Karl Swenson
Acting
Born: July 23, 1908 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Died: October 8, 1978 (aged 70)
Highest Rated
Biography
Karl Swenson (July 23, 1908 – October 8, 1978) was an American theatre, radio, film, and television actor. Swenson is remembered for his role as the doomsayer in the diner in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963) and as the voice of Merlin in Disney's The Sword in the Stone (1963). On television, he had numerous credits in guest roles on various shows, especially Westerns, including episodes of Bonanza, The Virginian, and Gunsmoke. He had a major recurring role as Walnut Grove founder Lars Hanson on Little House on the Prairie (1974 - 1978). Swenson also had roles in The Prize (1963), Major Dundee (1965), The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), Seconds (1966), Hour of the Gun (1967), ...tick...tick...tick... (1970), The Wild Country (1970), Vanishing Point (1971) and Ulzana's Raid (1972). Born in Brooklyn, New York of Swedish parentage, he originally planned to be a doctor and studied at Marietta College before pursuing acting. Swenson appeared extensively on the radio from the 1930s through the 1950s. He entered the film industry in 1943 with two wartime documentary shorts, December 7 and The Sikorsky Helicopter. Swenson was married to actress Joan Tompkins. He died of a heart attack at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, Connecticut on October 8, 1978, shortly after filming the Little House on the Prairie episode in which his character dies. The episode aired on October 16, 1978, eight days after Swenson's death. He was interred at Center Cemetery in New Milford, Connecticut.
Known for
The Birds
1963
The Sword in the Stone
1963
Little House on the Prairie
1974
Judgment at Nuremberg
1961
Vanishing Point
1971
How the West Was Won
1962
Bonanza
1959
Seconds
1966
Mission: Impossible
1966
Happy Days
1974
The Cincinnati Kid
1965
The Sons of Katie Elder
1965
Photos (4)
Movies (40)
The Sword in the Stone
Merlin (voice)
The Birds
Le prophète de malheur ivre au bar
How the West Was Won
Train Conductor (uncredited)
Judgment at Nuremberg
Heinrich Geuter
Vanishing Point
Clerk
The Sons of Katie Elder
Doc Isdell
Major Dundee
Captain Waller
Lonely are the Brave
Rev. Hoskins
Seconds
Dr. Morris
Ulzana's Raid
Rukeyser
The Cincinnati Kid
Mr. Rudd
Hour of the Gun
Dr. Charles Goodfellow
Flaming Star
Dred Pierce
Walk on the Wild Side
Schmidt
No Name on the Bullet
Stricker
The Hanging Tree
Tom Flaunce
North to Alaska
Lars Nordqvist
The Prize
Hilding
The Man from Galveston
Sheriff
A Howling in the Woods
Apperson
One Foot in Hell
Sheriff Ole Olson
The Spiral Road
Insp. Bevers
Kings Go Forth
The Colonel
The Gun and the Pulpit
Adams
Disney's Halloween Treat
Merlin (voice) (archive footage)
… tick… tick… tick…
Frank Braddock Sr.
Disney's Greatest Villains
Merlin (voice) (archive footage)
Four Boys and a Gun
Mr. Badek
The Gallant Hours
Bill Bailey
The Wild Country
Jensen
Ice Palace
Scotty Ballantyne
Disney Sing-Along Songs: Colors of the Wind
(voice) (archive footage)
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
Dr. Keller
Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea
Merlin (archive footage) (voice)
Brighty of the Grand Canyon
Theodore Roosevelt
December 7th
Machine-Gunner (uncredited)
Alice in Wonderland
Humpty Dumpty
The New Healers
Mr. Fisherman
Gateways to the Mind
Hal - the Cameraman (uncredited)
Strangers All
Protester at Communist Meeting
TV Shows (103)
Perry Mason
Axel Norstaad · 1 eps
Perry Mason
Corley Ketchum · 1 eps
Perry Mason
Charles Norman · 1 eps
Perry Mason
Unk Hazekian · 1 eps
Ironside
Vet · 1 eps
Bonanza
Carl Harris · 1 eps
The Andy Griffith Show
Mr. McBeevee · 1 eps
Hawaii Five-O
Abel Morgan · 2 eps
Mission: Impossible
Colonel Dubov · 1 eps
Mission: Impossible
Dr. Ziegler · 1 eps
The Fugitive
Axel Nielsen - Service station owner · 1 eps
The Fugitive
Morgan · 1 eps
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
George Sherston · 1 eps
Maverick
Captain Nares · 1 eps
Maverick
Sheriff Griffin · 1 eps
Maverick
General Josiah Warren · 1 eps
Little House on the Prairie
Lars Hanson · 40 eps
Emergency!
Gus · 1 eps
The Rifleman
Chris Manse · 2 eps
Have Gun, Will Travel
6 eps
The Virginian
Col. Theodore Roosevelt · 1 eps
The Virginian
Karl Swenson · 1 eps
The Virginian
Ben Wallace · 1 eps
Dr. Kildare
Judge · 3 eps
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Lee Willis · 1 eps
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Lud Greening · 1 eps
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Will Harmon · 1 eps
Lassie
5 eps
Robert Montgomery Presents
1 eps
Happy Days
1 eps
Cannon
1 eps
Hogan's Heroes
Dr. Karl Svenson · 1 eps
Ben Casey
1 eps
The Big Valley
Bert Hadley · 1 eps
The Big Valley
Aaron Moyers · 1 eps
The Big Valley
Steve Minter · 1 eps
Rawhide
1959
Gunsmoke
Hank Luz · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
Raff · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
Hutch · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
Adam · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
Tabe · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
Ian McGovern · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
Lars Karlgren · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
McGruder · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
Mr. Hubert · 1 eps
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Ed Holland · 1 eps
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
John · 1 eps
The Guns of Will Sonnett
1 eps
The Odd Couple
Captain Potter · 1 eps
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Col. Harper · 1 eps
Leave It to Beaver
George Haskell · 2 eps
77 Sunset Strip
3 eps
77 Sunset Strip
Marty Kline · 1 eps
Bat Masterson
Jim Pate · 1 eps
Hawaiian Eye
1 eps
The Texan
2 eps
Judd, for the Defense
2 eps
Mr. Novak
Mr. Haskell · 1 eps
Surfside 6
1 eps
Sugarfoot
Andy Burke · 1 eps
Sugarfoot
Alexi Sharlokov · 1 eps
Sugarfoot
Dennis O'Hara · 1 eps
Sugarfoot
Bill Manning · 1 eps
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
Andre Rochambeau · 1 eps
The Mod Squad
2 eps
The Rebel
Lew Bussey · 1 eps
Bronco
2 eps
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1 eps
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Van Kemp · 1 eps
Trackdown
1 eps
Outlaws
1 eps
Black Saddle
Dr. Wyle · 1 eps
Riverboat
Ansel Torgin · 1 eps
Tarzan
1 eps
Sam Benedict
1 eps
Sam Benedict
Barney Rosvalley · 1 eps
Sam Benedict
Barney Rossvalley · 1 eps
Ghost Story
Ed Barnes · 1 eps
Lock-Up
1 eps
Cimarron Strip
5 eps
Cimarron Strip
Dr. Kihlgren · 1 eps
Johnny Ringo
Kramer · 1 eps
The Lieutenant
1 eps
Tightrope
Brahn · 1 eps
Mr. Lucky
1 eps
The Wonderful World of Disney
Laredo Marshal (uncredited) · 1 eps
The Rat Patrol
Colonel Seidner · 1 eps
The Dakotas
1 eps
The Outcasts
1 eps
The Walter Winchell File
1 eps
The Amazing Spider-Man
1 eps
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Humpty Dumpty · 1 eps
General Electric True
1 eps
The Bill Dana Show
1 eps
Hong Kong
John Olwine · 1 eps
The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters
Coley Bishop · 1 eps
The Westerner
Ben Potts · 1 eps
The Immortal
1 eps
Doc Elliot
1 eps
The Young Rebels
1 eps
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Asmussen · 1 eps
Klondike
Judge Frank Weinstock · 1 eps