Balding American expatriate character actor, born into a family of variety performers. He lived in Britain from the age of eight and first acted on stage in 1897. In films he excelled at playing choleric or excitable Americans, often reporters or middle management types. During the war years he featured on radio in the "Kentucky Minstrels" program. He also wrote several screenplays and appeared in the theatrical 1961 London cast of "The Music Man" as Mayor Shinn.