Cast & creator
John Qualen
Best known for Bonanza, The Andy Griffith Show, Maverick
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.
Also known as: John M. Qualen, John T. Qualen, Johan Mandt Kvalen
136
film credits
54
television credits
190
1931–1993 · acting roles
6.6
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (190)
Showing 190 of 190 credits
Bonanza
Parley
1959
The Andy Griffith Show
Henry Bennett
1960
Maverick
1957Maverick
Leland Mills
1957
Climax!
Geist
1954
Dr. Kildare
Mr. Callahan
1961
The Virginian
Gosta Swenson
1962
Dragnet
1951
The Donna Reed Show
Zeke
1958
The Philco Television Playhouse
Gus Gruntle
1948
Ben Casey
1961
Cheyenne
1955
Burke's Law
Richard Prince (uncredited)
1963
Lawman
Doc Shea
1958Lawman
Doc Shay
1958
Green Acres
Mr. Appleby
1965Green Acres
Willie Dunhill
1965
The Streets of San Francisco
Frank Casey
1972
The Odd Couple
Groundskeeper
1970The Odd Couple
Mr. Larson
1970The Odd Couple
Sam
1970
Thriller
Streetcar Conductor
1960
Father Knows Best
Old Man
1954
The Partridge Family
The Old Man
1970
The Real McCoys
Frank
1957
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Mr. Stepp
1955Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Elmer Shore
1955Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Mr. Crabtree
1955
Bronco
1958
Sugarfoot
Jens Jensen
1957
The Millionaire
Harry Stonewall Jackson
1955
Sea Hunt
1958
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
1960
Hazel
Mr. Johansson
1961
Mister Ed
1961Mister Ed
Milo Simmons
1961
December Bride
1954
My Favorite Martian
Matt
1963
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
Public Defender
Ames
1954Lux Video Theatre
Eddie
1950
The Third Man
1959
Yancy Derringer
Capt. Sven Larsen
1958
Tightrope
1959
Racket Squad
1951
The Alaskans
1959
Casablanca
Berger
1943
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
Dr. Elmer Spritzer
1966
The Searchers
Lars Jorgensen
1956
Shane
Old Man
1966
Jericho
1966
Anatomy of a Murder
Deputy Sheriff Sulo
1959
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Peter Ericson
1962
No Time for Sergeants
1964
The Grapes of Wrath
Muley Graves
1940
Tate
Sam
1960
General Electric Theater
1953
His Girl Friday
Earl Williams
1940
The Sons of Katie Elder
Charlie Biller
1965
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Pop Bradshaw
1951Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Peleg Brewster
1951
A Big Hand for the Little Lady
Jesse Buford
1966
Cheyenne Autumn
Svenson (uncredited)
1964
A Patch of Blue
Mr. Faber
1965
North to Alaska
Logger
1960
The High and the Mighty
Jose Locota
1954
The Fugitive
A Refugee Doctor
1947
Arabian Nights
Aladdin
1942
The Sea Chase
Chief Engineer Schmitt
1955
Captain Kidd
Bart Blivens
1945
Elmer Gantry
Sam - Storekeeper
1960
7 Faces of Dr. Lao
Luther Lindquist
1964
The Shepherd of the Hills
Coot Royal
1941
Jungle Book
The Barber
1942
The Mad Miss Manton
Night Watchman at Subway Construction Site
1938
Out of the Fog
Olaf Johnson
1941
Donovan's Reef
Deckhand Who Cries 'Man Overboard' (uncredited)
1963
Woman on the Run
Maibus
1950
Two Rode Together
Ole Knudsen
1961
The Prize
Oscar
1963
All That Money Can Buy
Miser Stevens
1941
The Long Voyage Home
Axel
1940
Hell Bent for Leather
Old Ben
1960
Firecreek
Hall
1968
I'll Take Sweden
Olaf
1965
Hollow Triumph
Dr. Swangron
1948
Wife vs. Secretary
Mr. Jenkins (uncredited)
1936
Knute Rockne All American
Lars Knutson Rockne
1940
Adventure
Model T
1945
Hi, Nellie!
Steve (uncredited)
1934
Charlie Chan in Paris
Concierge, Dufresne's Hotel (bit)
1935
Passion
Gaspar Melo
1954
Those Calloways
Ernie Evans
1964
La Classe américaine
V12 (archive footage) (uncredited)
1993
Stand Up and Fight
Davy
1939
Ambush at Tomahawk Gap
Jonas P. Travis
1953
P.J.
