John Qualen

John Qualen

Biography: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John Qualen (born Johan Mandt Kvalen, December 8, 1899 – September 12, 1987) was a Canadian-American character actor of Norwegian heritage who specialized in Scandinavian roles. Qualen was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the son of immigrants from Norway; his father was a Lutheran minister and changed the family's original surname, "Kvalen", to "Qualen" – though some sources give Oleson, later Oleson Kvalen as Qualen's earlier surnames. His father's ministering meant many moves and John was 20 when he graduated from Elgin High School in 1920. Though he was awarded a scholarship to Northwestern University after he won an oratory contest he never attended college. In a Milwaukee Journal interview he said he needed to start working and did so with the Chattaqua Circuit. Eventually reaching Broadway, he gained his big break as the Swedish janitor in Elmer Rice's Street Scene. His movie career began when he recreated the role in the film version. This was followed by his appearance in John Ford's Arrowsmith (1931) which began a more than thirty year membership in the director's "stock company", with important supporting roles in The Searchers (1956), Two Rode Together (1961), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and Cheyenne Autumn (1964). Appearing in well over one hundred films, and acting extensively on television into the 1970s, Qualen performed many of his roles with various accents, usually Scandinavian, often intended for comic effect. Three of his more memorable roles showcase his versatility. Qualen assumed a Midwestern dialect as Muley, who recounts the destruction of his farm by the bank in Ford's The Grapes of Wrath (1940), and as the confused killer Earl Williams in Howard Hawks' classic comedy His Girl Friday (also 1940). As Berger, the jewelry-selling Norwegian resistance member in Michael Curtiz' Casablanca (1942), he essayed a light Scandinavian accent, but put on a thicker Mediterranean accent as the homeward-bound fisherman Locota in William Wellman's The High and the Mighty (1954) Qualen was treasurer of The Authors Club and historian of The Masquers, Hollywood's social group for actors. John Qualen was blind in his later years. He died of heart failure in 1987 in Torrance, California, and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale. He was survived by his three daughters.

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: December 06, 1899

Deathday: September 12, 1987

Popularity:

7.477

Known For

Casablanca
Casablanca

1943-01-15

The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath

1940-03-15

His Girl Friday
His Girl Friday

1940-01-18

The Searchers
The Searchers

1956-05-16

Youth Will Be Served
Youth Will Be Served

1940-11-22

My Girl Tisa
My Girl Tisa

1948-02-07

Blondie on a Budget
Blondie on a Budget

1940-02-29

North to Alaska
North to Alaska

1960-11-07

Jungle Book
Jungle Book

1942-04-03

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

1962-04-13

Hollow Triumph
Hollow Triumph

1948-08-18

Out of the Fog
Out of the Fog

1941-06-14

A Patch of Blue
A Patch of Blue

1965-12-10

Charlie Chan in Paris
Charlie Chan in Paris

1935-01-21

The Strange Case of Dr. Meade
The Strange Case of Dr. Meade

1938-12-15

Woman on the Run
Woman on the Run

1950-11-10

7 Faces of Dr. Lao
7 Faces of Dr. Lao

1964-03-18

Dark Waters
Dark Waters

1944-11-21

All That Money Can Buy
All That Money Can Buy

1941-10-17

Angels Over Broadway
Angels Over Broadway

1940-10-02

Those Calloways
Those Calloways

1965-01-28

Arabian Nights
Arabian Nights

1942-12-25

A Big Hand for the Little Lady
A Big Hand for the Little Lady

1966-06-08

The Shepherd of the Hills
The Shepherd of the Hills

1941-07-18

The Fugitive
The Fugitive

1947-11-11

I, the Jury
I, the Jury

1953-08-14

Knute Rockne All American
Knute Rockne All American

1940-10-05

Cheyenne Autumn
Cheyenne Autumn

1964-10-15

Adventure
Adventure

1945-12-28

The Sons of Katie Elder
The Sons of Katie Elder

1965-06-23

Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen

1952-12-19

The High and the Mighty
The High and the Mighty

1954-07-03

Larceny, Inc.
Larceny, Inc.

1942-04-24

The Big Steal
The Big Steal

1949-07-01

Revolt in the Big House
Revolt in the Big House

1958-12-21

The Long Voyage Home
The Long Voyage Home

1940-11-16

The Other Woman
The Other Woman

1954-12-02

The Gun Runners
The Gun Runners

1958-08-01

The Jackpot
The Jackpot

1950-11-01

The Impostor
The Impostor

1944-02-10

My World Dies Screaming
My World Dies Screaming

1958-08-20

Black Fury
Black Fury

1935-05-18

Angel's Holiday
Angel's Holiday

1937-06-07

Million Dollar Baby
Million Dollar Baby

1941-05-31

Swing Shift Maisie
Swing Shift Maisie

1943-10-01

Tortilla Flat
Tortilla Flat

1942-05-21

Thunder Afloat
Thunder Afloat

1939-09-15

Firecreek
Firecreek

1968-01-24

Honeymoon in Bali
Honeymoon in Bali

1939-09-29

One More Spring
One More Spring

1935-02-15

Passion
Passion

1954-10-06

Our Daily Bread
Our Daily Bread

1934-10-02

P.J.
P.J.

1968-03-27

Goodbye, My Fancy
Goodbye, My Fancy

1951-05-19

Stand Up and Fight
Stand Up and Fight

1939-01-06

Roughly Speaking
Roughly Speaking

1945-01-31

An American Romance
An American Romance

1944-04-16

Orchids to You
Orchids to You

1935-08-09

Girls Dormitory
Girls Dormitory

1936-08-08

Arrowsmith
Arrowsmith

1931-12-07

Meet Nero Wolfe
Meet Nero Wolfe

1936-07-16

He Was Her Man
He Was Her Man

1934-06-16

Seventh Heaven
Seventh Heaven

1937-03-25

The Farmer Takes a Wife
The Farmer Takes a Wife

1935-07-05

Sing and Like it
Sing and Like it

1934-04-20

Five of a Kind
Five of a Kind

1938-10-14

Captain Kidd
Captain Kidd

1945-11-22

Hail, Hero!
Hail, Hero!

1969-10-04

The Flying Missile
The Flying Missile

1950-12-24

Fit for a King
Fit for a King

1937-09-01

Let's Fall in Love
Let's Fall in Love

1933-12-26

Chasing Yesterday
Chasing Yesterday

1935-05-03

Ski Patrol
Ski Patrol

1940-05-09

The Mad Miss Manton
The Mad Miss Manton

1938-10-21

Counsellor at Law
Counsellor at Law

1933-12-25

Song of Scheherazade
Song of Scheherazade

1947-02-26

Upperworld
Upperworld

1934-04-28

365 Nights in Hollywood
365 Nights in Hollywood

1934-12-11

The Big Land
The Big Land

1957-03-01

The Country Doctor
The Country Doctor

1936-03-12

The Bad Man of Brimstone
The Bad Man of Brimstone

1937-12-31

Man on a Bus
Man on a Bus

1955-05-01

Alias a Gentleman
Alias a Gentleman

1948-02-03

Reunion
Reunion

1936-11-20

Street Scene
Street Scene

1931-09-05

Captain China
Captain China

1950-02-02

Let's Fall in Love
Let's Fall in Love

1933-12-26

Hi, Nellie!
Hi, Nellie!

1934-01-20

Two Rode Together
Two Rode Together

1961-05-24

The Sea Chase
The Sea Chase

1955-06-04

Four Wives
Four Wives

1939-12-22

Let Us Live
Let Us Live

1939-03-29

The Road to Glory
The Road to Glory

1936-09-04

Johnny Concho
Johnny Concho

1956-07-01

Man of Iron
Man of Iron

1935-12-21

On Their Own
On Their Own

1940-05-17

Donovan's Reef
Donovan's Reef

1963-06-12

Thunder in the Night
Thunder in the Night

1935-09-16

Anatomy of a Murder
Anatomy of a Murder

1959-07-01

Reaching from Heaven
Reaching from Heaven

1948-02-01

Babies for Sale
Babies for Sale

1940-06-14

Unchained
Unchained

1955-08-25

Ambush at Tomahawk Gap
Ambush at Tomahawk Gap

1953-05-01

Ring Around the Moon
Ring Around the Moon

1936-02-15

Wife vs. Secretary
Wife vs. Secretary

1936-02-28

16 Fathoms Deep
16 Fathoms Deep

1948-07-25

The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers

1935-11-01

Saturday's Children
Saturday's Children

1940-05-04

Nothing Sacred
Nothing Sacred

1937-11-25

Hell Bent for Leather
Hell Bent for Leather

1960-02-01

Doubting Thomas
Doubting Thomas

1935-07-10

Whipsaw
Whipsaw

1935-12-18

Belle Le Grand
Belle Le Grand

1951-01-27

I'll Take Sweden
I'll Take Sweden

1965-06-18

Straight Is the Way
Straight Is the Way

1934-08-10

Model Wife
Model Wife

1941-04-17

The Prize
The Prize

1963-12-25

Buccaneer's Girl
Buccaneer's Girl

1950-03-01

New Wine
New Wine

1941-09-10

Elmer Gantry
Elmer Gantry

1960-07-07

Fifty Roads to Town
Fifty Roads to Town

1937-06-03

The Chaser
The Chaser

1938-07-29

She Had to Eat
She Had to Eat

1937-07-02

Silk Hat Kid
Silk Hat Kid

1935-07-19

River Gang
River Gang

1945-09-21

Joy of Living
Joy of Living

1938-05-06

High Conquest
High Conquest

1947-06-21

The Great Hotel Murder
The Great Hotel Murder

1935-02-27

La Classe américaine
La Classe américaine

1993-12-31

At Gunpoint
At Gunpoint

1955-12-25

Mickey the Kid
Mickey the Kid

1939-07-03

Servants' Entrance
Servants' Entrance

1934-09-25

Breakdowns of 1942
Breakdowns of 1942

1942-12-31

Doc
Doc

1969-07-28

Getting Away from It All
Getting Away from It All

1972-01-18