JOHN QUALEN
John Qualen
- © Universal Pictures
- (John Qualen [left] with John Barrymore in Counsellor at Law, 1933)
Biography
BIO
John Qualen was born Johan Kvalen in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1899. His father was a Lutheran minister and Qualen was raised in Elgin, Illinois.
His interest in acting began at Northwestern University which he attended on a scholarship after having won an oratory contest. Eventually making it to Broadway in 1929, Qualen was asked to reprise a stage role for film. He appeared in his first motion picture in 1931 for Samuel Goldwyn Productions.
Appearing in well over 100 films and acting extensively on television into the 1970s, Qualen was a versatile character actor and member of director John Ford’s ”stock company”. His last film role was in 1973.
Qualen married Pearle Larson in 1924 and the couple raised 3 children.
He died of heart failure in Torrance, California, in 1987. Qualen was 87 years old.
Additional Broadway stage history is available at: 
Additional biographical information is available at: 
Other Pictures
- © Warner Bros.
- (John Qualen in Larceny, Inc., 1942)
