John Qualen

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

187

Gender

Male

Birthday

1899-12-06

Day of death

1987-09-12 (87 years old)

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.

Known For

  • Maverick

    Maverick

  • Maverick

    Maverick

  • The Andy Griffith Show

    The Andy Griffith Show

  • Dr. Kildare

    Dr. Kildare

  • The Virginian

    The Virginian

  • Cheyenne

    Cheyenne

  • Climax!

    Climax!

  • Dragnet

    Dragnet

  • The Philco Television Playhouse

    The Philco Television Playhouse

  • The Odd Couple

    The Odd Couple

  • The Odd Couple

    The Odd Couple

  • The Odd Couple

    The Odd Couple

  • Ben Casey

    Ben Casey

  • The Donna Reed Show

    The Donna Reed Show

  • Lawman

    Lawman

  • Burke's Law

    Burke's Law

  • The Jackpot

    The Jackpot

  • Green Acres

    Green Acres

  • Green Acres

    Green Acres

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents

    Alfred Hitchcock Presents

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents

    Alfred Hitchcock Presents

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents

    Alfred Hitchcock Presents

  • Thriller

    Thriller

  • River Gang

    River Gang

  • The Searchers

    The Searchers

  • December Bride

    December Bride

  • The Streets of San Francisco

    The Streets of San Francisco

  • Seventh Heaven

    Seventh Heaven

  • Tortilla Flat

    Tortilla Flat

  • The Third Man

    The Third Man

  • Sugarfoot

    Sugarfoot

  • The Millionaire

    The Millionaire

  • Mister Ed

    Mister Ed

  • Mister Ed

    Mister Ed

  • Sea Hunt

    Sea Hunt

  • Casablanca

    Casablanca

  • Elmer Gantry

    Elmer Gantry

  • The Real McCoys

    The Real McCoys

  • Unchained

    Unchained

  • Black Fury

    Black Fury

  • Hi, Nellie!

    Hi, Nellie!

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

    Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

  • Street Scene

    Street Scene

  • Public Defender

    Public Defender

  • Reunion

    Reunion

  • Father Knows Best

    Father Knows Best

  • The Barbara Stanwyck Show

    The Barbara Stanwyck Show

  • Whipsaw

    Whipsaw

  • The Partridge Family

    The Partridge Family

  • Bronco

    Bronco

  • Buccaneer's Girl

    Buccaneer's Girl

  • My Favorite Martian

    My Favorite Martian

  • Tightrope

    Tightrope

  • Girls' Dormitory

    Girls' Dormitory

  • Hollow Triumph

    Hollow Triumph

  • Goodbye, My Fancy

    Goodbye, My Fancy

  • Our Daily Bread

    Our Daily Bread

  • Racket Squad

    Racket Squad

  • Hail, Hero!

    Hail, Hero!

  • The Alaskans

    The Alaskans

  • Ring Around the Moon

    Ring Around the Moon

  • Hans Christian Andersen

    Hans Christian Andersen

  • The Sea Chase

    The Sea Chase

  • An American Romance

    An American Romance

  • I, the Jury

    I, the Jury

  • Breakdowns of 1942

    Breakdowns of 1942

  • Lux Video Theatre

    Lux Video Theatre

  • Reaching from Heaven

    Reaching from Heaven

  • Meet Nero Wolfe

    Meet Nero Wolfe

  • Yancy Derringer

    Yancy Derringer

  • Charlie Chan in Paris

    Charlie Chan in Paris

  • Ski Patrol

    Ski Patrol

  • North to Alaska

    North to Alaska

  • The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.

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

  • The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

    The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

  • Arabian Nights

    Arabian Nights

  • Upperworld

    Upperworld

  • Thunder Afloat

    Thunder Afloat

  • Let Us Live

    Let Us Live

  • Frasier, the Sensuous Lion

    Frasier, the Sensuous Lion

  • Doc

    Doc

  • He Was Her Man

    He Was Her Man

  • No Time for Sergeants

    No Time for Sergeants

  • One More Spring

    One More Spring

  • The Big Land

    The Big Land

  • My Girl Tisa

    My Girl Tisa

  • Model Wife

    Model Wife

  • Song of Scheherazade

    Song of Scheherazade

  • Knute Rockne All American

    Knute Rockne All American

  • I'll Take Sweden

    I'll Take Sweden

  • Fit for a King

    Fit for a King

  • Babies for Sale

    Babies for Sale

  • Anatomy of a Murder

    Anatomy of a Murder

  • Jericho

    Jericho

  • P.J.

    P.J.

