Ben Welden

Ben Welden (born Benjamin Weinblatt; June 12, 1901 – October 17, 1997) was an American character actor who played a wide variety of Damon Runyon-type gangsters in various movies and television shows.

Early years Welden was born in Toledo, Ohio. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Career Welden's film debut occurred in the British production The Man from Chicago (1930). After freelancing for several years, he signed with Warner Bros. in 1937.

Short, balding and somewhat rotund, Welden often literally played a "heavy", frequently in a somewhat comical or slightly dim-witted way, offsetting the sinister nature of his character's actions. Among his roles in this vein was as a goon in The Big Sleep (1946), and as a smart-mouth tavern owner in The Roaring Twenties (1939).

Fans of Adventures of Superman remember him well. He appeared in eight episodes, always as a different character and yet really the same character, in a way. His best-known Superman episode might be "Flight to the North", in which he tries (and fails) to outwit a country-bumpkin type (played by Chuck Connors). In 1966, he acted in episodes 47 and 48 of Batman featuring Vincent Price as Special Guest Villain "Egghead". He also played a supporting role in the Three Stooges short, "Three Dark Horses." (1952)

He appeared in six episodes of The Lone Ranger ("Two Gold Lockets", 1951, "Delayed Action", 1952, "Right to Vote", 1953, "Stage to Tishomingo", 1954, "Trouble at Tylerville", 1956, & "Outlaws in Greasepaint", 1957). He continued to work in television until 1966.

Personal life

After retiring from the screen, Welden owned a confection company called Nutcorn, located in Beverly Hills.

Death Welden died at age 96 on October 17, 1997, at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California.

