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.
Known For
Berger
Casablanca
Muley Graves
The Grapes of Wrath
Earl Williams
His Girl Friday
Lars Jorgensen
The Searchers
Clem Howie
Youth Will Be Served
Svenson
My Girl Tisa
Ed Fuddle
Blondie on a Budget
Logger
North to Alaska
The Barber
Jungle Book
Peter Ericson
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Swangron
Hollow Triumph
Olaf Johnson
Out of the Fog
Mr. Faber
A Patch of Blue
Concierge, Dufresne's Hotel (bit)
Charlie Chan in Paris
Stoner
The Strange Case of Dr. Meade
Maibus
Woman on the Run
Luther Lindquist
7 Faces of Dr. Lao
Uncle Norbert
Dark Waters
Miser Stevens
All That Money Can Buy
Charles Engle
Angels Over Broadway
Ernie Evans
Those Calloways
Aladdin
Arabian Nights
Jesse Buford
A Big Hand for the Little Lady
Coot Royal
The Shepherd of the Hills
A Refugee Doctor
The Fugitive
Dr. R.H. Vickers, Veterinarian
I, the Jury
Lars Knutson Rockne
Knute Rockne All American
Svenson (uncredited)
Cheyenne Autumn
Model T
Adventure
Charlie Biller
The Sons of Katie Elder
Burgomaster
Hans Christian Andersen
Jose Locota
The High and the Mighty
Sam Bachrach
Larceny, Inc.
Julius Seton
The Big Steal
Doc
Revolt in the Big House
Axel
The Long Voyage Home
Papasha
The Other Woman
Pop
The Gun Runners
Mr. Ferguson (uncredited)
The Jackpot
Monge
The Impostor
Jonah Snell
My World Dies Screaming
Mike Shemanski
Black Fury
Waldo Everett
Angel's Holiday
Dr. Patterson
Million Dollar Baby
Horatio Curley
Swing Shift Maisie
Jose Maria Corcoran
Tortilla Flat
Milo
Thunder Afloat
Hall
Firecreek
Meek Man (uncredited)
Honeymoon in Bali
Auctioneer
One More Spring
Gaspar Melo
Passion
Chris (as John T. Qualen)
Our Daily Bread
Poppa
P.J.
Professor Dingley
Goodbye, My Fancy
Davy
Stand Up and Fight
Svend Olsen
Roughly Speaking
Anton Dubechek
An American Romance
Smith
Orchids to You
Toni
Girls' Dormitory
Henry Novak (uncredited)
Arrowsmith
Olaf
Meet Nero Wolfe
Dutch, Santa Avila's Cabbie
He Was Her Man
Sewer Rat
Seventh Heaven
Sol Tinker
The Farmer Takes a Wife
Oswald (as John M. Qualen)
Sing and Like It
Asa Wyatt
Five of a Kind
Bart Blivens
Captain Kidd
Billy Hurd
Hail, Hero!
Lars Hansen
The Flying Missile
Otto
Fit for a King
Bjorkman
Let's Fall in Love
Coccoz
Chasing Yesterday
Gustaf
Ski Patrol
Night Watchman at Subway Construction Site
The Mad Miss Manton
Breitstein
Counsellor at Law
Lorenzo
Song of Scheherazade
Janitor
Upperworld
Prof. Herman Ellenbogen
365 Nights in Hollywood
Sven Johnson
The Big Land
Asa Wyatt
The Country Doctor
Loco
The Bad Man of Brimstone
Second Prisoner
Man on a Bus
No End
Alias a Gentleman
Asa Wyatt
Reunion
Karl Olsen (as John M. Qualen)
Street Scene
Geech
Captain China
Svente Bjorkman
Let's Fall in Love
Steve (uncredited)
Hi, Nellie!
Ole Knudsen
Two Rode Together
Chief Engineer Schmitt
The Sea Chase
Frank
Four Wives
Dan (uncredited)
Let Us Live
Duflous
The Road to Glory
Jake
Johnny Concho
Collins
Man of Iron
Peters
On Their Own
Deckhand Who Cries 'Man Overboard' (uncredited)
Donovan's Reef
Hotel Porter
Thunder in the Night
Deputy Sheriff Sulo
Anatomy of a Murder
The Stranger
Reaching from Heaven
Howard Anderson
Babies for Sale
Leonard Haskins
Unchained
Jonas P. Travis
Ambush at Tomahawk Gap
Bill Harvey
Ring Around the Moon
Mr. Jenkins (uncredited)
Wife vs. Secretary
Capt. Athos
16 Fathoms Deep
Planchet
The Three Musketeers
First Carpenter (uncredited)
Saturday's Children
Fireman (uncredited)
Nothing Sacred
Old Ben
Hell Bent for Leather
Von Blitzen
Doubting Thomas
Will Dabson
Whipsaw
Corky McGee
Belle Le Grand
Olaf
I'll Take Sweden
Mr. Clapman (uncredited)
Straight Is the Way
The Janitor
Model Wife
Oscar
The Prize
Vegetable Seller
Buccaneer's Girl
Hasslinger's Clerk
New Wine
Sam - Storekeeper
Elmer Gantry
Sheriff Dow
Fifty Roads to Town
Lars
The Chaser
Sleepy
She Had to Eat
Mr. Fossbender
Silk Hat Kid
Uncle Bill
River Gang
Oswego
Joy of Living
Peter Oberwalder Sr.
High Conquest
Ole
The Great Hotel Murder
V12 (archive footage) (uncredited)
La Classe américaine
Livingstone
At Gunpoint
Mailman
Mickey the Kid
Detective
Servants' Entrance
Self
Breakdowns of 1942
Luke
Doc
Charlie Erickson
Getting Away from It All
Old Man on Porch
Frasier, the Sensuous Lion
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
136
Gender
Male
Birthday
1899-12-06
Place of Birth
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Also Known As
John M. Qualen