Character actor of distinctly American persona who nevertheless made several films in Britain before returning to the U.S. to carve out a career as a familiar face in American movies. Short, bald and built like a tank with a streetwise character and a Damon Runyan accent, Welden played countless gangsters and smalltime hoods, often with a comic aspect. He was the henchman who beat the snot out of Bette Davis in Femmes marquées (1937) and gunned down Elia Kazan in Ville conquise (1940), and made numerous appearances as crooks on Superman (1952). As a sideline, he owned Nutcorn, a popular Beverly Hills confectionery. He retired from acting in his sixties.
