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John Qualen

John Qualen

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.

Personal information

Birthday

1899-12-06

Birth Place

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Movies and TV shows :

16 Fathoms Deep

16 Fathoms Deep

1948

4.5

Movie
365 Nights in Hollywood

365 Nights in Hollywood

1934

0.0

Movie
7 Faces of Dr. Lao

7 Faces of Dr. Lao

1964

6.9

Movie
A Big Hand for the Little Lady

A Big Hand for the Little Lady

1966

7.1

Movie
A Patch of Blue

A Patch of Blue

1965

7.5

Movie
Adventure

Adventure

1945

6.2

Movie
poster

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

1955

7.7

TV
Alias a Gentleman

Alias a Gentleman

1948

6.5

Movie
All That Money Can Buy

All That Money Can Buy

1941

7.1

Movie
Ambush at Tomahawk Gap

Ambush at Tomahawk Gap

1953

6.5

Movie
An American Romance

An American Romance

1944

5.9

Movie
Anatomy of a Murder

Anatomy of a Murder

1959

7.8

Movie
Angel's Holiday

Angel's Holiday

1937

5.5

Movie
Angels Over Broadway

Angels Over Broadway

1940

5.8

Movie
Arabian Nights

Arabian Nights

1942

5.9

Movie
Arrowsmith

Arrowsmith

1931

6.5

Movie
At Gunpoint

At Gunpoint

1955

6.3

Movie
Babies for Sale

Babies for Sale

1940

5.5

Movie
Belle Le Grand

Belle Le Grand

1951

3.0

Movie
poster

Ben Casey

1961

5.7

TV
Black Fury

Black Fury

1935

6.4

Movie
Blondie on a Budget

Blondie on a Budget

1940

6.0

Movie
Breakdowns of 1942

Breakdowns of 1942

1942

6.0

Movie
poster

Bronco

1958

4.8

TV
Buccaneer's Girl

Buccaneer's Girl

1950

5.6

Movie
poster

Burke's Law

1963

6.0

TV
Captain China

Captain China

1950

5.0

Movie
Captain Kidd

Captain Kidd

1945

6.0

Movie
Casablanca

Casablanca

1943

8.2

Movie
Charlie Chan in Paris

Charlie Chan in Paris

1935

6.5

Movie
Chasing Yesterday

Chasing Yesterday

1935

3.5

Movie
poster

Cheyenne

1955

5.8

TV
Cheyenne Autumn

Cheyenne Autumn

1964

6.7

Movie
poster

Climax!

1954

3.0

TV
Counsellor at Law

Counsellor at Law

1933

6.6

Movie
Dark Waters

Dark Waters

1944

5.8

Movie
poster

December Bride

1954

5.5

TV
Doc

Doc

1969

0.0

Movie
Donovan's Reef

Donovan's Reef

1963

6.2

Movie
Doubting Thomas

Doubting Thomas

1935

7.0

Movie
poster

Dr. Kildare

1961

5.4

TV
poster

Dragnet

1951

6.5

TV
Elmer Gantry

Elmer Gantry

1960

7.3

Movie
Fifty Roads to Town

Fifty Roads to Town

1937

0.0

Movie
Firecreek

Firecreek

1968

6.4

Movie
Fit for a King

Fit for a King

1937

5.0

Movie
Five of a Kind

Five of a Kind

1938

4.2

Movie
Four Wives

Four Wives

1939

5.1

Movie
poster

General Electric Theater

1953

6.0

TV
Getting Away from It All

Getting Away from It All

1972

0.0

Movie
Girls Dormitory

Girls Dormitory

1936

5.9

Movie
Goodbye, My Fancy

Goodbye, My Fancy

1951

5.9

Movie
poster

Green Acres

1965

7.3

TV
Hail, Hero!

Hail, Hero!

1969

6.0

Movie
Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen

1952

6.2

Movie
He Was Her Man

He Was Her Man

1934

6.8

Movie
Hell Bent for Leather

Hell Bent for Leather

1960

6.2

Movie
Hi, Nellie!

Hi, Nellie!

1934

6.5

Movie
High Conquest

High Conquest

1947

0.0

Movie
His Girl Friday

His Girl Friday

1940

7.4

Movie
Hollow Triumph

Hollow Triumph

1948

6.5

Movie
Honeymoon in Bali

Honeymoon in Bali

1939

6.2

Movie
I, the Jury

I, the Jury

1953

5.7

Movie
I'll Take Sweden

I'll Take Sweden

1965

5.0

Movie
poster

Jericho

1966

6.5

TV
Johnny Concho

Johnny Concho

1956

3.7

Movie
Joy of Living

Joy of Living

1938

5.7

Movie
Jungle Book

Jungle Book

1942

6.3

Movie
Knute Rockne All American

Knute Rockne All American

1940

6.0

Movie
La Classe américaine

La Classe américaine

1993

7.7

Movie
Larceny, Inc.

Larceny, Inc.

1942

7.0

Movie
Let Us Live

Let Us Live

1939

6.6

Movie
Let's Fall in Love

Let's Fall in Love

1933

7.5

Movie
poster

Lux Video Theatre

1950

6.0

TV
Man of Iron

Man of Iron

1935

6.0

Movie
Man on a Bus

Man on a Bus

1955

4.0

Movie
poster

Maverick

1957

6.8

TV
Meet Nero Wolfe

Meet Nero Wolfe

1936

6.5

Movie
Mickey the Kid

Mickey the Kid

1939

0.0

Movie
Million Dollar Baby

Million Dollar Baby

1941

6.0

Movie
poster

Mister Ed

1961

6.7

TV
Model Wife

Model Wife

1941

0.0

Movie
poster

My Favorite Martian

1963

6.0

TV
My Girl Tisa

My Girl Tisa

1948

0.0

Movie
My World Dies Screaming

My World Dies Screaming

1958

5.8

Movie
New Wine

New Wine

1941

0.0

Movie
poster

No Time for Sergeants

1964

1.0

TV
North to Alaska

North to Alaska

1960

6.5

Movie
Nothing Sacred

Nothing Sacred

1937

6.2

Movie
On Their Own

On Their Own

1940

0.0

Movie
One More Spring

One More Spring

1935

5.7

Movie
Orchids to You

Orchids to You

1935

0.0

Movie
Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread

1934

6.8

Movie
Out of the Fog

Out of the Fog

1941

6.4

Movie
P.J.

