Stage work Meeker began his career on stage, appearing in minor roles in the Broadway production of
Strange Fruit (1946) directed by
José Ferrer, which ran for 60 performances. He followed it with a minor part in
Cyrano de Bergerac (1946), starring Ferrer and directed by
Mel Ferrer which went for 163 performances. He was the understudy for
Henry Fonda. Meeker's big breakthrough came when he took over the role of
Stanley Kowalski from
Marlon Brando in the second year of the original Broadway production of
A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by
Elia Kazan. Logan and Hayward had Meeker under personal contract but agreed to release him from
Mister Roberts. He started appearing in June 1949. He played the role until the Broadway run ended in December and then toured on the road with it. Meeker played the supporting role of Mickey in the Broadway world premiere of
Arthur Miller's
After the Fall. Meeker was then signed to a term contract by
MGM. which put him in
Teresa (1951), directed by
Fred Zinnemann. Meeker played a support role, a sergeant, and the film was very popular. MGM then cast him in the leading role in
Shadow in the Sky (1952), alongside
Nancy Davis, later Nancy Reagan. The studio then tried him in
Glory Alley (1952), billed above
Leslie Caron and directed by
Raoul Walsh. Both films flopped. Meeker also appeared on TV shows like
The Revlon Mirror Theater and
Lux Video Theatre.
Picnic '', 1954 In 1954, Meeker was cast in a Broadway production of
William Inge's
Picnic, directed by Logan and also starring
Paul Newman and
Janice Rule. The play was a critical and commercial success, running for 477 performances. Meeker was awarded the New York Critic's Circle Award in 1954.
Picnic became a classic film in 1955, with
William Holden and
Kim Novak starring in the roles originated by Meeker and
Janice Rule. According to
Turner Classic Movies, Meeker turned down the lead role because he did not wish to sign a long-term contract with the production company, and he never was offered a role of similar stature again. On television, Meeker starred in the 1955 premiere episode, "
Revenge", of
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, along with
Vera Miles. (He later appeared in three other
Alfred Hitchcock segments.) He also guest-starred on shows like
Studio One in Hollywood,
Star Stage,
The Alcoa Hour,
Goodyear Playhouse,
Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre,
Studio 57,
Zane Grey Theater,
Playhouse 90, and
The 20th Century Fox Hour. In 1957, he portrayed an ex-convict who kidnaps and then falls for
Jane Russell in the romantic comedy
The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown, which failed at the box office. More popular was the
Sam Fuller Western
Run of the Arrow (1957), with Meeker in a supporting role. He produced the film
Kindergarten in Germany.
Paths of Glory That same year, he appeared in
Stanley Kubrick's
Paths of Glory, playing a soldier, Corporal Paris, accused of cowardice during battle in World War I. Meeker returned to Broadway in 1958 to appear in
Cloud 7 but it only ran 11 performances. He continued to work heavily in TV on such shows as
Climax!,
Wagon Train,
Kraft Theatre,
Pursuit,
Wanted: Dead or Alive,
Schlitz Playhouse,
The Loretta Young Show and
Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Meeker was cast with
Dorothy Provine in the 1959 episode "Blood Money" of the Western series
The Texan, starring
Rory Calhoun. He had the title role in the TV movie
Dillinger (1960).
