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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
December 6, 1899
Died
September 12, 1987
Place of Birth
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Also Known As
- John M. Qualen
- John T. Qualen
- Johan Mandt Kvalen
John Qualen
0.6 Popularity
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
7.6
V12 (archive footage) (uncredited)
La Classe américaine
1993
5.7
Old Man on Porch
Frasier, the Sensuous Lion
1973
7.0
Frank Casey
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
0.0
Charlie Erickson
Getting Away from It All
1972
6.8
The Old Man
The Partridge Family
1970
7.8
Groundskeeper
The Odd Couple
1970
7.8
Mr. Larson
The Odd Couple
1970
7.8
Sam
The Odd Couple
1970
6.0
Billy Hurd
Hail, Hero!
1969
0.0
Luke
Doc
1969
Credits
La Classe américaine
as V12 (archive footage) (uncredited)
1993
7.6
Frasier, the Sensuous Lion
as Old Man on Porch
1973
5.7
The Streets of San Francisco
as Frank Casey
1972
7.0
Getting Away from It All
as Charlie Erickson
1972
0.0
The Partridge Family
as The Old Man
1970
6.8
The Odd Couple
as Groundskeeper
1970
7.8
The Odd Couple
as Mr. Larson
1970
7.8
The Odd Couple
as Sam
1970
7.8
Hail, Hero!
as Billy Hurd
1969
6.0
Doc
as Luke
1969
0.0
P.J.
as Poppa
1968
5.2
Firecreek
as Hall
1968
6.3
Jericho
1966
6.5
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
as Dr. Elmer Spritzer
1966
6.6
Shane
as Old Man
1966
6.0
A Big Hand for the Little Lady
as Jesse Buford
1966
7.1
A Patch of Blue
as Mr. Faber
1965
7.6
Green Acres
as Mr. Appleby
1965
7.3
Green Acres
as Willie Dunhill
1965
7.3
The Sons of Katie Elder
as Charlie Biller
1965
7.0
I'll Take Sweden
as Olaf
1965
4.8
Those Calloways
as Ernie Evans
1964
6.3
Cheyenne Autumn
as Svenson (uncredited)
1964
6.7
No Time for Sergeants
1964
1.0
7 Faces of Dr. Lao
as Luther Lindquist
1964
6.9
The Prize
as Oscar
1963
6.7
My Favorite Martian
as Matt
1963
5.9
Burke's Law
as Richard Prince (uncredited)
1963
6.0
Donovan's Reef
as Deckhand Who Cries 'Man Overboard' (uncredited)
1963
6.3
The Virginian
as Gosta Swenson
1962
6.4
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
as Peter Ericson
1962
7.8
Ben Casey
1961
5.6
Dr. Kildare
as Mr. Callahan
1961
5.5
Two Rode Together
as Ole Knudsen
1961
6.4
Mister Ed
1961
6.7
Mister Ed
as Milo Simmons
1961
6.7
North to Alaska
as Logger
1960
6.5
The Andy Griffith Show
as Henry Bennett
1960
7.6
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
1960
6.2
Thriller
as Streetcar Conductor
1960
6.6
Elmer Gantry
as Sam - Storekeeper
1960
7.3
Tate
as Sam
1960
4.5
Hell Bent for Leather
as Old Ben
1960
6.2
The Alaskans
1959
5.5
The Third Man
1959
7.1
Tightrope
1959
5.5
Anatomy of a Murder
as Deputy Sheriff Sulo Kangas
1959
7.8
Revolt in the Big House
as Doc
1958
6.2
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
5.8
Lawman
as Doc Shea
1958
5.6
Yancy Derringer
as Capt. Sven Larsen
1958
6.0
The Donna Reed Show
as Zeke
1958
6.2
Bronco
1958
5.9
My World Dies Screaming
as Jonah Snell
1958
5.8
The Gun Runners
as Pop
1958
6.0
Sea Hunt
1958
6.6
The Real McCoys
as Frank
1957
5.6
Maverick
1957
6.9
Maverick
as Leland Mills
1957
6.9
Sugarfoot
as Jens Jensen
1957
4.8
The Big Land
as Sven Johnson
1957
6.4
Johnny Concho
as Jake
1956
3.7
The Searchers
as Lars Jorgensen
1956
7.7
At Gunpoint
as Livingstone
1955
6.3
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
as Mr. Stepp
1955
7.8
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
as Elmer Shore
1955
7.8
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
as Mr. Crabtree
1955
7.8
Cheyenne
1955
6.0
Unchained
as Leonard Haskins
1955
0.0
The Sea Chase
as Chief Engineer Schmitt
1955
6.1
Man on a Bus
as Second Prisoner
1955
4.0
The Millionaire
as Harry Stonewall Jackson
1955
5.0
The Other Woman
as Papasha
1954
5.1
Climax!
