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TürkçeJohn Qualen (Johan Mandt Kvalen)
Photos with John Qualen
Biography
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
One of the best and most familiar character actors of the first four decades of sound films, although few who knew his face also knew his name. John Qualen was born in Canada to Norwegian parents. His father was a minister. The family moved to the United States and Qualen (whose real name was Kvalen) grew up in Elgin, Illinois. He won an oratory contest and was given a scholarship to Northwestern University. His interest in acting was piqued there, and he began appearing in tent shows on the Lyceum-Chautauqua circuit, and in stock. Read more... got his big break as the Swedish janitor in Elmer Rice's Street Scene. He repeated the role two years later in the film version. That same year he first worked for director John Ford in Arrowsmith (1931). He became a member of Ford's famed "stock company, and had prominent roles for Ford for the next thirty-five years. He became a most familiar character player, specializing in Scandinavians of various nationalities, but frequently playing a wide variety of other ethnicities. Perhaps his greatest work among many memorable roles was as the pitiful Muley, who recounts the destruction of his farm by the bank in Ford's masterpiece, The Grapes of Wrath (1940). Although plagued in his later years by failing eyesight, he continued to work steadily into his final years. He was treasurer of The Authors Club and historian of The Masquers, Hollywood's famed social group for actors. He had three children, Elizabeth, Kathleen, and Meredith. Qualen died in 1987.
Actor
Character:
Karl Olsen
Street Scene 1931
6
Character:
Henry Novak
Arrowsmith 1931
2
Character:
Man Who Owned the Bull
The Devil's Brother 1933
2
Character:
Chris
Our Daily Bread 1934
4
Character:
Chris--Janitor
Upperworld 1934
5
Character:
Dutch, Santa Avila's Cabbie
He Was Her Man 1934
4
Character:
Oswald
Sing and Like It 1934
4
Character:
Prof. Herman Ellenbogen
365 Nights in Hollywood 1934
3
Character:
Steve
Hi, Nellie! 1934
3
Character:
Mr. Clapman
Straight Is the Way 1934
1
Character:
Planchet
The Three Musketeers 1935
1
Character:
Mike
Black Fury 1935
2
Character:
Mr. Jenkins
Wife vs. Secretary 1936
11
Character:
Scared soldier 1st hears digging
The Road to Glory 1936
2
Character:
Fireman
Nothing Sacred 1937
11
Character:
Subway Watchman
The Mad Miss Manton 1938
1
Character:
Swede
The Texans 1938
3
Character:
Oswego
Joy of Living 1938
6
Character:
Asa Wyatt
Five of a Kind 1938
4
Character:
Meek Man
Honeymoon in Bali 1939
2
Character:
Frank
Four Wives 1939
10
Character:
Davy
Stand Up and Fight 1939
3
Character:
Dan
Let Us Live 1939
1
Character:
Muley Bates
The Grapes of Wrath 1940
4
Character:
Charles Engle
Angels Over Broadway 1940
1
Character:
Lars Knutson Rockne
Knute Rockne All American 1940
5
Character:
Axel
The Long Voyage Home 1940
5
Character:
Mr. Ed Fuddle
Blondie on a Budget 1940
3
Character:
First Carpenter
Saturday's Children 1940
3
Character:
Clem Howie
Youth Will Be Served 1940
2
Character:
Coot Royal
The Shepherd of the Hills 1941
2
Character:
Olaf Johnson
Out of the Fog 1941
6
Character:
Dr. Patterson
Million Dollar Baby 1941
27
Character:
Hasslinger's Clerk
New Wine 1941
9
Character:
Berger
Casablanca 1942
52
Character:
Jose Maria Corcoran
Tortilla Flat 1942
4
Character:
Sam Bachrach
Larceny, Inc. 1942
3
Character:
Monge
The Impostor 1944
4
Character:
Anton Dubechek
An American Romance 1944
8
Character:
Bart Blivens
Captain Kidd 1945
1
Character:
Model T
Adventure 1945
1
Character:
Svend Olsen
Roughly Speaking 1945
21
Character:
A Refugee Doctor
The Fugitive 1947
1
Character:
Lorenzo
Song of Scheherazade 1947
6
Character:
Swangron
Hollow Triumph 1948
1
Character:
Burgomaster
Hans Christian Andersen 1952
12
Character:
Defense Attorney Cavendish
Francis Covers the Big Town 1953
3
Character:
Jose Locota
The High and the Mighty 1954
6
Character:
Willie Klauber
The Student Prince 1954
11
Character:
Chief Engineer Schmitt
The Sea Chase 1955
4
Character:
Leonard Haskins
Unchained 1955
2
Character:
Lars Jorgensen
The Searchers 1956
7
Character:
Sven Johnson
The Big Land 1957
1
Character:
Sam - Storekeeper
Elmer Gantry 1960
11
Character:
Logger Judge
North to Alaska 1960
7
Character:
Peter Ericson
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 1962
12
Character:
Deckhand Who Cries 'Man Overboard'
Donovan's Reef 1963
2
Character:
Oscar
The Prize 1963
2
Character:
Svenson
Cheyenne Autumn 1964
2
Character:
Luther Lindquist
7 Faces of Dr. Lao 1964
2
Character:
Charlie Biller
The Sons of Katie Elder 1965
1
Character:
Olaf
I'll Take Sweden 1965
13
Character:
Ernie Evans
Those Calloways 1965
4
Character:
Jesse Buford
A Big Hand for the Little Lady 1966
2
Character:
Hall
Firecreek 1968
2
Character:
Billy Hurd
Hail, Hero! 1969
2
Character:
Deputy Sheriff Sulo
Anatomy of a Murder 1959
0
Character:
Groundskeeper
The Odd Couple 1970
0
Character:
Hannos
I Spy 1965
0
Character:
John Paul McGarrity
Ben Casey 1961
0
Character:
Axel the Handyman
Mister Ed 1958
1
Character:
Mr. Faber
A Patch of Blue 1965
0
Character:
Cooper
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse 1958
0
Character:
Aladdin
Arabian Nights 1942
0
Character:
Swenson
Make Room for Daddy 1953
0
Character:
Francois
The Ford Television Theatre 1952
0
Character:
Mr. Thompson
December Bride 1954
0
Character:
Frank Casey
The Streets of San Francisco 1972
0
Character:
Zeke
The Donna Reed Show 1958
0
Character:
Geist
Climax! 1954
0
Character:
Folsom
Make Room for Granddaddy 1970
0
Character:
Frank
The Real McCoys 1957
0
Character:
Richard Prince
Burke's Law 1963
0
Character:
Matt
My Favorite Martian 1963
0
Character:
Charlie
Medical Center 1969
0
Character:
Mr. Callahan
Dr. Kildare 1961
1
Character:
Storekeeper J.P.
Omnibus 1952
0
Character:
Streetcar Conductor
Thriller 1960
0
Character:
Gus Gruntle
The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse 1948
1
Character:
Olaf Hansen
The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna 1956
0
Character:
Miser Stevens
The Devil and Daniel Webster 1941
0
Character:
Sam Lundborg
The Barbara Stanwyck Show 1960
0
Character:
Ole Knudsen
Two Rode Together 1961
3
Character:
The Barber
Jungle Book 1942
0
Character:
Mr. Ferguson
The Jackpot 1950
3
Character:
Mr. Johansson
Hazel 1961
1