Not for Hire From 1959 to 1960, Meeker had the leading role as Army Sergeant Steve Dekker in the 39-episode television series
Not for Hire. For Disney TV, he did ''
Texas John Slaughter: Frank Clell's in Town (1961) with Tom Tryon. He also was seen in Tallahassee 7000''. In 1961, he starred in the political story
Ada with
Dean Martin, and in
Jack Garfein's experimental drama
Something Wild, in which he portrayed a mechanic who saves a young woman (
Carroll Baker) from committing suicide, but then holds her captive in his apartment. Meeker went back to Broadway to replace
Eli Wallach in the production of
Rhinoceros starring
Zero Mostel. He was then in
Something About a Soldier (1962) with
Sal Mineo directed by
Dore Schary; it ran 12 performances. In 1962, Meeker portrayed Jack Slade in the episode "The Crooked Angel" of the drama series
Going My Way, starring
Gene Kelly as a Catholic priest in New York City and loosely based on
1944 film of the same name. He was also cast in 1962 as Barney Swanton in the episode "Walk Like a King" of the Western series
Empire, starring
Richard Egan. He was also in episodes of
The United States Steel Hour, and
Route 66. In 1963, he appeared as Murray Knopf in "The Bull Roarer" on
Breaking Point, starring
Paul Richards and
Eduard Franz. During the
Cold War, he appeared in a 1963
U.S. Department of Defense informational film
Town of the Times, which encouraged the construction of public
fallout shelters. He was in the feature film
Wall of Noise (1963) at Warners. Meeker guest-starred as Frank Marin in the 1964 episode "Swing for the Moon" of
Channing, co-starring
Jason Evers and
Henry Jones. He was also in
The Outer Limits,
The Defenders,
Suspense,
The Doctors and the Nurses, and
Kraft Suspense Theatre.
Repertory on Broadway He returned to Broadway in 1964 for
After the Fall by
Arthur Miller, directed by Kazan and starring
Jason Robards Jr. and
Barbara Loden. It ran for 208 performances. The play was done in repertory with
But For Whom Charlie, also directed by Kazan with Meeker (and
Faye Dunaway), but it was not as successful. In 1965 Meeker was in
Mrs. Dally Had a Lover on Broadway, which ran 53 performances. He guest-starred on
The Long, Hot Summer,
Seaway,
The Green Hornet, and
Tarzan. Meeker later appeared in the 1967 crime drama ''
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre'', in which he played gangster
George "Bugs" Moran. Meeker was also in the 1967 war film
The Dirty Dozen as Captain Stuart Kinder, a military psychologist who attempts to analyze the men. Meeker portrayed police officers in
The Detective (1968) with
Frank Sinatra and
The Anderson Tapes (1970) with
Sean Connery. Meeker also starred in
Gentle Giant (1967),
A Punt, a Pass, and a Prayer (1968), and ''
The Devil's 8 (1968) and guest starred on Dundee and the Culhane, The High Chaparral, and The Name of the Game''.
1970s Meeker worked steadily through the 1970s. He was in the TV film
Lost Flight (1970), the feature
I Walk the Line (1970), and episodes of
The Virginian and
The F.B.I., as well as the TV movie
The Reluctant Heroes of Hill 656 (1971). In 1971, he appeared on television as Kermit Teller in the episode "Glory Rider" of the Western
Custer, with
Wayne Maunder in the title role. That year, he was a replacement cast member in a stage production of
The House of Blue Leaves. Meeker was in episodes of
Primus,
Room 222,
Faraday & Company,
Ironside,
Toma,
The Evil Touch,
Police Surgeon,
Cannon,
The Rookies, ''
Movin' On, Barbary Coast, Police Story, Run, Joe, Run, Harry O, Police Woman, The Eddie Capra Mysteries, and CHiPs''. In 1971, Meeker played FBI agent Bernie Jenks in the TV movie
The Night Stalker. He was in TV movies
The Mind Snatchers (1972),
Birds of Prey (1973), ''
You'll Never See Me Again (1973), Cry Panic (1974), Night Games (1974), The Girl on the Late, Late Show (1974), and The Dead Don't Die'' (1975). He made
Love Comes Quietly (1973) in Holland and worked in the John Wayne film
Brannigan (1974). He was second-billed in
Johnny Firecloud (1975) and had a part in
The Food of the Gods (1976). He was also in
Hi-Riders (1978) and starred in
The Alpha Incident (1978).
Final years Meeker was an executive producer on
My Boys Are Good Boys (1978), which he also appeared in. He had a role in
Winter Kills (1979). Meeker's final screen role was in the independent science-fiction-horror film
Without Warning (1980), about an alien landing. The film received negative reviews from critics, with Tom Buckley of
The New York Times calling the film "illogical and predictable." ==Personal life==