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

  • Bonanza

    Bonanza

  • Little House on the Prairie

    Little House on the Prairie

  • The Andy Griffith Show

    The Andy Griffith Show

  • Lassie

    Lassie

  • Ironside

    Ironside

  • The Fugitive

    The Fugitive

  • The Fugitive

    The Fugitive

  • Maverick

    Maverick

  • Maverick

    Maverick

  • Maverick

    Maverick

  • Happy Days

    Happy Days

  • Have Gun, Will Travel

    Have Gun, Will Travel

  • Mission: Impossible

    Mission: Impossible

  • Mission: Impossible

    Mission: Impossible

  • The Rifleman

    The Rifleman

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

    The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

  • Emergency!

    Emergency!

  • Hawaii Five-O

    Hawaii Five-O

  • The Virginian

    The Virginian

  • The Virginian

    The Virginian

  • The Virginian

    The Virginian

  • The Big Valley

    The Big Valley

  • The Big Valley

    The Big Valley

  • The Big Valley

    The Big Valley

  • Leave It to Beaver

    Leave It to Beaver

  • Hogan's Heroes

    Hogan's Heroes

  • 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

  • Robert Montgomery Presents

    Robert Montgomery Presents

  • Cannon

    Cannon

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Dr. Kildare

    Dr. Kildare

  • Rawhide

    Rawhide

  • The Rebel

    The Rebel

  • Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

    Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

  • Ben Casey

    Ben Casey

  • Hawaiian Eye

    Hawaiian Eye

  • Bat Masterson

    Bat Masterson

  • How the West Was Won

    How the West Was Won

  • The Odd Couple

    The Odd Couple

  • The Texan

    The Texan

  • 77 Sunset Strip

    77 Sunset Strip

  • Sugarfoot

    Sugarfoot

  • Sugarfoot

    Sugarfoot

  • Sugarfoot

    Sugarfoot

  • Sugarfoot

    Sugarfoot

  • Four Boys and a Gun

    Four Boys and a Gun

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents

    Alfred Hitchcock Presents

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents

    Alfred Hitchcock Presents

  • Surfside 6

    Surfside 6

  • The Mod Squad

    The Mod Squad

  • Tarzan

    Tarzan

  • The Guns of Will Sonnett

    The Guns of Will Sonnett

  • Mr. Novak

    Mr. Novak

  • The Sword in the Stone

    The Sword in the Stone

  • Bronco

    Bronco

  • Ghost Story

    Ghost Story

  • Trackdown

    Trackdown

  • Johnny Ringo

    Johnny Ringo

  • Sam Benedict

    Sam Benedict

  • Sam Benedict

    Sam Benedict

  • Sam Benedict

    Sam Benedict

  • The Rat Patrol

    The Rat Patrol

  • The Adventures of Jim Bowie

    The Adventures of Jim Bowie

  • Ice Palace

    Ice Palace

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

    Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

    Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

  • Judd for the Defense

    Judd for the Defense

  • The Lieutenant

    The Lieutenant

  • Seconds

    Seconds

  • Judgment at Nuremberg

    Judgment at Nuremberg

  • Outlaws

    Outlaws

  • Cimarron Strip

    Cimarron Strip

  • Cimarron Strip

    Cimarron Strip

  • Lock-Up

    Lock-Up

  • Mr. Lucky

    Mr. Lucky

  • The Birds

    The Birds

  • Flaming Star

    Flaming Star

  • The Court of Last Resort

    The Court of Last Resort

  • Black Saddle

    Black Saddle

  • Riverboat

    Riverboat

  • The Prize

    The Prize

  • Vanishing Point

    Vanishing Point

  • Major Dundee

    Major Dundee

  • Hong Kong

    Hong Kong

  • The Greatest Show on Earth

    The Greatest Show on Earth

  • North to Alaska

    North to Alaska

  • The Sons of Katie Elder

    The Sons of Katie Elder

  • Profiles in Courage

    Profiles in Courage

  • General Electric True

    General Electric True

  • Tightrope

    Tightrope

  • The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters

    The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters

  • The Westerner

    The Westerner

  • The Walter Winchell File

    The Walter Winchell File

  • The Amazing Spider-Man

    The Amazing Spider-Man

  • CBS Playhouse

    CBS Playhouse

  • The Dakotas

    The Dakotas

  • The Man from Galveston

    The Man from Galveston

  • The Outcasts

    The Outcasts

  • December 7th

    December 7th

  • The Immortal

    The Immortal

  • Lonely are the Brave

    Lonely are the Brave

  • Playwrights '56

    Playwrights '56

  • Hour of the Gun

    Hour of the Gun

  • The Wonderful World of Disney

    The Wonderful World of Disney

  • The Wild Country

    The Wild Country

  • The Hanging Tree

    The Hanging Tree

  • Brighty of the Grand Canyon

    Brighty of the Grand Canyon

  • The Cincinnati Kid

    The Cincinnati Kid

  • Portia Faces Life

    Portia Faces Life

  • Walk on the Wild Side

    Walk on the Wild Side

  • Ulzana's Raid

    Ulzana's Raid

  • One Foot in Hell

    One Foot in Hell

  • Kings Go Forth

    Kings Go Forth

  • The Spiral Road

    The Spiral Road

  • No Name on the Bullet

    No Name on the Bullet

  • The Gallant Hours

    The Gallant Hours

  • The Young Rebels

    The Young Rebels

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame

    Hallmark Hall of Fame

  • The Gun and the Pulpit

    The Gun and the Pulpit

  • Alice in Wonderland

    Alice in Wonderland

  • … tick… tick… tick…

    … tick… tick… tick…

  • The Bill Dana Show

    The Bill Dana Show

  • The New Healers

    The New Healers

  • Disney's Greatest Villains

    Disney's Greatest Villains

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

    Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea

  • Gateways to the Mind

    Gateways to the Mind

  • A Howling in the Woods

    A Howling in the Woods

  • Disney's Halloween Treat

    Disney's Halloween Treat

  • Doc Elliot

    Doc Elliot

  • Klondike

    Klondike

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

    Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

  • The Sunrise Gun

    The Sunrise Gun

  • 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