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.
Acted in
La Classe américaine
1993
as V12 (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
as Frank Casey
Getting Away from It All
1972
as Charlie Erickson
The Partridge Family
1970
as The Old Man
The Odd Couple
1970
as Groundskeeper
The Odd Couple
1970
as Mr. Larson
The Odd Couple
1970
as Sam
Hail, Hero!
1969
as Billy Hurd
Doc
1969
as Luke
P.J.
1968
as Poppa
Firecreek
1968
as Hall
Jericho
1966
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
1966
as Dr. Elmer Spritzer
Shane
1966
as Old Man
A Big Hand for the Little Lady
1966
as Jesse Buford
A Patch of Blue
1965
as Mr. Faber
Green Acres
1965
The Sons of Katie Elder
1965
as Charlie Biller
I'll Take Sweden
1965
as Olaf
Those Calloways
1965
as Ernie Evans
Cheyenne Autumn
1964
as Svenson (uncredited)
No Time for Sergeants
1964
7 Faces of Dr. Lao
1964
as Luther Lindquist
The Prize
1963
as Oscar
My Favorite Martian
1963
as Matt
Burke's Law
1963
as Richard Prince
Donovan's Reef
1963
as Deckhand Who Cries 'Man Overboard' (uncredited)
The Virginian
1962
as Gosta Swenson
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
1962
as Peter Ericson
Ben Casey
1961
Dr. Kildare
1961
as Mr. Callahan
Two Rode Together
1961
as Ole Knudsen
Mister Ed
1961
Mister Ed
1961
as Milo Simmons
North to Alaska
1960
as Logger
The Andy Griffith Show
1960
as Henry Bennett
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
1960
Thriller
1960
as Streetcar Conductor
Elmer Gantry
1960
as Sam - Storekeeper
Tate
1960
as Sam
Hell Bent for Leather
1960
as Old Ben
The Alaskans
1959
The Third Man
1959
Tightrope
1959
Anatomy of a Murder
1959
as Deputy Sheriff Sulo
Revolt in the Big House
1958
as Doc
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
Yancy Derringer
1958
as Capt. Sven Larsen
The Donna Reed Show
1958
Bronco
1958
My World Dies Screaming
1958
as Jonah Snell
The Gun Runners
1958
as Pop
Sea Hunt
1958
Maverick
1957
Maverick
1957
as Leland Mills
Sugarfoot
1957
as Jens Jensen
The Big Land
1957
as Sven Johnson
Johnny Concho
1956
as Jake
The Searchers
1956
as Lars Jorgensen
At Gunpoint
1955
as Livingstone
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Mr. Stepp
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Elmer Shore
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Mr. Crabtree
Cheyenne
1955
Unchained
1955
as Leonard Haskins
The Sea Chase
1955
as Chief Engineer Schmitt
Man on a Bus
1955
as Second Prisoner
The Millionaire
1955
as Harry Stonewall Jackson
The Other Woman
1954
as Papasha
Climax!
1954
as Geist
Passion
1954
as Gaspar Melo
December Bride
1954
The High and the Mighty
1954
as Jose Locota
Public Defender
1954
as Ames
I, the Jury
1953
as Dr. R.H. Vickers, Veterinarian
Ambush at Tomahawk Gap
1953
as Jonas P. Travis
General Electric Theater
1953
Hans Christian Andersen
1952
as Burgomaster
Dragnet
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Pop Bradshaw
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Peleg Brewster
Racket Squad
1951
Goodbye, My Fancy
1951
as Professor Dingley
Belle Le Grand
1951
as Corky McGee
The Flying Missile
1950
as Lars Hansen
Woman on the Run
1950
as Maibus
The Jackpot
1950
as Mr. Ferguson (uncredited)
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Eddie
Buccaneer's Girl
1950
as Vegetable Seller
Captain China
1950
as Geech
The Big Steal
1949
as Julius Seton
The Philco Television Playhouse
1948
as Gus Gruntle
Hollow Triumph
1948
as Swangron
16 Fathoms Deep
1948
as Capt. Athos
My Girl Tisa
1948
as Svenson
Alias a Gentleman
1948
as No End
Reaching from Heaven
1948
as The Stranger
The Fugitive
1947
as A Refugee Doctor
High Conquest
1947
as Peter Oberwalder Sr.
