Karl Swenson

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

149

Gender

Male

Birthday

1908-07-23

Day of death

1978-10-08 (70 years old)

Place of Birth

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

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

    Perry Mason

  • Perry Mason

    Perry Mason

  • Perry Mason

    Perry Mason

  • Perry Mason

    Perry Mason

  • The Fugitive

    The Fugitive

  • The Fugitive

    The Fugitive

  • Bonanza

    Bonanza

  • Maverick

    Maverick

  • Maverick

    Maverick

  • Maverick

    Maverick

  • The Andy Griffith Show

    The Andy Griffith Show

  • Lassie

    Lassie

  • Dr. Kildare

    Dr. Kildare

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

    The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

  • The Virginian

    The Virginian

  • The Virginian

    The Virginian

  • The Virginian

    The Virginian

  • Hawaii Five-O

    Hawaii Five-O

  • Emergency!

    Emergency!

  • Little House on the Prairie

    Little House on the Prairie

  • Ironside

    Ironside

  • Mission: Impossible

    Mission: Impossible

  • Mission: Impossible

    Mission: Impossible

  • Hogan's Heroes

    Hogan's Heroes

  • The Rifleman

    The Rifleman

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

    Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

    Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

    Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

  • Have Gun, Will Travel

    Have Gun, Will Travel

  • Happy Days

    Happy Days

  • Rawhide

    Rawhide

  • The Big Valley

    The Big Valley

  • The Big Valley

    The Big Valley

  • The Big Valley

    The Big Valley

  • Cannon

    Cannon

  • Leave It to Beaver

    Leave It to Beaver

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Robert Montgomery Presents

    Robert Montgomery Presents

  • The Odd Couple

    The Odd Couple

  • Ben Casey

    Ben Casey

  • Hawaiian Eye

    Hawaiian Eye

  • Bat Masterson

    Bat Masterson

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents

    Alfred Hitchcock Presents

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents

    Alfred Hitchcock Presents

  • The Texan

    The Texan

  • The Rat Patrol

    The Rat Patrol

  • The Rebel

    The Rebel

  • Seconds

    Seconds

  • Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

    Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

  • Surfside 6

    Surfside 6

  • Trackdown

    Trackdown

  • Johnny Ringo

    Johnny Ringo

  • Black Saddle

    Black Saddle

  • 77 Sunset Strip

    77 Sunset Strip

  • Sugarfoot

    Sugarfoot

  • Sugarfoot

    Sugarfoot

  • Sugarfoot

    Sugarfoot

  • Sugarfoot

    Sugarfoot

  • Ghost Story

    Ghost Story

  • The Lieutenant

    The Lieutenant

  • Tarzan

    Tarzan

  • Judd for the Defense

    Judd for the Defense

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

    Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

    Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

  • The Mod Squad

    The Mod Squad

  • … tick… tick… tick…

    … tick… tick… tick…

  • The Guns of Will Sonnett

    The Guns of Will Sonnett

  • Lock-Up

    Lock-Up

  • Bronco

    Bronco

  • The Adventures of Jim Bowie

    The Adventures of Jim Bowie

  • The Greatest Show on Earth

    The Greatest Show on Earth

  • Cimarron Strip

    Cimarron Strip

  • Cimarron Strip

    Cimarron Strip

  • Outlaws

    Outlaws

  • Riverboat

    Riverboat

  • Tightrope

    Tightrope

  • Mr. Novak

    Mr. Novak

  • Mr. Lucky

    Mr. Lucky

  • The Amazing Spider-Man

    The Amazing Spider-Man

  • The Sunrise Gun

    The Sunrise Gun

  • The Sword in the Stone

    The Sword in the Stone

  • Disney's Greatest Villains

    Disney's Greatest Villains

  • Sam Benedict

    Sam Benedict

  • Sam Benedict

    Sam Benedict

  • Sam Benedict

    Sam Benedict

  • The Gallant Hours

    The Gallant Hours

  • Hour of the Gun

    Hour of the Gun

  • The Birds

    The Birds

  • The Outcasts

    The Outcasts

  • Profiles in Courage

    Profiles in Courage

  • The Walter Winchell File

    The Walter Winchell File

  • The Bill Dana Show

    The Bill Dana Show

  • Ulzana's Raid

    Ulzana's Raid

  • The Dakotas

    The Dakotas

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame

    Hallmark Hall of Fame

  • Judgment at Nuremberg

    Judgment at Nuremberg

  • North to Alaska

    North to Alaska

  • The Wonderful World of Disney

    The Wonderful World of Disney

  • How the West Was Won

    How the West Was Won

  • Hong Kong

    Hong Kong

  • CBS Playhouse

    CBS Playhouse

  • The Westerner

    The Westerner

  • The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters

    The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters

  • Playwrights '56

    Playwrights '56

  • General Electric True

    General Electric True

  • The Wild Country

    The Wild Country

  • Vanishing Point

    Vanishing Point

  • Disney's Halloween Treat

    Disney's Halloween Treat

  • The Immortal

    The Immortal

  • The Sons of Katie Elder

    The Sons of Katie Elder

  • The Young Rebels

    The Young Rebels

  • The Cincinnati Kid

    The Cincinnati Kid

  • Major Dundee

    Major Dundee

  • Alice in Wonderland

    Alice in Wonderland

  • The Prize

    The Prize

  • Doc Elliot

    Doc Elliot

  • The Hanging Tree

    The Hanging Tree

  • Lonely are the Brave

    Lonely are the Brave

  • The Court of Last Resort

    The Court of Last Resort

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

    Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

  • Flaming Star

    Flaming Star

  • Klondike

    Klondike

  • Portia Faces Life

    Portia Faces Life

  • No Name on the Bullet

    No Name on the Bullet

  • Kings Go Forth

    Kings Go Forth

  • The Spiral Road

    The Spiral Road

  • Walk on the Wild Side

    Walk on the Wild Side

  • One Foot in Hell

    One Foot in Hell

  • Four Boys and a Gun

    Four Boys and a Gun

  • The Gun and the Pulpit

    The Gun and the Pulpit

  • Ice Palace

    Ice Palace

  • A Howling in the Woods

    A Howling in the Woods

  • December 7th

    December 7th

  • The Man from Galveston

    The Man from Galveston

  • Strangers All

    Strangers All

  • Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

    Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

  • Disney Sing-Along Songs: Colors of the Wind

    Disney Sing-Along Songs: Colors of the Wind

  • Brighty of the Grand Canyon

    Brighty of the Grand Canyon

  • Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea

    Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea

  • The New Healers

    The New Healers

  • Gateways to the Mind

    Gateways to the Mind