The Resume

(December 8, 1899-September 12, 1987)
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Birth name was Johan Kvalen
Appeared in over 100 films, including ‘Arrowsmith’ (1931), ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ (1940), ‘His Girl Friday’ (1940), ‘Casablanca’ (1942), ‘Arabian Nights’ (1942), ‘The High and the Mighty’ (1954), ‘The Searchers’ (1956), Anatomy of a Murder’ (1959), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance’ (1962), and ‘The Sons of Katie Elder’ (1965)

Why he might be annoying:

Because his parents moved frequently, he did not graduate high school until he was 20.
He dropped out of the University of Toronto after one year.
In his early days as a touring actor, he made so little money that he sold cookware to make ends meet.
He usually performed with a Scandinavian accent, exaggerated for comic effect.

Why he might not be annoying:

He was married to Pearle Larson for 63 years until his death.
He was a good enough flutist to play professionally, including with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.
He went blind late in life.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Alfred Hitchcock Presents [L-Z]
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 75]
• Casablanca [1942]
• College Drop Outs
• I am Norwegian-American
• I Attended University of Toronto
• I Come from Canada
• I Died in 1987 (Ranked: 87)
• I'm Buried at Forest Lawn Glendale Cemetery [Calif]
• John Ford Films
• Look at Me, I'm with John Wayne
• People with John or Mary in their Names
• Profiles 46751-47000 (Ranked: 46753)
• Visually Impaired
• We Celebrated Our Golden Anniversary

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 17 Votes: 5.88% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 20 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying