John Qualen
John Qualen was born on Dec 08, 1899 in Canada. John Qualen's big-screen debut came with Street Scene directed by King Vidor in 1931, strarring Karl Olsen (as John M. Qualen). John Qualen is known for A Big Hand for the Little Lady directed by Fielder Cook, Henry Fonda stars as Meredith and Joanne Woodward as Mary. The upcoming new movie John Qualen plays is Frasier, the Sensuous Lion which will be released on Jun 19, 1973.
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. He went to New York in 1929 and 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 Les raisins de la colère (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.
Birthday
Dec 08, 1899Place of Birth
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Known For
Movies & TV Shows
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