Wissenswertes

Was a talented musician playing piano, flute and saxophone in travelling concert parties. He became involved in acting while touring in Canada.

Turner Classic Movies network aired a short-feature profile of John Qualen in August 2020 as part of its "What a Character" series. The moving tribute noted that one tragically bitter scene-stealing performance Qualen gave in Früchte des Zorns (1940) brought director John Ford to tears.

Though some reference works list his birth name as Oleson or Olson, in actuality Qualen's grandfather changed the family name from Olson to Kvalen long before Qualen's birth. Qualen's father subsequently changed the name from Kvalen to Qualen, after Qualen's birth. Originally pronounced identically to the previous spelling ("Kvah-len"), John Qualen himself changed the pronunciation to "Kway-len."

In 1930, although working in New York, his home base was at 328 Sidney Street West, St. Paul, Minnesota.

He has appeared in seven films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Sein Mädchen für besondere Fälle (1940), Früchte des Zorns (1940), Knute Rockne All American (1940), Casablanca (1942), Der schwarze Falke (1956), Anatomie eines Mordes (1959) and Der Mann der Liberty Valance erschoss (1962).

Teamed with Paul Fix 5 times. They started in The Road to Glory (1936) and finished in Winterkill (1973). In between, they made featured appearances in 3 John Wayne movies: Es wird immer wieder Tag (1954), Der See-Fuchs (1955) and Die vier Söhne der Katie Elder (1965).

Appeared with John Wayne in nine films: Der lange Weg nach Cardiff (1940), Verfluchtes Land (1941), Es wird immer wieder Tag (1954), Der See-Fuchs (1955), Der schwarze Falke (1956), Land der 1000 Abenteuer (1960), Der Mann der Liberty Valance erschoss (1962), Die Hafenkneipe von Tahiti (1963) and Die vier Söhne der Katie Elder (1965).

Of Norwegian parentage.

Was in five Oscar Best Picture nominees: Arrowsmith (1931), Früchte des Zorns (1940), Der lange Weg nach Cardiff (1940), Casablanca (1942) and Anatomie eines Mordes (1959). Even though Casablanca was filmed in 1942, and released in 1943. It won Best Picture of 1944.

He is often erroneously credited with the bit role of the bull owner in the Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy film Die Teufelsbrüder (1933). However, it is clearly not him nor is it his voice.

John Qualen speaks his lines with virtually no European or Scandinavian accent. in the film, Woman on the Run (1950). This was very rare and unusual for this actor, a pronounced accent having been his trademark..

He was in nine John Ford films (three of them in uncredited roles).

During the '30's he gained prominence playing the father of the Dione quintuplets in several films that featured them. The gaunt character appeared in numerous tv series and films such as The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Searchers and The Seven Faces of Dr Lao.