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