Song of Scheherazade
1947
as Lorenzo
Adventure
1945
as Model T
Captain Kidd
1945
as Bart Blivens
River Gang
1945
as Uncle Bill
Roughly Speaking
1945
as Svend Olsen
Dark Waters
1944
as Uncle Norbert
An American Romance
1944
as Anton Dubechek
The Impostor
1944
as Monge
Swing Shift Maisie
1943
as Horatio Curley
Casablanca
1943
as Berger
Breakdowns of 1942
1942
as Self
Arabian Nights
1942
as Aladdin
Tortilla Flat
1942
as Jose Maria Corcoran
Larceny, Inc.
1942
as Sam Bachrach
Jungle Book
1942
as The Barber
All That Money Can Buy
1941
as Miser Stevens
New Wine
1941
as Hasslinger's Clerk
The Shepherd of the Hills
1941
as Coot Royal
Out of the Fog
1941
as Olaf Johnson
Million Dollar Baby
1941
as Dr. Patterson
Model Wife
1941
as The Janitor
Youth Will Be Served
1940
as Clem Howie
The Long Voyage Home
1940
as Axel
Knute Rockne All American
1940
as Lars Knutson Rockne
Angels Over Broadway
1940
as Charles Engle
Babies for Sale
1940
as Howard Anderson
On Their Own
1940
as Peters
Ski Patrol
1940
as Gustaf
Saturday's Children
1940
as First Carpenter (uncredited)
The Grapes of Wrath
1940
as Muley Graves
Blondie on a Budget
1940
as Ed Fuddle
His Girl Friday
1940
as Earl Williams
Four Wives
1939
as Frank
Honeymoon in Bali
1939
as Meek Man (uncredited)
Thunder Afloat
1939
as Milo
Mickey the Kid
1939
as Mailman
Let Us Live
1939
as Dan (uncredited)
Stand Up and Fight
1939
as Davy
The Strange Case of Dr. Meade
1938
as Stoner
The Mad Miss Manton
1938
as Night Watchman at Subway Construction Site
Five of a Kind
1938
as Asa Wyatt
The Chaser
1938
as Lars
Joy of Living
1938
as Oswego
The Bad Man of Brimstone
1937
as Loco
Nothing Sacred
1937
as Fireman (uncredited)
Fit for a King
1937
as Otto
She Had to Eat
1937
as Sleepy
Angel's Holiday
1937
as Waldo Everett
Fifty Roads to Town
1937
as Sheriff Dow
Seventh Heaven
1937
as Sewer Rat
Reunion
1936
as Asa Wyatt
The Road to Glory
1936
as Duflous
Girls Dormitory
1936
as Toni
Meet Nero Wolfe
1936
as Olaf
The Country Doctor
1936
as Asa Wyatt
Wife vs. Secretary
1936
as Mr. Jenkins (uncredited)
Ring Around the Moon
1936
as Bill Harvey
Man of Iron
1935
as Collins
Whipsaw
1935
as Will Dabson
The Three Musketeers
1935
as Planchet
Thunder in the Night
1935
as Hotel Porter
Orchids to You
1935
as Smith
Silk Hat Kid
1935
as Mr. Fossbender
Doubting Thomas
1935
as Von Blitzen
The Farmer Takes a Wife
1935
as Sol Tinker
Black Fury
1935
as Mike Shemanski
Chasing Yesterday
1935
as Coccoz
The Great Hotel Murder
1935
as Ole
One More Spring
1935
as Auctioneer
Charlie Chan in Paris
1935
as Concierge, Dufresne's Hotel (bit)
365 Nights in Hollywood
1934
as Prof. Herman Ellenbogen
Our Daily Bread
1934
as Chris (as John T. Qualen)
Servants' Entrance
1934
as Detective
Straight Is the Way
1934
as Mr. Clapman (uncredited)
He Was Her Man
1934
as Dutch, Santa Avila's Cabbie
Upperworld
1934
as Janitor
Sing and Like it
1934
as Oswald (as John M. Qualen)
Hi, Nellie!
1934
as Steve (uncredited)
Let's Fall in Love
1933
as Svente Bjorkman
Let's Fall in Love
1933
as Bjorkman
Counsellor at Law
1933
as Breitstein
Arrowsmith
1931
as Henry Novak (uncredited)
Street Scene
1931
as Karl Olsen (as John M. Qualen)