  • Tate

    Tate

  • Swing Shift Maisie

    Swing Shift Maisie

  • Shane

    Shane

  • The Grapes of Wrath

    The Grapes of Wrath

  • His Girl Friday

    His Girl Friday

  • The Impostor

    The Impostor

  • Blondie on a Budget

    Blondie on a Budget

  • Donovan's Reef

    Donovan's Reef

  • The Sons of Katie Elder

    The Sons of Katie Elder

  • Doubting Thomas

    Doubting Thomas

  • Cheyenne Autumn

    Cheyenne Autumn

  • Silk Hat Kid

    Silk Hat Kid

  • 16 Fathoms Deep

    16 Fathoms Deep

  • Wife vs. Secretary

    Wife vs. Secretary

  • Passion

    Passion

  • Orchids to You

    Orchids to You

  • The Prize

    The Prize

  • Jungle Book

    Jungle Book

  • The High and the Mighty

    The High and the Mighty

  • All That Money Can Buy

    All That Money Can Buy

  • La Classe américaine

    La Classe américaine

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

    Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

    Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

  • Firecreek

    Firecreek

  • A Big Hand for the Little Lady

    A Big Hand for the Little Lady

  • General Electric Theater

    General Electric Theater

  • Two Rode Together

    Two Rode Together

  • Woman on the Run

    Woman on the Run

  • The Mad Miss Manton

    The Mad Miss Manton

  • New Wine

    New Wine

  • A Patch of Blue

    A Patch of Blue

  • The Road to Glory

    The Road to Glory

  • The Big Steal

    The Big Steal

  • The Long Voyage Home

    The Long Voyage Home

  • Hell Bent for Leather

    Hell Bent for Leather

  • The Three Musketeers

    The Three Musketeers

  • At Gunpoint

    At Gunpoint

  • Nothing Sacred

    Nothing Sacred

  • Arrowsmith

    Arrowsmith

  • 7 Faces of Dr. Lao

    7 Faces of Dr. Lao

  • Larceny, Inc.

    Larceny, Inc.

  • Million Dollar Baby

    Million Dollar Baby

  • The Gun Runners

    The Gun Runners

  • Out of the Fog

    Out of the Fog

  • The Shepherd of the Hills

    The Shepherd of the Hills

  • Saturday's Children

    Saturday's Children

  • Five of a Kind

    Five of a Kind

  • Captain Kidd

    Captain Kidd

  • Those Calloways

    Those Calloways

  • Joy of Living

    Joy of Living

  • The Flying Missile

    The Flying Missile

  • Sing and Like It

    Sing and Like It

  • The Fugitive

    The Fugitive

  • Fifty Roads to Town

    Fifty Roads to Town

  • Adventure

    Adventure

  • Stand Up and Fight

    Stand Up and Fight

  • Ambush at Tomahawk Gap

    Ambush at Tomahawk Gap

  • She Had to Eat

    She Had to Eat

  • Johnny Concho

    Johnny Concho

  • Counsellor at Law

    Counsellor at Law

  • Dark Waters

    Dark Waters

  • Mickey the Kid

    Mickey the Kid

  • Chasing Yesterday

    Chasing Yesterday

  • Four Wives

    Four Wives

  • Captain China

    Captain China

  • Servants' Entrance

    Servants' Entrance

  • The Farmer Takes a Wife

    The Farmer Takes a Wife

  • Honeymoon in Bali

    Honeymoon in Bali

  • The Bad Man of Brimstone

    The Bad Man of Brimstone

  • Straight Is the Way

    Straight Is the Way

  • Revolt in the Big House

    Revolt in the Big House

  • My World Dies Screaming

    My World Dies Screaming

  • High Conquest

    High Conquest

  • 365 Nights in Hollywood

    365 Nights in Hollywood

  • Angel's Holiday

    Angel's Holiday

  • Roughly Speaking

    Roughly Speaking

  • Angels Over Broadway

    Angels Over Broadway

  • On Their Own

    On Their Own

  • The Chaser

    The Chaser

  • Youth Will Be Served

    Youth Will Be Served

  • Man of Iron

    Man of Iron

  • The Strange Case of Dr. Meade

    The Strange Case of Dr. Meade

  • Man on a Bus

    Man on a Bus

  • Getting Away from It All

    Getting Away from It All

  • Thunder in the Night

    Thunder in the Night

  • Belle Le Grand

    Belle Le Grand

  • Let's Fall in Love

    Let's Fall in Love

  • Let's Fall in Love

    Let's Fall in Love

  • The Country Doctor

    The Country Doctor

  • The Other Woman

    The Other Woman

  • Alias a Gentleman

    Alias a Gentleman

  • The Great Hotel Murder

    The Great Hotel Murder