John Qualen
Acting
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.
TV Shows(43)
The Streets of San Francisco
Frank Casey
1972
The Partridge Family
The Old Man
1970
The Odd Couple
Groundskeeper
1970
Jericho
1966
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
Dr. Elmer Spritzer
1966
Shane
Old Man
1966
Green Acres
Mr. Appleby
1965
No Time for Sergeants
1964
My Favorite Martian
Matt
1963
Burke's Law
Richard Prince (uncredited)
1963
The Virginian
Gosta Swenson
1962
Ben Casey
1961
Dr. Kildare
Mr. Callahan
1961
Mister Ed
1961
The Andy Griffith Show
Henry Bennett
1960
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
1960
Thriller
Streetcar Conductor
1960
Tate
Sam
1960
The Alaskans
1959
The Third Man
1959
Tightrope
1959
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
Lawman
Doc Shea
1958
Yancy Derringer
Capt. Sven Larsen
1958
The Donna Reed Show
Zeke
1958
Bronco
1958
Sea Hunt
1958
The Real McCoys
Frank
1957
Maverick
1957
Sugarfoot
Jens Jensen
1957
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Mr. Stepp
1955
Cheyenne
1955
The Millionaire
Harry Stonewall Jackson
1955
Climax!
Geist
1954
December Bride
1954
Father Knows Best
Old Man
1954
Public Defender
Ames
1954
General Electric Theater
1953
Dragnet
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Pop Bradshaw
1951
Racket Squad
1951
Lux Video Theatre
Eddie
1950
The Philco Television Playhouse
Gus Gruntle
1948
Movies(135)
La Classe américaine
V12 (archive footage) (uncredited)
1993
Frasier, the Sensuous Lion
Old Man on Porch
1973
Getting Away from It All
Charlie Erickson
1972
Hail, Hero!
Billy Hurd
1969
Doc
Luke
1969
P.J.
Poppa
1968
Firecreek
Hall
1968
A Big Hand for the Little Lady
Jesse Buford
1966
A Patch of Blue
Mr. Faber
1965
The Sons of Katie Elder
Charlie Biller
1965
I'll Take Sweden
Olaf
1965
Those Calloways
Ernie Evans
1964
Cheyenne Autumn
Svenson (uncredited)
1964
7 Faces of Dr. Lao
Luther Lindquist
1964
The Prize
Oscar
1963
Donovan's Reef
Deckhand Who Cries 'Man Overboard' (uncredited)
1963
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Peter Ericson
1962
Two Rode Together
Ole Knudsen
1961
North to Alaska
Logger
1960
Elmer Gantry
Sam - Storekeeper
1960
Hell Bent for Leather
Old Ben
1960
Anatomy of a Murder
Deputy Sheriff Sulo Kangas
1959
Revolt in the Big House
Doc
1958
My World Dies Screaming
Jonah Snell
1958
The Gun Runners
Pop
1958
The Big Land
Sven Johnson
1957
Johnny Concho
Jake
1956
The Searchers
Lars Jorgensen
1956
At Gunpoint
Livingstone
1955
Unchained
Leonard Haskins
1955
The Sea Chase
Chief Engineer Schmitt
1955
Man on a Bus
Second Prisoner
1955
The Other Woman
Papasha
1954
Passion
Gaspar Melo
1954
The High and the Mighty
Jose Locota
1954
I, the Jury
Dr. R.H. Vickers, Veterinarian
1953
Ambush at Tomahawk Gap
Jonas P. Travis
1953
Hans Christian Andersen
Burgomaster
1952
Goodbye, My Fancy
Professor Dingley
1951
Belle Le Grand
Corky McGee
1951
The Flying Missile
Lars Hansen
1950
Woman on the Run
Maibus
1950
The Jackpot
Mr. Ferguson (uncredited)
1950
Buccaneer's Girl
Vegetable Seller
1950
Captain China
Geech
1950
The Big Steal
Julius Seton
1949
Hollow Triumph
Swangron
1948
16 Fathoms Deep
Capt. Athos
1948
My Girl Tisa
Svenson
1948
Alias a Gentleman
No End
1948
Reaching from Heaven
The Stranger
1948
The Fugitive
A Refugee Doctor
1947
High Conquest
Peter Oberwalder Sr.
