Karl Swenson
- Acting
- July 23, 1908 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
- October 8, 1978
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
Filmography
- Disney Sing-Along Songs: Colors of the Wind · (voice) (archive footage)
- Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea · Merlin (archive footage) (Voice)
- Disney's Halloween Treat · Merlin (voice) (archive footage)
- The Amazing Spider-Man
- Disney's Greatest Villains · Merlin (voice) (archive footage)
- Little House on the Prairie · Lars Hanson
- The Gun and the Pulpit · Adams
- Happy Days
- Doc Elliot
- Ulzana's Raid · Rukeyser
- Ghost Story · Ed Barnes
- The New Healers · Mr. Fisherman
- Emergency! · Gus
- A Howling in the Woods · Apperson
- Cannon
- Vanishing Point · Clerk
- The Wild Country · Jensen
- The Odd Couple · Captain Potter
- The Immortal
- The Young Rebels
- … tick… tick… tick… · Frank Braddock Sr.
- Hawaii Five-O · Abel Morgan
- The Mod Squad
- The Outcasts
- Hour of the Gun · Dr. Charles Goodfellow
- Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night · Dr. Keller
- Judd, for the Defense
- The Guns of Will Sonnett
- Cimarron Strip · Dr. Kihlgren
- Ironside · Vet
- CBS Playhouse · Dr. Keller
- Brighty of the Grand Canyon · Theodore Roosevelt
- Seconds · Dr. Morris
- Mission: Impossible · Colonel Dubov, Dr. Ziegler
- The Rat Patrol · Colonel Seidner
- Tarzan
- The Cincinnati Kid · Mr. Rudd
- Hogan's Heroes · Dr. Karl Svenson
- The Big Valley · Bert Hadley, Aaron Moyers
- The Sons of Katie Elder · Doc Isdell
- Major Dundee · Captain Waller
- Profiles in Courage · Chynoweth
- Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. · Col. Harper
- The Prize · Hilding
- The Sword in the Stone · Merlin (Voice)
- The Man from Galveston · Sheriff
- The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters · Coley Bishop
- Mr. Novak · Mr. Haskell
- The Bill Dana Show
- The Fugitive · Axel Nielsen - Service station owner, Morgan
- The Greatest Show on Earth · Louis
- The Lieutenant
- The Birds · Le prophète de malheur ivre au bar
- The Dakotas
- How the West Was Won · Train Conductor (uncredited)
- General Electric True
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour · George Sherston
- The Virginian · Col. Theodore Roosevelt, Karl Swenson
- Sam Benedict · Barney Rosvalley, Barney Rossvalley
- The Spiral Road · Insp. Bevers
- Lonely are the Brave · Rev. Hoskins
- Walk on the Wild Side · Schmidt
- Judgment at Nuremberg · Heinrich Geuter
- Ben Casey
- Dr. Kildare · Judge
- Flaming Star · Dred Pierce
- North to Alaska · Lars Nordqvist
- Klondike · Judge Frank Weinstock
- Surfside 6
- The Andy Griffith Show · Mr. McBeevee
- The Westerner · Ben Potts
- Outlaws
- One Foot in Hell · Sheriff Ole Olson
- The Gallant Hours · Bill Bailey
- Hong Kong · John Olwine
- Ice Palace · Scotty Ballantyne
- Mr. Lucky
- Hawaiian Eye
- The Rebel · Lew Bussey
- Johnny Ringo · Kramer