace Trundle (Ford Sterling) is aghast. How can Oscar throw his life away on a girl who is obviously nothing more than a golddigger? Heading backstage to reprimand Maisie, Horace suddenly discovers that he enjoys being surrounded by pulchritudinous females. This inspires Horace's long-suffering wife Effie (Carol Holloway) to land a chorus-girl job herself, just to teach her wandering hubby a lesson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nancy Carroll, George Meeker, (more)
- 1928
Long though lost, Four Sons reemerged in the 1960s, proving anew that the silent films of director John Ford were every bit as accomplished as his talkies. More "Germanic" in tone and texture than later Ford films, Four Sons is the story of the Bernle family of Bavaria. Mother Bernle (Margaret Mann) dotes upon her four sons Joseph (James Hall), Johann (Charles Morton), Franz (Francis X. Bushman Jr.) and Andres (George Meeker), but is powerless in guiding their destinies. When WW I breaks out, her sons march off to the front: one of the boys fights for the AEF, the others for the Kaiser. The film's most poignant sequence takes place on the battlefield, when one of the sons stumbles upon his mortally wounded brother. Though the dying man's plaintive cries are heard on the Fox Movietone soundtrack, the scene itself is effectively played in pantomime. An updated version of Four Sons, wherein the locale was switched from Bavaria to Czechoslovakia, was filmed in 1940, starring Don Ameche, Alan Curtis, Robert Lowery and George Ernest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Margaret Mann, James Hall, (more)
- 1928
The protagonists of Thief in the Dark are the members of a travelling spiritualist troupe, criminals all. When one of their seances goes awry at the home of a wealthy gentleman, the head crook bumps off the host and escapes with the loot. This leaves the boss' young assistant George Meeker holding the bag when the cops arrive. With the help of the murdered man's daughter, Meeker clears himself and tracks down the real killer. Billed as "supervisor" of Thief in the Dark was Kenneth Hawks, the brother of legendary director Howard Hawks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Meeker, Marjorie Beebe, (more)
- 1928
This second filmization of Paul Armstrong's play Escape is a bleak study of slum life. Virginia Valli plays May Joyce, the daughter of a scummy bootlegger who falls in love with medical intern Jerry Magee (William Russell). When May is forced to go to work in a sleazy nightclub, Jerry becomes so disconsolate that he loses his job and takes to bootlegging himself. Only when forced to confront himself does Jerry straighten up and seek out a new life, with May at his side. William Demarest provides comic relief as a minor gangster. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Russell, Virginia Valli, (more)