1947
Song of Scheherazade
Lorenzo
1947
Adventure
Model T
1945
Captain Kidd
Bart Blivens
1945
River Gang
Uncle Bill
1945
Roughly Speaking
Svend Olsen
1945
Dark Waters
Uncle Norbert
1944
An American Romance
Anton Dubechek
1944
The Impostor
Monge
1944
Swing Shift Maisie
Horatio Curley
1943
Casablanca
Berger
1943
Breakdowns of 1942
Self
1942
Arabian Nights
Aladdin
1942
Tortilla Flat
Jose Maria Corcoran
1942
Larceny, Inc.
Sam Bachrach
1942
Jungle Book
The Barber
1942
All That Money Can Buy
Miser Stevens
1941
New Wine
Hasslinger's Clerk
1941
The Shepherd of the Hills
Coot Royal
1941
Out of the Fog
Olaf Johnson
1941
Million Dollar Baby
Dr. Patterson
1941
Model Wife
The Janitor
1941
Youth Will Be Served
Clem Howie
1940
The Long Voyage Home
Axel
1940
Knute Rockne All American
Lars Knutson Rockne
1940
Angels Over Broadway
Charles Engle
1940
Babies for Sale
Howard Anderson
1940
On Their Own
Peters
1940
Ski Patrol
Gustaf
1940
Saturday's Children
First Carpenter (uncredited)
1940
The Grapes of Wrath
Muley Graves
1940
Blondie on a Budget
Ed Fuddle
1940
His Girl Friday
Earl Williams
1940
Four Wives
Frank
1939
Honeymoon in Bali
Meek Man (uncredited)
1939
Thunder Afloat
Milo
1939
Mickey the Kid
Mailman
1939
Let Us Live
Dan (uncredited)
1939
Stand Up and Fight
Davy
1939
The Strange Case of Dr. Meade
Stoner
1938
The Mad Miss Manton
Night Watchman at Subway Construction Site
1938
Five of a Kind
Asa Wyatt
1938
The Chaser
Lars
1938
Joy of Living
Oswego
1938
The Bad Man of Brimstone
Loco
1937
Nothing Sacred
Fireman (uncredited)
1937
Fit for a King
Otto
1937
She Had to Eat
Sleepy
1937
Angel's Holiday
Waldo Everett
1937
Fifty Roads to Town
Sheriff Dow
1937
Seventh Heaven
Sewer Rat
1937
Reunion
Asa Wyatt
1936
The Road to Glory
Duflous
1936
Girls' Dormitory
Toni
1936
Meet Nero Wolfe
Olaf
1936
The Country Doctor
Asa Wyatt
1936
Wife vs. Secretary
Mr. Jenkins (uncredited)
1936
Ring Around the Moon
Bill Harvey
1936
Man of Iron
Collins
1935
Whipsaw
Will Dabson
1935
The Three Musketeers
Planchet
1935
Thunder in the Night
Hotel Porter
1935
Orchids to You
Smith
1935
Silk Hat Kid
Mr. Fossbender
1935
Doubting Thomas
Von Blitzen
1935
The Farmer Takes a Wife
Sol Tinker
1935
Black Fury
Mike Shemanski
1935
Chasing Yesterday
Coccoz
1935
The Great Hotel Murder
Ole
1935
One More Spring
Auctioneer
1935
Charlie Chan in Paris
Concierge, Dufresne's Hotel (bit)
1935
365 Nights in Hollywood
Prof. Herman Ellenbogen
1934
Our Daily Bread
Chris (as John T. Qualen)
1934
Servants' Entrance
Detective
1934
Straight Is the Way
Mr. Clapman (uncredited)
1934
He Was Her Man
Dutch, Santa Avila's Cabbie
1934
Upperworld
Janitor
1934
Sing and Like It
Oswald (as John M. Qualen)
1934
Hi, Nellie!
Steve (uncredited)
1934
Let's Fall in Love
Bjorkman
1933
Counsellor at Law
Breitstein
1933
Arrowsmith
Henry Novak (uncredited)
1931
Street Scene
Karl Olsen (as John M. Qualen)
1931