person

John Qualen

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Gender

Male

Birthday

1899-12-06

Place of Birth

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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.

Also Known For

poster

81

Casablanca

Jan 15, 1943

poster

78

The Grapes of Wrath

Mar 15, 1940

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74

His Girl Friday

Jan 18, 1940

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77

The Searchers

May 16, 1956

poster

10

Youth Will Be Served

Nov 22, 1940

poster

NA

My Girl Tisa

Feb 07, 1948

poster

60

Blondie on a Budget

Feb 29, 1940

poster

65

North to Alaska

Nov 07, 1960

poster

63

Jungle Book

Apr 03, 1942

poster

78

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Apr 13, 1962

poster

65

Hollow Triumph

Aug 18, 1948

poster

64

Out of the Fog

Jun 14, 1941

poster

76

A Patch of Blue

Dec 10, 1965

poster

65

Charlie Chan in Paris

Jan 21, 1935

poster

50

The Strange Case of Dr. Meade

Dec 15, 1938

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67

Woman on the Run

Nov 10, 1950

poster

69

7 Faces of Dr. Lao

Mar 18, 1964

poster

58

Dark Waters

Nov 21, 1944

poster

70

All That Money Can Buy

Oct 17, 1941

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59

Angels Over Broadway

Oct 02, 1940

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63

Those Calloways

Nov 10, 1964

poster

60

Arabian Nights

Dec 25, 1942

poster

71

A Big Hand for the Little Lady

Jun 08, 1966

poster

66

The Shepherd of the Hills

Jul 18, 1941

poster

59

The Fugitive

Nov 11, 1947

poster

57

I, the Jury

Aug 14, 1953

poster

61

Knute Rockne All American

Oct 05, 1940

poster

67

Cheyenne Autumn

Oct 15, 1964

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62

Adventure

Dec 28, 1945

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70

The Sons of Katie Elder

Jun 23, 1965

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62

Hans Christian Andersen

Dec 19, 1952

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59

The High and the Mighty

Jul 03, 1954

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69

Larceny, Inc.

Apr 24, 1942

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65

The Big Steal

Jul 01, 1949

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62

Revolt in the Big House

Dec 21, 1958

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65

The Long Voyage Home

Nov 16, 1940

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55

The Other Woman

Dec 02, 1954

poster

60

The Gun Runners

Aug 01, 1958

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69

The Jackpot

Nov 01, 1950

poster

60

The Impostor

Feb 10, 1944

poster

58

My World Dies Screaming

Aug 20, 1958

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63

Black Fury

May 18, 1935

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55

Angel's Holiday

Jun 07, 1937

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60

Million Dollar Baby

May 31, 1941

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65

Swing Shift Maisie

Oct 01, 1943

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54

Tortilla Flat

May 21, 1942

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59

Thunder Afloat

Sep 15, 1939

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64

Firecreek

Jan 24, 1968

poster

62

Honeymoon in Bali

Sep 29, 1939

poster

57

One More Spring

Feb 15, 1935

poster

52

Passion

Oct 06, 1954

poster

68

Our Daily Bread

Oct 02, 1934

poster

52

P.J.

Mar 27, 1968

poster

59

Goodbye, My Fancy

May 19, 1951

poster

58

Stand Up and Fight

Jan 06, 1939

poster

68

Roughly Speaking

Jan 31, 1945

poster

59

An American Romance

Apr 16, 1944

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NA

Orchids to You

Aug 09, 1935

poster

59

Girls' Dormitory

Aug 08, 1936

poster

64

Arrowsmith

Dec 07, 1931

poster

65

Meet Nero Wolfe

Jul 16, 1936

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62

He Was Her Man

Jun 16, 1934

poster

66

Seventh Heaven

Mar 25, 1937

poster

61

The Farmer Takes a Wife

Jul 05, 1935

poster

40

Sing and Like It

Apr 20, 1934

poster

42

Five of a Kind

Oct 14, 1938

poster

60

Captain Kidd

Nov 22, 1945

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60

Hail, Hero!

Oct 04, 1969

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48

The Flying Missile

Dec 24, 1950

poster

50

Fit for a King

Sep 01, 1937

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75

Let's Fall in Love

Dec 26, 1933

poster

35

Chasing Yesterday

May 03, 1935

poster

37

Ski Patrol

May 09, 1940

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64

The Mad Miss Manton

Oct 21, 1938

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66

Counsellor at Law

Dec 25, 1933

poster

58

Song of Scheherazade

Feb 26, 1947

poster

63

Upperworld

Apr 28, 1934

poster

NA

365 Nights in Hollywood

Dec 11, 1934

poster

64

The Big Land

Mar 01, 1957

poster

60

The Country Doctor

Mar 12, 1936

poster

60

The Bad Man of Brimstone

Dec 31, 1937

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40

Man on a Bus

May 01, 1955

poster

65

Alias a Gentleman

Feb 03, 1948

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NA

Reunion

Nov 20, 1936

poster

68

Street Scene

Sep 05, 1931

poster

50

Captain China

Feb 02, 1950

poster

75

Let's Fall in Love

Dec 26, 1933

poster

65

Hi, Nellie!