P.J.

1968

5.2

Movie
Passion

Passion

1954

5.2

Movie
poster

Public Defender

1954

5.0

TV
poster

Racket Squad

1951

6.0

TV
Reaching from Heaven

Reaching from Heaven

1948

0.0

Movie
Reunion

Reunion

1936

0.0

Movie
Revolt in the Big House

Revolt in the Big House

1958

6.2

Movie
Ring Around the Moon

Ring Around the Moon

1936

3.0

Movie
River Gang

River Gang

1945

0.0

Movie
Roughly Speaking

Roughly Speaking

1945

6.8

Movie
Saturday's Children

Saturday's Children

1940

6.4

Movie
poster

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

1951

7.0

TV
poster

Sea Hunt

1958

6.5

TV
Servants' Entrance

Servants' Entrance

1934

0.0

Movie
Seventh Heaven

Seventh Heaven

1937

6.6

Movie
poster

Shane

1966

6.0

TV
She Had to Eat

She Had to Eat

1937

5.0

Movie
Silk Hat Kid

Silk Hat Kid

1935

6.0

Movie
Sing and Like it

Sing and Like it

1934

4.3

Movie
Ski Patrol

Ski Patrol

1940

3.7

Movie
Song of Scheherazade

Song of Scheherazade

1947

5.8

Movie
Stand Up and Fight

Stand Up and Fight

1939

5.8

Movie
Straight Is the Way

Straight Is the Way

1934

5.5

Movie
Street Scene

Street Scene

1931

6.8

Movie
poster

Sugarfoot

1957

4.8

TV
Swing Shift Maisie

Swing Shift Maisie

1943

6.5

Movie
poster

Tate

1960

4.5

TV
poster

The Alaskans

1959

5.5

TV
poster

The Andy Griffith Show

1960

7.6

TV
The Bad Man of Brimstone

The Bad Man of Brimstone

1937

6.0

Movie
poster

The Barbara Stanwyck Show

1960

6.2

TV
The Big Land

The Big Land

1957

6.2

Movie
The Big Steal

The Big Steal

1949

6.5

Movie
The Chaser

The Chaser

1938

6.0

Movie
The Country Doctor

The Country Doctor

1936

6.0

Movie
poster

The Donna Reed Show

1958

6.3

TV
The Farmer Takes a Wife

The Farmer Takes a Wife

1935

6.1

Movie
The Flying Missile

The Flying Missile

1950

5.4

Movie
The Fugitive

The Fugitive

1947

5.9

Movie
poster

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

1966

6.6

TV
The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath

1940

7.8

Movie
The Great Hotel Murder

The Great Hotel Murder

1935

6.0

Movie
The Gun Runners

The Gun Runners

1958

6.0

Movie
The High and the Mighty

The High and the Mighty

1954

5.9

Movie
The Impostor

The Impostor

1944

6.0

Movie
The Jackpot

The Jackpot

1950

6.9

Movie
The Long Voyage Home

The Long Voyage Home

1940

6.5

Movie
The Mad Miss Manton

The Mad Miss Manton

1938

6.5

Movie
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

1962

7.8

Movie
poster

The Millionaire

1955

5.0

TV
poster

The Odd Couple

1970

7.8

TV
The Other Woman

The Other Woman

1954

5.5

Movie
poster

The Partridge Family

1970

6.7

TV
poster

The Philco Television Playhouse

1948

6.0

TV
The Prize

The Prize

1963

6.8

Movie
The Road to Glory

The Road to Glory

1936

6.3

Movie
The Sea Chase

The Sea Chase

1955

6.1

Movie
The Searchers

The Searchers

1956

7.7

Movie
The Shepherd of the Hills

The Shepherd of the Hills

1941

6.6

Movie
The Sons of Katie Elder

The Sons of Katie Elder

1965

7.0

Movie
The Strange Case of Dr. Meade

The Strange Case of Dr. Meade

1938

5.0

Movie
poster

The Streets of San Francisco

1972

7.0

TV
poster

The Third Man

1959

6.4

TV
The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers

1935

6.4

Movie
poster

The Virginian

1962

6.4

TV
Those Calloways

Those Calloways

1965

6.3

Movie
poster

Thriller

1960

6.4

TV
Thunder Afloat

Thunder Afloat

1939

5.9

Movie
Thunder in the Night

Thunder in the Night

1935

5.5

Movie
poster

Tightrope

1959

5.5

TV
Tortilla Flat

Tortilla Flat

1942

5.4

Movie
Two Rode Together

Two Rode Together

1961

6.4

Movie
Unchained

Unchained

1955

0.0

Movie
Upperworld

Upperworld

1934

6.3

Movie
poster

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

1958

5.3

TV
Whipsaw

Whipsaw

1935

6.2

Movie
Wife vs. Secretary

Wife vs. Secretary

1936

6.8

Movie
Woman on the Run

Woman on the Run

1950

6.8

Movie
poster

Yancy Derringer

1958

6.0

TV
Youth Will Be Served

Youth Will Be Served

1940

1.0

Movie