as Geist
1954
3.3
Passion
as Gaspar Melo
1954
5.2
December Bride
1954
5.5
Father Knows Best
as Old Man
1954
6.5
The High and the Mighty
as Jose Locota
1954
5.9
Public Defender
as Ames
1954
5.7
I, the Jury
as Dr. R.H. Vickers, Veterinarian
1953
5.7
Ambush at Tomahawk Gap
as Jonas P. Travis
1953
6.5
General Electric Theater
1953
6.4
Hans Christian Andersen
as Burgomaster
1952
6.2
Dragnet
1951
6.4
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
as Pop Bradshaw
1951
7.2
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
as Peleg Brewster
1951
7.2
Racket Squad
1951
6.0
Goodbye, My Fancy
as Professor Dingley
1951
5.9
Belle Le Grand
as Corky McGee
1951
3.0
The Flying Missile
as Lars Hansen
1950
4.9
Woman on the Run
as Maibus
1950
6.8
The Jackpot
as Mr. Ferguson (uncredited)
1950
6.9
🎬
Lux Video Theatre
as Eddie
1950
6.3
Buccaneer's Girl
as Vegetable Seller
1950
5.6
Captain China
as Geech
1950
4.6
The Big Steal
as Julius Seton
1949
6.5
The Philco Television Playhouse
as Gus Gruntle
1948
6.3
Hollow Triumph
as Swangron
1948
6.6
16 Fathoms Deep
as Capt. Athos
1948
4.5
My Girl Tisa
as Svenson
1948
0.0
Alias a Gentleman
as No End
1948
6.5
Reaching from Heaven
as The Stranger
1948
0.0
The Fugitive
as A Refugee Doctor
1947
5.9
High Conquest
as Peter Oberwalder Sr.
1947
0.0
Song of Scheherazade
as Lorenzo
1947
5.8
Adventure
as Model T
1945
6.2
Captain Kidd
as Bart Blivens
1945
6.2
River Gang
as Uncle Bill
1945
0.0
Roughly Speaking
as Svend Olsen
1945
6.8
Dark Waters
as Uncle Norbert
1944
5.8
An American Romance
as Anton Dubechek
1944
5.9
The Impostor
as Monge
1944
6.0
Swing Shift Maisie
as Horatio Curley
1943
6.5
Casablanca
as Berger
1943
8.1
Breakdowns of 1942
as Self
1942
6.0
Arabian Nights
as Aladdin
1942
6.0
Tortilla Flat
as Jose Maria Corcoran
1942
5.5
Larceny, Inc.
as Sam Bachrach
1942
7.0
Jungle Book
as The Barber
1942
6.3
All That Money Can Buy
as Miser Stevens
1941
7.0
New Wine
as Hasslinger's Clerk
1941
0.0
The Shepherd of the Hills
as Coot Royal
1941
6.5
Out of the Fog
as Olaf Johnson
1941
6.2
Million Dollar Baby
as Dr. Patterson
1941
6.0
Model Wife
as The Janitor
1941
5.0
Youth Will Be Served
as Clem Howie
1940
1.0
The Long Voyage Home
as Axel
1940
6.6
Knute Rockne All American
as Lars Knutson Rockne
1940
6.1
Angels Over Broadway
as Charles Engle
1940
5.8
Babies for Sale
as Howard Anderson
1940
5.5
On Their Own
as Peters
1940
0.0
Ski Patrol
as Gustaf
1940
3.7
Saturday's Children
as First Carpenter (uncredited)
1940
6.3
The Grapes of Wrath
as Muley Graves
1940
7.8
Blondie on a Budget
as Ed Fuddle
1940
6.0
His Girl Friday
as Earl Williams
1940
7.4
Four Wives
as Frank
1939
5.3
Honeymoon in Bali
as Meek Man (uncredited)
1939
6.2
Thunder Afloat
as Milo
1939
5.9
Mickey the Kid
as Mailman
1939
0.0
Let Us Live
as Dan (uncredited)
1939
6.8
Stand Up and Fight
as Davy
1939
5.8
The Strange Case of Dr. Meade
as Stoner
1938
5.0
The Mad Miss Manton
as Night Watchman at Subway Construction Site
1938
6.3
Five of a Kind
as Asa Wyatt
1938
4.2
The Chaser
as Lars
1938
6.0
Joy of Living
as Oswego
1938
5.7
The Bad Man of Brimstone
as Loco
1937
6.0
Nothing Sacred
as Fireman (uncredited)
1937
6.3
Fit for a King
as Otto
1937
5.0
She Had to Eat
as Sleepy
1937
5.0
Angel's Holiday
as Waldo Everett
1937
5.5
Fifty Roads to Town
as Sheriff Dow
1937
0.0
Seventh Heaven
as Sewer Rat
1937
6.3
Reunion
as Asa Wyatt
1936
0.0
The Road to Glory
as Duflous
1936
6.3
Girls' Dormitory
as Toni
1936
5.9
Meet Nero Wolfe
as Olaf
1936
6.2
The Country Doctor
as Asa Wyatt
1936
6.0
Wife vs. Secretary
as Mr. Jenkins (uncredited)
1936
6.7
Ring Around the Moon
as Bill Harvey
1936
4.0
Man of Iron
as Collins
1935
6.0
Whipsaw
as Will Dabson
1935
6.2
The Three Musketeers
as Planchet
1935
6.5
Thunder in the Night
as Hotel Porter
1935
5.7
Orchids to You
as Smith
1935
0.0
Silk Hat Kid
as Mr. Fossbender
1935
6.0
Doubting Thomas
as Von Blitzen
1935
7.0
The Farmer Takes a Wife
as Sol Tinker
1935
6.1
Black Fury
as Mike Shemanski
1935
6.3
Chasing Yesterday
as Coccoz
1935
4.7
The Great Hotel Murder
as Ole
1935
5.8
One More Spring
as Auctioneer
1935
5.8
Charlie Chan in Paris
as Concierge, Dufresne's Hotel (bit)
1935
6.5
365 Nights in Hollywood
as Prof. Herman Ellenbogen
1934
0.0
Our Daily Bread
as Chris (as John T. Qualen)
1934
6.7
Servants' Entrance
as Detective
1934
0.0
Straight Is the Way
as Mr. Clapman (uncredited)
1934
5.5
He Was Her Man
as Dutch, Santa Avila's Cabbie
1934
6.2
Upperworld
as Janitor
1934
6.3
Sing and Like It
as Oswald (as John M. Qualen)
1934
4.0
Hi, Nellie!
as Steve (uncredited)
1934
6.5
Let's Fall in Love
as Bjorkman
1933
7.5
Let's Fall in Love
as Svente Bjorkman
1933
7.5
Counsellor at Law
as Breitstein
1933
6.4
Arrowsmith
as Henry Novak (uncredited)
1931
6.6
Street Scene
as Karl Olsen (as John M. Qualen)
1931
6.7