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.
|
|
Drama on DVD
- Released Jun 4th, 2019
|
|
|
|
Mystery / Thriller on Blu-ray BD-R
- Released Jan 15th, 2019
|
|
|
|
Drama on DVD
- Released Oct 1st, 2014
|
|
|
|
War on Blu-ray BD-R
- Released Jul 11th, 2017
|
|
15%off
|
|
Drama on DVD
- Released Nov 12th, 2019
$16.90 Super SavingsList Price: $19.95
item number:
6WCYY
|
|
|
|
Western on Blu-ray
- Released Oct 31st, 2006
|
|
|
|
Drama on DVD
- Released Sep 18th, 2018
|
|
|
|
Drama on DVD
- Released Oct 1st, 2019
|
|
|
|
Western on DVD
- Released May 13th, 2014
|
|
|
|
Western on DVD
- Released Feb 5th, 2013
|
|
|
|
Drama on DVD
- Released Dec 9th, 2014
|
|
|
|
Drama on DVD
- Released Jan 31st, 2017
|
|
|
|
Comedy on DVD
- Released Apr 16th, 2013
|
|
|
|
Drama on DVD
- Released Jan 13th, 2015
|
|
|
|
Drama on DVD
- Released Nov 18th, 2014
|
|
|
|
Comedy on DVD
- Released Aug 6th, 2019
|
|
|
|
Drama on Blu-ray BD-R
- Released May 28th, 2019
|
|
|
|
Drama on DVD
- Released Apr 23th, 2019
|
|
|
|
Mystery / Thriller on DVD
- Released Oct 16th, 2018
|
|
|
|
Drama on DVD
- Released Jun 19th, 2018
|
|
|
|
Comedy on DVD
- Released Jun 21st, 2016
$17.80 Super SavingsList Price: $19.95
item number:
6AYGF
|
|
19%off
|
|
Drama on Blu-ray
- Released Nov 3rd, 2020
$20.20 Super SavingsList Price: $24.95
item number:
7997X
|
|
|
|
Comedy on DVD
- Released Dec 1st, 2015
|
|
|
|
Drama on Blu-ray BD-R
- Released Sep 4th, 2015
|
|
|
|
Action / Adventure on DVD
- Released Jun 21st, 2016
|
|
|
|
Comedy on DVD
- Released Jul 22nd, 2014
|
|
19%off
|
|
Drama on Blu-ray
- Released Nov 12th, 2019
$24.20 Super SavingsList Price: $29.95
item number:
6WSKS
|
|
|
|
Comedy on DVD
- Released Jul 1st, 2016
|
|
|
|
Comedy on DVD
- Released Oct 16th, 2018
|
|
19%off
|
|
Mystery / Thriller on Blu-ray
- Released Oct 6th, 2020
$20.20 Super SavingsList Price: $24.95
item number:
77GEJ
|
|
|
|
Drama on DVD
- Released Feb 5th, 2019
|
|