Filmography

The Man from Chicago (1930) - Ted (film debut) Big Business (1930) - Fenchurch 77 Park Lane (1931) - Sinclair The Missing Rembrandt (1932) - Pinkerton Agent (uncredited) The Innocents of Chicago (1932) - Spike Guinan Tin Gods (1932) - Cyrus P. Schroeder His Lordship (1932) - Washington Roosevelt Lincoln Born Lucky (1933) - Harriman His Grace Gives Notice (1933) - Michael Collier This Is the Life (1933) - Two Gun Mullins Mannequin (1933) - Chris Dempson The Pride of the Force (1933) - Tony Carlotti The Medicine Man (1933) - Joe Garbel Their Night Out (1933) - Crook Send 'em Back Half Dead (1933) - Mustapha Puppets of Fate (1933) Mr. Quincey of Monte Carlo (1933) - Grover Jones Home, Sweet Home (1933) - Santos General John Regan (1933) - Billing The Black Abbot (1934) - Charlie Marsh The River Wolves (1934) - Flash Lawson The Fire Raisers (1934) - Bellini - Stedding's Henchman (uncredited) The Man Who Changed His Name (1934) - Jerry Muller Aunt Sally (1934) - Casino Gay Love (1934) - Ben The Big Splash (1935) - Crook The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes (1935) - Ted Balding Annie, Leave the Room! (1935) - Raisins Royal Cavalcade (1935) - Businessman Death on the Set (1935) - Freshman Alibi Inn (1935) - Saunders Admirals All (1935) - Adolph Klotz The Mystery of the Mary Celeste (1935) - Boas 'Sailor' Hoffman Come Out of the Pantry (1935) - Tramp Trust the Navy (1935) - Scar The Improper Duchess (1936) - Macabe The Avenging Hand (1936) - Slug Clarke (uncredited) She Knew What She Wanted (1936) - Chester The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936) - San Francisco Reporter (uncredited) Hot News (1936) - Slug Wilson Westbound Mail (1937) - Steve Hickman The Great Barrier (1937) - Joe Maytime (1937) - Student (uncredited) The King and the Chorus Girl (1937) - First Waiter (uncredited) Marked Woman (1937) - Charlie Delaney Kid Galahad (1937) - Buzz Barett Another Dawn (1937) - Victor Romkoff - Tobacco Tycoon (uncredited) Confession (1937) - Defense Attorney That Certain Woman (1937) - Headwaiter Harry Aqueilli (uncredited) Varsity Show (1937) - Hammer Back in Circulation (1937) - Sam Sherman Love Is on the Air (1937) - 'Nicey' Ferguson Alcatraz Island (1937) - 'Red' Carroll The Great Garrick (1937) - Blacksmith at Turk's Head (uncredited) The Last Gangster (1937) - Bottles Bailey (uncredited) The Duke Comes Back (1937) - Barney Missing Witnesses (1937) - Frank Wagner Love and Hisses (1937) - Bugsy (uncredited) City Girl (1938) - Blake's Valet (uncredited) Happy Landing (1938) - Manager Skating Rink Prison Nurse (1938) - Gaffney Mystery House (1938) - Gerald Frawley The Saint in New York (1938) - Boots Papinoff Always Goodbye (1938) - 1st New York Taxi Driver Crime Ring (1938) - Nate Gateway (1938) - Motorboat Man (uncredited) Smashing the Rackets (1938) - Whitey Clark Tenth Avenue Kid (1938) - Marty Dayton Time Out for Murder (1938) - Lefty (uncredited) Straight, Place and Show (1938) - Promoter The Night Hawk (1938) - Otto Miller Up the River (1938) - Coach Larkin (uncredited) Little Orphan Annie (1938) - Spot McGee The Girl Downstairs (1938) - Policeman (uncredited) Federal Man-Hunt (1938) - Goldie Stand Up and Fight (1939) - Foreman (uncredited) The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt (1939) - Jenks Pardon Our Nerve (1939) - Captain of Waiters (uncredited) I Was a Convict (1939) - Rocks Henry Sergeant Madden (1939) - Henchman Stemmy Boys' Reformatory (1939) - Mike Hearn Rose of Washington Square (1939) - Toby Fugitive at Large (1939) - Convict (uncredited) The Star Maker (1939) - Joe Gimlick Hollywood Cavalcade (1939) - Agent The Roaring Twenties (1939) - Tavern Proprietor (uncredited) The Earl of Chicago (1940) - Silky's Driver (uncredited) Wolf of New York (1940) - Owney McGill Outside the Three-Mile Limit (1940) - Lefty Shores Tear Gas Squad (1940) - Sully, Rocks' Partner (uncredited) Passport to Alcatraz (1940) - Bender South of Pago Pago (1940) - Grimes City for Conquest (1940) - Cobb The Strawberry Blonde (1941) - Reluctant Convict Dental Patient (uncredited) Mr. District Attorney (1941) - Monk Westman (uncredited) Knockout (1941) - Pelky Men of Boys Town (1941) - Superintendent Strange Alibi (1941) - Durkin I'll Wait for You (1941) - Dr. Anderson Manpower (1941) - Al Hurst Nine Lives Are Not Enough (1941) - Moxie Karper Fiesta (1941) - Policeman (uncredited) Dangerously They Live (1941) - Eddie All Through the Night (1942) - Smitty A Close Call for Ellery Queen (1942) - Watchman Bullet Scars (1942) - Pills Davis Maisie Gets Her Man (1942) - Percy Podd Highways by Night (1942) - Tony Delewese (uncredited) Secrets of the Underground (1942) - Henchman Joe Stand by for Action (1942) - Chief Quartermaster Rankin Here Comes Elmer (1943) - Louis Burch The Fighting Seabees (1944) - Yump Lumkin The Desert Hawk (1944, Serial) - Omar, the Beggar Shadows in the Night (1944) - Nick Kallus Circumstantial Evidence (1945) - Kenny It's in the Bag! (1945) - Monty - Bookie The Missing Corpse (1945) - 'Slippery Joe' Clary Midnight Manhunt (1945) - Hotel Manager (uncredited) Follow That Woman (1945) - Joe (uncredited) Cinderella Jones (1946) - Truck Driver (uncredited) Dangerous Business (1946) - Moxie (uncredited) Anna and the King of Siam (1946) - Third Judge (uncredited) The Last Crooked Mile (1946) - Haynes The Big Sleep (1946) - Pete, Mars' flunky (uncredited) Angel on My Shoulder (1946) - Shaggsy (uncredited) Mr. Hex (1946) - Bull Laguna The Man I Love (1947) - Jack Atlas (uncredited) Sinbad the Sailor (1947) - Commoner (uncredited) Hit Parade of 1947 (1947) - Mr. French (uncredited) Too Many Winners (1947) - Gil Madden / Theodore Ross Fiesta (1947) - Policeman (uncredited) Little Miss Broadway (1947) - Cash Monahan Blackmail (1947) - Bartender (uncredited) Killer Dill (1947) - Big Nick Moronie The Pretender (1947) - Mickie Heading for Heaven (1947) - Sam Here Comes Trouble (1948) - Rankin (uncredited) The Noose Hangs High (1948) - Stewart (uncredited) Trapped by Boston Blackie (1948) - Louis (uncredited) The Dude Goes West (1948) - Porgy (uncredited) Jinx Money (1948) - Benny the Meatball The Vicious Circle (1948) - Constable The Babe Ruth Story (1948) - Bartender (scenes deleted) Lady at Midnight (1948) - Willie Gold Smart Girls Don't Talk (1948) - Nelson Clark (uncredited) A Song Is Born (1948) - Monte My Dear Secretary (1948) - Bookie (uncredited) Appointment with Murder (1948) - Martin Minecci Fighting Fools (1949) - Lefty Conlin Impact (1949) - Moving Van Helper Search for Danger (1949) - Gregory Sorrowful Jones (1949) - Big Steve's Bodyguard The Doctor and the Girl (1949) - Patient (uncredited) Prison Warden (1949) - Yardbird with Cards (uncredited) Mary Ryan, Detective (1949) - Sammy (uncredited) Tough Assignment (1949) - Sniffy Tell It to the Judge (1949) - Augie (uncredited) Riders in the Sky (1949) - Dave The Threat (1949) - Tony Anzio (uncredited) Buccaneer's Girl (1950) - Tom The Jackie Robinson Story (1950) - Tough Lodge Member in Stands (uncredited) On the Isle of Samoa (1950) - Nick Leach The Desert Hawk (1950) - Mokar (uncredited) The Misadventures of Buster Keaton (1950) - Sam (uncredited) My True Story (1950) - Buzz Edwards The Lemon Drop Kid (1951) - Singing Solly Tales of Robin Hood (1951) - Friar Tuck Mask of the Avenger (1951) - Tavern Loafer (uncredited) The Lady and the Bandit (1951) - Barkeep in Pub (uncredited) Rhubarb (1951) - Oily Moe - Bookie (uncredited) Night Stage to Galveston (1952) - Arresting Patrolman (uncredited) Captain Pirate (1952) - Martinique Policeman (uncredited) Tropical Heat Wave (1952) - Abbot (uncredited) Three Dark Horses (1952, Short) - Jim Digger All Ashore (1953) - Hugo - Bartender Thunder Bay (1953) - Fisherman (uncredited) The Veils of Bagdad (1953) - Stout Wrestler (uncredited) Killers from Space (1954) - Pilot - Tar Baby 2 The Steel Cage (1954) - Mike, Convict (segment "The Face") Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki (1955) - Shorty Bates - Kidnapper (uncredited) The Adventures of Captain Africa (1955) - Omar The Benny Goodman Story (1956) - Sammy - Primo's 1st Henchman (uncredited) Hidden Guns (1956) - Ben Peabody Hollywood or Bust (1956) - Boss (uncredited) Spook Chasers (1957) - Ziggie Night Passage (1957) - Pete (uncredited) The Crooked Circle (1957) - Ring Announcer (final film) (uncredited)