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.
135 movies · 45 shows
La Classe américaine
1993·7.6
Frasier, the Sensuous Lion
1973·6.5
Getting Away from It All
1972·10.0
Hail, Hero!
1969·6.5
Doc
1969·8.0
P.J.
1968·5.7
Firecreek
1968·6.3
A Big Hand for the Little Lady
1966·7.1
A Patch of Blue
1965·7.6
The Sons of Katie Elder
1965·7.0
I'll Take Sweden
1965·5.2
Those Calloways
1964·6.4
Cheyenne Autumn
1964·6.7
7 Faces of Dr. Lao
1964·7.0
The Prize
1963·6.7
Donovan's Reef
1963·6.2
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
1962·7.8
Two Rode Together
1961·6.4
North to Alaska
1960·6.5
Elmer Gantry
1960·7.3
Hell Bent for Leather
1960·6.3
Anatomy of a Murder
1959·7.8
Revolt in the Big House
1958·6.3
My World Dies Screaming
1958·6.2
The Gun Runners
1958·6.1
The Big Land
1957·6.5
Johnny Concho
1956·4.5
The Searchers
1956·7.7
At Gunpoint
1955·6.7
Unchained
1955·7.0
The Sea Chase
1955·6.3
Man on a Bus
1955·5.5
The Other Woman
1954·5.2
Passion
1954·5.4
The High and the Mighty
1954·5.9
I, the Jury
1953·5.9
Ambush at Tomahawk Gap
1953·6.6
Hans Christian Andersen
1952·6.2
Goodbye, My Fancy
1951·6.4
Belle Le Grand
1951·5.3
The Flying Missile
1950·5.3
Woman on the Run
1950·6.8
The Jackpot
1950·7.0
Buccaneer's Girl
1950·5.8
Captain China
1950·5.5
The Big Steal
1949·6.6
Hollow Triumph
1948·6.6
16 Fathoms Deep
1948·5.6
My Girl Tisa
1948·9.0
Alias a Gentleman
1948·6.8
Reaching from Heaven
1948·8.0
The Fugitive
1947·6.0
High Conquest
1947·0.0
Song of Scheherazade
1947·6.6
Adventure
1945·6.4
Captain Kidd
1945·6.3
River Gang
1945·9.0
Roughly Speaking
1945·6.8
Dark Waters
1944·6.0
An American Romance
1944·6.1
The Impostor
1944·6.4
Swing Shift Maisie
1943·6.8
Casablanca
1943·8.1
Breakdowns of 1942
1942·6.0
Arabian Nights
1942·6.0
Tortilla Flat
1942·5.8
Larceny, Inc.
1942·7.1
Jungle Book
1942·6.4
All That Money Can Buy
1941·7.0
New Wine
1941·10.0
The Shepherd of the Hills
1941·6.6
Out of the Fog
1941·6.3
Million Dollar Baby
1941·6.3
Model Wife
1941·6.5
Youth Will Be Served
1940·4.0
The Long Voyage Home
1940·6.6
Knute Rockne All American
1940·6.2
Angels Over Broadway
1940·5.9
Babies for Sale
1940·6.3
On Their Own
1940·8.0
Ski Patrol
1940·4.6
Saturday's Children
1940·6.9
The Grapes of Wrath
1940·7.8
Blondie on a Budget
1940·6.2
His Girl Friday
1940·7.4
Four Wives
1939·5.5
Honeymoon in Bali
1939·7.5
Thunder Afloat
1939·6.1
Mickey the Kid
1939·9.0
Let Us Live
1939·6.8
Stand Up and Fight
1939·6.0
The Strange Case of Dr. Meade
1938·6.5
The Mad Miss Manton
1938·6.4
Five of a Kind
1938·4.8
The Chaser
1938·8.0
Joy of Living
1938·5.9
The Bad Man of Brimstone
1937·6.7
Nothing Sacred
1937·6.3
Fit for a King
1937·6.0
She Had to Eat
1937·5.6
Angel's Holiday
1937·6.0
Fifty Roads to Town
1937·10.0
Seventh Heaven
1937·6.4
Reunion
1936·7.0
The Road to Glory
1936·6.6
Girls' Dormitory
1936·6.6
Meet Nero Wolfe
1936·6.7
The Country Doctor
1936·6.5
Wife vs. Secretary
1936·6.7
Ring Around the Moon
1936·4.8
Man of Iron
1935·7.0
Whipsaw
1935·6.4
The Three Musketeers
1935·6.9
Thunder in the Night
1935·6.0
Orchids to You
1935·6.0
Silk Hat Kid
1935·6.5
Doubting Thomas
1935·7.5
The Farmer Takes a Wife
1935·6.2
Black Fury
1935·6.3
Chasing Yesterday
1935·5.8
The Great Hotel Murder
1935·6.0
One More Spring
1935·6.2
Charlie Chan in Paris
1935·6.6
365 Nights in Hollywood
1934·9.0
Our Daily Bread
1934·6.7
Servants' Entrance
1934·8.0
Straight Is the Way
1934·6.3
He Was Her Man
1934·6.5
Upperworld
1934·6.1
Sing and Like It
1934·5.0
Hi, Nellie!
1934·6.7
Let's Fall in Love
1933·8.0
Counsellor at Law
1933·6.5
Arrowsmith
1931·6.6
Street Scene
1931·6.8