Karl Swenson

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

Perry Mason

The Rifleman

The Fugitive

Robert Montgomery Presents

All Movies (40)

Disney Sing-Along Songs: Colors of the Wind1995 · as (voice) (archive footage)
Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea1990 · as Merlin (archive footage) (voice)
Disney's Halloween Treat1982 · as Merlin (voice) (archive footage)
Disney's Greatest Villains1977 · as Merlin (voice) (archive footage)
The Gun and the Pulpit1974 · as Adams
Ulzana's Raid1972 · as Rukeyser
The New Healers1972 · as Mr. Fisherman
A Howling in the Woods1971 · as Apperson
Vanishing Point1971 · as Clerk
The Wild Country1970 · as Jensen
… tick… tick… tick…1970 · as Frank Braddock Sr.
Hour of the Gun1967 · as Dr. Charles Goodfellow
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night1967 · as Dr. Keller
Brighty of the Grand Canyon1966 · as Theodore Roosevelt
Seconds1966 · as Dr. Morris
The Cincinnati Kid1965 · as Mr. Rudd
The Sons of Katie Elder1965 · as Doc Isdell
Major Dundee1965 · as Captain Waller
The Prize1963 · as Hilding
The Sword in the Stone1963 · as Merlin (voice)
The Man from Galveston1963 · as Sheriff
The Birds1963 · as Le prophète de malheur ivre au bar
How the West Was Won1962 · as Train Conductor (uncredited)
The Spiral Road1962 · as Insp. Bevers
Lonely are the Brave1962 · as Rev. Hoskins
Walk on the Wild Side1962 · as Schmidt
Judgment at Nuremberg1961 · as Heinrich Geuter
Flaming Star1960 · as Dred Pierce
North to Alaska1960 · as Lars Nordqvist
One Foot in Hell1960 · as Sheriff Ole Olson
The Gallant Hours1960 · as Bill Bailey
Ice Palace1960 · as Scotty Ballantyne
The Hanging Tree1959 · as Tom Flaunce
No Name on the Bullet1959 · as Stricker
Gateways to the Mind1958 · as Hal - the Cameraman (uncredited)
Kings Go Forth1958 · as The Colonel
Four Boys and a Gun1957 · as Mr. Badek
Alice in Wonderland1955 · as Humpty Dumpty
December 7th1943 · as Machine-Gunner (uncredited)
Strangers All1935 · as Protester at Communist Meeting

All TV Shows (109)

The Amazing Spider-Man1978
Little House on the Prairie1974 · as Lars Hanson
Happy Days1974
Doc Elliot1973
Ghost Story1972 · as Ed Barnes
Emergency!1972 · as Gus
Cannon1971
The Odd Couple1970 · as Captain Potter
The Immortal1970
The Young Rebels1970
The Mod Squad1968
The Outcasts1968
Hawaii Five-O1968 · as Abel Morgan
Judd, for the Defense1967
The Guns of Will Sonnett1967
Cimarron Strip1967
Cimarron Strip1967 · as Dr. Kihlgren
Ironside1967 · as Vet
CBS Playhouse1966 · as Dr. Keller
Mission: Impossible1966 · as Colonel Dubov
Mission: Impossible1966 · as Dr. Ziegler
The Rat Patrol1966 · as Colonel Seidner
Tarzan1966
Hogan's Heroes1965 · as Dr. Karl Svenson
The Big Valley1965 · as Bert Hadley
The Big Valley1965 · as Aaron Moyers
The Big Valley1965 · as Steve Minter
Profiles in Courage1964 · as Chynoweth
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.1964 · as Col. Harper
The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters1963 · as Coley Bishop
Mr. Novak1963 · as Mr. Haskell
The Bill Dana Show1963
The Fugitive1963 · as Axel Nielsen - Service station owner
The Greatest Show on Earth1963
The Fugitive1963 · as Morgan
The Lieutenant1963
The Dakotas1963
General Electric True1962
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour1962 · as George Sherston
The Virginian1962 · as Col. Theodore Roosevelt
The Virginian1962 · as Karl Swenson
The Virginian1962 · as Ben Wallace
Sam Benedict1962
Sam Benedict1962 · as Barney Rosvalley
Sam Benedict1962 · as Barney Rossvalley
Ben Casey1961
Dr. Kildare1961 · as Judge
Klondike1960 · as Judge Frank Weinstock
Surfside 61960
The Andy Griffith Show1960 · as Mr. McBeevee
The Westerner1960 · as Ben Potts
Outlaws1960
Hong Kong1960 · as John Olwine
Mr. Lucky1959
Hawaiian Eye1959
The Rebel1959 · as Lew Bussey
Johnny Ringo1959 · as Kramer
Lock-Up1959
Riverboat1959 · as Ansel Torgin
Bonanza1959 · as Carl Harris
Tightrope1959
Black Saddle1959 · as Dr. Wyle
Rawhide1959
77 Sunset Strip1958
77 Sunset Strip1958 · as Marty Kline
Bat Masterson1958 · as Jim Pate
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse1958
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse1958 · as Van Kemp
The Rifleman1958 · as Chris Manse
The Texan1958
Bronco1958
Trackdown1957
Leave It to Beaver1957 · as George Haskell
The Court of Last Resort1957
The Walter Winchell File1957
Maverick1957 · as Captain Nares
Maverick1957 · as Sheriff Griffin
Maverick1957 · as General Josiah Warren
Perry Mason1957 · as Axel Norstaad
Perry Mason1957 · as Corley Ketchum
Perry Mason1957 · as Charles Norman
Perry Mason1957 · as Unk Hazekian
Sugarfoot1957 · as Andy Burke
Sugarfoot1957 · as Alexi Sharlokov
Sugarfoot1957 · as Dennis O'Hara
Sugarfoot1957 · as Bill Manning
Have Gun, Will Travel1957
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre1956 · as Lee Willis
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre1956 · as Lud Greening
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre1956 · as Will Harmon
The Adventures of Jim Bowie1956 · as Andre Rochambeau
Playwrights '561955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents1955 · as Ed Holland
Alfred Hitchcock Presents1955 · as John
Gunsmoke1955 · as Hank Luz
Gunsmoke1955 · as Raff
Gunsmoke1955 · as Hutch
Gunsmoke1955 · as Adam
Gunsmoke1955 · as Tabe
Gunsmoke1955 · as Ian McGovern
Gunsmoke1955 · as Lars Karlgren
Gunsmoke1955 · as McGruder
Gunsmoke1955 · as Mr. Hubert
The Wonderful World of Disney1954 · as Laredo Marshal (uncredited)
Lassie1954
Portia Faces Life1954
Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as Humpty Dumpty
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars1951 · as Asmussen
Robert Montgomery Presents1950