Karl Swenson
Acting
1908-07-23 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
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.
Filmography
Disney Sing-Along Songs: Colors of the Wind
1995 · Movie
Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea
1990 · Movie
Disney's Halloween Treat
1982 · Movie
The Amazing Spider-Man
1978 · Series
Disney's Greatest Villains
1977 · Movie
Little House on the Prairie
1974 · Series
The Gun and the Pulpit
1974 · Movie
Happy Days
1974 · Series
Doc Elliot
1973 · Series
Ulzana's Raid
1972 · Movie
Ghost Story
1972 · Series
The New Healers
1972 · Movie
Emergency!
1972 · Series
A Howling in the Woods
1971 · Movie
Cannon
1971 · Series
Vanishing Point
1971 · Movie
The Wild Country
1970 · Movie
The Odd Couple
1970 · Series
The Immortal
1970 · Series
The Young Rebels
1970 · Series
… tick… tick… tick…
1970 · Movie
Hawaii Five-O
1969 · Series
The Mod Squad
1968 · Series
The Outcasts
1968 · Series
Hour of the Gun
1967 · Movie
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
1967 · Movie
Judd, for the Defense
1967 · Series
The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967 · Series
Cimarron Strip
1967 · Series
Ironside
1967 · Series
CBS Playhouse
1966 · Series
Brighty of the Grand Canyon
1966 · Movie
Seconds
1966 · Movie
Mission: Impossible
1966 · Series
The Rat Patrol
1966 · Series
Tarzan
1966 · Series
The Cincinnati Kid
1965 · Movie
Hogan's Heroes
1965 · Series
The Big Valley
1965 · Series
The Sons of Katie Elder
1965 · Movie
Major Dundee
1965 · Movie
Profiles in Courage
1964 · Series
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
1964 · Series
The Sword in the Stone
1963 · Movie
The Prize
1963 · Movie
The Man from Galveston
1963 · Movie
The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters
1963 · Series
Mr. Novak
1963 · Series
The Bill Dana Show
1963 · Series
The Fugitive
1963 · Series
The Greatest Show on Earth
1963 · Series
The Lieutenant
1963 · Series
The Birds
1963 · Movie
The Dakotas
1963 · Series
How the West Was Won
1962 · Movie
General Electric True
1962 · Series
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1962 · Series
The Virginian
1962 · Series
Sam Benedict
1962 · Series
The Spiral Road
1962 · Movie
Lonely are the Brave
1962 · Movie
Walk on the Wild Side
1962 · Movie
Judgment at Nuremberg
1961 · Movie
Ben Casey
1961 · Series
Dr. Kildare
1961 · Series
Flaming Star
1960 · Movie
North to Alaska
1960 · Movie
Klondike
1960 · Series
Surfside 6
1960 · Series
The Andy Griffith Show
1960 · Series
The Westerner
1960 · Series
Outlaws
1960 · Series
One Foot in Hell
1960 · Movie
The Gallant Hours
1960 · Movie
Hong Kong
1960 · Series
Ice Palace
1960 · Movie
Mr. Lucky
1959 · Series
Hawaiian Eye
1959 · Series
The Rebel
1959 · Series
Johnny Ringo
1959 · Series
Lock-Up
1959 · Series
Riverboat
1959 · Series
Bonanza
1959 · Series
Tightrope
1959 · Series
The Hanging Tree
1959 · Movie
No Name on the Bullet
1959 · Movie
Black Saddle
1959 · Series
Rawhide
1959 · Series
Gateways to the Mind
1958 · Movie
77 Sunset Strip
1958 · Series
Bat Masterson
1958 · Series
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958 · Series
The Rifleman
1958 · Series
The Texan
1958 · Series
Bronco
1958 · Series
Kings Go Forth
1958 · Movie
Leave It to Beaver
1957 · Series
Trackdown
1957 · Series
The Court of Last Resort
1957 · Series
The Walter Winchell File
1957 · Series
Maverick
1957 · Series
Perry Mason
1957 · Series
Sugarfoot
1957 · Series
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957 · Series
Four Boys and a Gun
1957 · Movie
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956 · Series
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
1956 · Series
Alice in Wonderland
1955 · Movie
Playwrights '56
1955 · Series
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955 · Series
Gunsmoke
1955 · Series
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954 · Series
Lassie
1954 · Series
Portia Faces Life
1954 · Series
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951 · Series
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951 · Series
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950 · Series
December 7th
1943 · Movie
Strangers All
1935 · Movie