Jan 20, 1934

poster

63

Two Rode Together

May 24, 1961

poster

61

The Sea Chase

Jun 04, 1955

poster

53

Four Wives

Dec 22, 1939

poster

68

Let Us Live

Mar 29, 1939

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63

The Road to Glory

Sep 04, 1936

poster

37

Johnny Concho

Jul 01, 1956

poster

60

Man of Iron

Dec 21, 1935

poster

NA

On Their Own

May 17, 1940

poster

62

Donovan's Reef

Jun 12, 1963

poster

55

Thunder in the Night

Sep 16, 1935

poster

78

Anatomy of a Murder

Jul 01, 1959

poster

NA

Reaching from Heaven

Feb 01, 1948

poster

55

Babies for Sale

Jun 14, 1940

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NA

Unchained

Aug 25, 1955

poster

65

Ambush at Tomahawk Gap

May 01, 1953

poster

40

Ring Around the Moon

Feb 15, 1936

poster

68

Wife vs. Secretary

Feb 28, 1936

poster

45

16 Fathoms Deep

Jul 25, 1948

poster

64

The Three Musketeers

Nov 01, 1935

poster

64

Saturday's Children

May 04, 1940

poster

63

Nothing Sacred

Nov 25, 1937

poster

62

Hell Bent for Leather

Feb 01, 1960

poster

62

Whipsaw

Dec 18, 1935

poster

70

Doubting Thomas

Jul 10, 1935

poster

30

Belle Le Grand

Jan 27, 1951

poster

50

I'll Take Sweden

Jun 18, 1965

poster

55

Straight Is the Way

Aug 10, 1934

poster

NA

Model Wife

Apr 17, 1941

poster

68

The Prize

Dec 25, 1963

poster

56

Buccaneer's Girl

Mar 01, 1950

poster

NA

New Wine

Sep 10, 1941

poster

72

Elmer Gantry

Jul 07, 1960

poster

NA

Fifty Roads to Town

Jun 03, 1937

poster

60

The Chaser

Jul 29, 1938

poster

50

She Had to Eat

Jul 02, 1937

poster

60

Silk Hat Kid

Jul 19, 1935

poster

NA

River Gang

Sep 21, 1945

poster

59

Joy of Living

May 06, 1938

poster

NA

High Conquest

Jun 21, 1947

poster

57

The Great Hotel Murder

Feb 27, 1935

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76

La Classe américaine

Dec 31, 1993

poster

63

At Gunpoint

Dec 25, 1955

poster

NA

Mickey the Kid

Jul 03, 1939

poster

NA

Servants' Entrance

Sep 25, 1934

poster

60

Breakdowns of 1942

Dec 31, 1942

poster

NA

Doc

Jul 28, 1969

poster

NA

Getting Away from It All

Jan 18, 1972

poster

57

Frasier, the Sensuous Lion

Jun 19, 1973

poster

68

Mister Ed

Jan 05, 1961

poster

76

The Andy Griffith Show

Oct 03, 1960

poster

60

Burke's Law

Sep 20, 1963

poster

58

Cheyenne

Sep 20, 1955

poster

55

December Bride

Oct 04, 1954

poster

66

The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.

Sep 13, 1966

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77

The Odd Couple

Sep 24, 1970

poster

64

Dragnet

Dec 16, 1951

poster

62

General Electric Theater

Feb 01, 1953

poster

66

Sea Hunt

Jan 04, 1958

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77

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Oct 02, 1955

poster

58

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

Oct 06, 1958

poster

50

The Millionaire

Jan 19, 1955

poster

63

The Virginian

Sep 19, 1962

poster

64

Thriller

Sep 13, 1960

poster

56

Yancy Derringer

Oct 02, 1958

poster

72

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

Oct 05, 1951

poster

63

Lux Video Theatre

Oct 02, 1950

poster

32

Climax!

Oct 07, 1954

poster

52

Bronco

Sep 23, 1958

poster

62

The Philco Television Playhouse

Oct 03, 1948

poster

55

The Alaskans

Oct 04, 1959

poster

48

Sugarfoot

Sep 17, 1957

poster

56

Ben Casey

Oct 02, 1961

poster

60

Racket Squad

Jun 07, 1951

poster

55

Tightrope

Sep 08, 1959

poster

55

Dr. Kildare

Sep 27, 1961

poster

60

Shane

Sep 10, 1966

poster

65

Jericho

Sep 15, 1966

poster

71

The Third Man

Oct 02, 1959

poster

10

No Time for Sergeants

Sep 14, 1964

poster

67

Maverick

Sep 22, 1957

poster

62

The Barbara Stanwyck Show

Sep 19, 1960

poster

67

Maverick

Sep 22, 1957

poster

45

Tate

Jun 08, 1960

poster

72

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

Oct 05, 1951

poster

77

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Oct 02, 1955

poster

77

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Oct 02, 1955

poster

68

Mister Ed

Jan 05, 1961

poster

69

The Streets of San Francisco

Sep 23, 1972

poster

60

Public Defender

Mar 11, 1954

poster

77

The Odd Couple

Sep 24, 1970

poster

77

The Odd Couple

Sep 24, 1970

poster

67

The Partridge Family

Sep 25, 1970

poster

59

My Favorite Martian

Sep 29, 1963

poster

73

Green Acres

Sep 15, 1965

poster

73

Green Acres

Sep 15, 1965

poster

65

Father Knows Best

Oct 03, 1954

poster

56

The Real McCoys

Oct 03, 1957

poster

62

The Donna Reed Show

Sep 24, 1958

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56

Lawman

Oct 05, 1958