Poppa
1968
She Had to Eat
Sleepy
1937
Buccaneer's Girl
Vegetable Seller
1950
The Gun Runners
Pop
1958
The Flying Missile
Lars Hansen
1950
I, the Jury
Dr. R.H. Vickers, Veterinarian
1953
Doc
Luke
1969
Hans Christian Andersen
Burgomaster
1952
Ring Around the Moon
Bill Harvey
1936
Our Daily Bread
Chris (as John T. Qualen)
1934
Blondie on a Budget
Ed Fuddle
1940
Nothing Sacred
Fireman (uncredited)
1937
Fit for a King
Otto
1937
Breakdowns of 1942
Self
1942
The Big Land
Sven Johnson
1957
Four Wives
Frank
1939
Model Wife
The Janitor
1941
He Was Her Man
Dutch, Santa Avila's Cabbie
1934
Frasier, the Sensuous Lion
Old Man on Porch
1973
Girls' Dormitory
Toni
1936
Tortilla Flat
Jose Maria Corcoran
1942
Million Dollar Baby
Dr. Patterson
1941
The Road to Glory
Duflous
1936
Black Fury
Mike Shemanski
1935
Arrowsmith
Henry Novak (uncredited)
1931
The Farmer Takes a Wife
Sol Tinker
1935
My World Dies Screaming
Jonah Snell
1958
Johnny Concho
Jake
1956
The Big Steal
Julius Seton
1949
Street Scene
Karl Olsen (as John M. Qualen)
1931
Sing and Like It
Oswald (as John M. Qualen)
1934
Five of a Kind
Asa Wyatt
1938
Reaching from Heaven
The Stranger
1948
One More Spring
Auctioneer
1935
The Bad Man of Brimstone
Loco
1937
Larceny, Inc.
Sam Bachrach
1942
Thunder Afloat
Milo
1939
Man on a Bus
Second Prisoner
1955
The Great Hotel Murder
Ole
1935
At Gunpoint
Livingstone
1955
Seventh Heaven
Sewer Rat
1937
Youth Will Be Served
Clem Howie
1940
Joy of Living
Oswego
1938
The Chaser
Lars
1938
Getting Away from It All
Charlie Erickson
1972
Revolt in the Big House
Doc
1958
Dark Waters
Uncle Norbert
1944
Let Us Live
Dan (uncredited)
1939
The Strange Case of Dr. Meade
Stoner
1938
Thunder in the Night
Hotel Porter
1935
Babies for Sale
Howard Anderson
1940
Let's Fall in Love
Bjorkman
1933Let's Fall in Love
Svente Bjorkman
1933
Hail, Hero!
Billy Hurd
1969
Meet Nero Wolfe
Olaf
1936
Goodbye, My Fancy
Professor Dingley
1951
An American Romance
Anton Dubechek
1944
My Girl Tisa
Svenson
1948
Straight Is the Way
Mr. Clapman (uncredited)
1934
The Three Musketeers
Planchet
1935
Fifty Roads to Town
Sheriff Dow
1937
The Impostor
Monge
1944
Doubting Thomas
Von Blitzen
1935
Whipsaw
Will Dabson
1935
The Jackpot
Mr. Ferguson (uncredited)
1950
Counsellor at Law
Breitstein
1933
The Country Doctor
Asa Wyatt
1936
365 Nights in Hollywood
Prof. Herman Ellenbogen
1934
Roughly Speaking
Svend Olsen
1945
Unchained
Leonard Haskins
1955
Alias a Gentleman
No End
1948
Angels Over Broadway
Charles Engle
1940
Reunion
Asa Wyatt
1936
Upperworld
Janitor
1934
Honeymoon in Bali
Meek Man (uncredited)
1939
Captain China
Geech
1950
16 Fathoms Deep
Capt. Athos
1948
Saturday's Children
First Carpenter (uncredited)
1940
New Wine
Hasslinger's Clerk
1941
Servants' Entrance
Detective
1934
Angel's Holiday
Waldo Everett
1937
Chasing Yesterday
Coccoz
1935
Song of Scheherazade
Lorenzo
1947
Swing Shift Maisie
Horatio Curley
1943
Belle Le Grand
Corky McGee
1951
High Conquest
Peter Oberwalder Sr.
1947
River Gang
Uncle Bill
1945
Mickey the Kid
Mailman
1939
The Other Woman
Papasha
1954
Ski Patrol
Gustaf
1940
Silk Hat Kid
Mr. Fossbender
1935
Orchids to You
Smith
1935
Man of Iron
Collins
1935
On Their Own
Peters
1940