John Qualen (born Johan Mandt Kvalen, December 8, 1899 â€" 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" â€" 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. For four years, Qualen attended the
University of Toronto, but he left there to join a Toronto-based
traveling troupe as an actor.At the conclusion of a tour following his
marriage, Qualen and his wife formed The Qualen Concert Company to
produce plays. The group's stops in a two-year tour included Boston,
Chicago, and New Orleans. The Qualens' income was low enough that he
sold cookware in New York for additional funds. Using a handcart to
move the merchandise, he made more money from sales than from his
acting.In a Milwaukee Journal interview he said he needed to start
working and did so with the Chautauqua 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 re-created 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 supporting roles in
The Searchers (1956), Two Rode Together (1961), The Man Who Shot
Liberty Valance (1962) and Cheyenne Autumn (1964).
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" â€" 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. For four years, Qualen attended the
University of Toronto, but he left there to join a Toronto-based
traveling troupe as an actor.At the conclusion of a tour following his
marriage, Qualen and his wife formed The Qualen Concert Company to
produce plays. The group's stops in a two-year tour included Boston,
Chicago, and New Orleans. The Qualens' income was low enough that he
sold cookware in New York for additional funds. Using a handcart to
move the merchandise, he made more money from sales than from his
acting.In a Milwaukee Journal interview he said he needed to start
working and did so with the Chautauqua 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 re-created 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 supporting roles in
The Searchers (1956), Two Rode Together (1961), The Man Who Shot
Liberty Valance (1962) and Cheyenne Autumn (1964).
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