Karl Swenson

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

147

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

  • Ironside

    Ironside

  • The Andy Griffith Show

    The Andy Griffith Show

  • The Fugitive

    The Fugitive

  • The Fugitive

    The Fugitive

  • Perry Mason

    Perry Mason

  • Perry Mason

    Perry Mason

  • Perry Mason

    Perry Mason

  • Perry Mason

    Perry Mason

  • Have Gun, Will Travel

    Have Gun, Will Travel

  • The Virginian

    The Virginian

  • The Virginian

    The Virginian

  • The Virginian

    The Virginian

  • Little House on the Prairie

    Little House on the Prairie

  • Robert Montgomery Presents

    Robert Montgomery Presents

  • Hawaii Five-O

    Hawaii Five-O

  • Lassie

    Lassie

  • Maverick

    Maverick

  • Maverick

    Maverick

  • Maverick

    Maverick

  • Happy Days

    Happy Days

  • Mission: Impossible

    Mission: Impossible

  • Mission: Impossible

    Mission: Impossible

  • The Rifleman

    The Rifleman

  • The Big Valley

    The Big Valley

  • The Big Valley

    The Big Valley

  • The Big Valley

    The Big Valley

  • 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

  • Rawhide

    Rawhide

  • Hogan's Heroes

    Hogan's Heroes

  • Dr. Kildare

    Dr. Kildare

  • Emergency!

    Emergency!

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

    The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

  • Leave It to Beaver

    Leave It to Beaver

  • Cannon

    Cannon

  • Ben Casey

    Ben Casey

  • The Odd Couple

    The Odd Couple

  • Bat Masterson

    Bat Masterson

  • Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

    Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

  • Hawaiian Eye

    Hawaiian Eye

  • 77 Sunset Strip

    77 Sunset Strip

  • Sugarfoot

    Sugarfoot

  • Sugarfoot

    Sugarfoot

  • Sugarfoot

    Sugarfoot

  • Sugarfoot

    Sugarfoot

  • Tarzan

    Tarzan

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Surfside 6

    Surfside 6

  • The Texan

    The Texan

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents

    Alfred Hitchcock Presents

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents

    Alfred Hitchcock Presents

  • The Adventures of Jim Bowie

    The Adventures of Jim Bowie

  • Trackdown

    Trackdown

  • The Rebel

    The Rebel

  • The Sword in the Stone

    The Sword in the Stone

  • Bronco

    Bronco

  • Mr. Novak

    Mr. Novak

  • The Mod Squad

    The Mod Squad

  • Lock-Up

    Lock-Up

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

    Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

  • Johnny Ringo

    Johnny Ringo

  • The Guns of Will Sonnett

    The Guns of Will Sonnett

  • Black Saddle

    Black Saddle

  • Riverboat

    Riverboat

  • Judd for the Defense

    Judd for the Defense

  • Ghost Story

    Ghost Story

  • How the West Was Won

    How the West Was Won

  • The Rat Patrol

    The Rat Patrol

  • Sam Benedict

    Sam Benedict

  • Sam Benedict

    Sam Benedict

  • Sam Benedict

    Sam Benedict

  • Mr. Lucky

    Mr. Lucky

  • Cimarron Strip

    Cimarron Strip

  • Cimarron Strip

    Cimarron Strip

  • The Lieutenant

    The Lieutenant

  • Kings Go Forth

    Kings Go Forth

  • The Dakotas

    The Dakotas

  • Judgment at Nuremberg

    Judgment at Nuremberg

  • The Outcasts

    The Outcasts

  • Profiles in Courage

    Profiles in Courage

  • The Walter Winchell File

    The Walter Winchell File

  • The Greatest Show on Earth

    The Greatest Show on Earth

  • Tightrope

    Tightrope

  • Outlaws

    Outlaws

  • North to Alaska

    North to Alaska

  • CBS Playhouse

    CBS Playhouse

  • The Sons of Katie Elder

    The Sons of Katie Elder

  • The Hanging Tree

    The Hanging Tree

  • Portia Faces Life

    Portia Faces Life

  • One Foot in Hell

    One Foot in Hell

  • Hong Kong

    Hong Kong

  • The Birds

    The Birds

  • The Spiral Road

    The Spiral Road

  • The Gun and the Pulpit

    The Gun and the Pulpit

  • The Immortal

    The Immortal

  • General Electric True

    General Electric True

  • The Amazing Spider-Man

    The Amazing Spider-Man

  • The New Healers

    The New Healers

  • Major Dundee

    Major Dundee

  • Vanishing Point

    Vanishing Point

  • The Westerner

    The Westerner

  • The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters

    The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters

  • The Young Rebels

    The Young Rebels

  • Walk on the Wild Side

    Walk on the Wild Side

  • The Wild Country

    The Wild Country

  • Hour of the Gun

    Hour of the Gun

  • Seconds

    Seconds

  • Flaming Star

    Flaming Star

  • The Man from Galveston

    The Man from Galveston

  • Playwrights '56

    Playwrights '56

  • The Prize

    The Prize

  • Four Boys and a Gun

    Four Boys and a Gun

  • Brighty of the Grand Canyon

    Brighty of the Grand Canyon

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame

    Hallmark Hall of Fame

  • The Sunrise Gun

    The Sunrise Gun

  • Disney Sing-Along Songs: Colors of the Wind

    Disney Sing-Along Songs: Colors of the Wind

  • The Cincinnati Kid

    The Cincinnati Kid

  • The Court of Last Resort

    The Court of Last Resort

  • The Bill Dana Show

    The Bill Dana Show

  • The Wonderful World of Disney

    The Wonderful World of Disney

  • The Gallant Hours

    The Gallant Hours

  • Doc Elliot

    Doc Elliot

  • A Howling in the Woods

    A Howling in the Woods

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

    Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

  • Ulzana's Raid

    Ulzana's Raid

  • Gateways to the Mind

    Gateways to the Mind

  • Klondike

    Klondike

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

    Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea

  • No Name on the Bullet

    No Name on the Bullet

  • Ice Palace

    Ice Palace

  • December 7th

    December 7th

  • Alice in Wonderland

    Alice in Wonderland

  • Disney's Greatest Villains

    Disney's Greatest Villains

  • Disney's Halloween Treat

    Disney's Halloween Treat

  • Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

    Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

  • Lonely are the Brave

    Lonely are the Brave

  • Strangers All

    Strangers All

  • Tick... Tick... Tick...

    Tick... Tick... Tick...