Karl Swenson
Acting
🎂 1908-07-23
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.
Cast credits(144)
Axel Norstaad
1957
Corley Ketchum
1957
Charles Norman
1957
Unk Hazekian
1957
1954
1957
Captain Nares
1957
Sheriff Griffin
1957
1958
Mr. McBeevee
1960
Abel Morgan
1968
1957
Gus
1972
1950
Col. Theodore Roosevelt
1962
Karl Swenson
1962
Ben Wallace
1962
Lars Hanson
1974
Axel Nielsen - Service station owner
1963
Morgan
1963
Vet
1967
Colonel Dubov
1966
Dr. Ziegler
1966
1959
Bert Hadley
1965
Aaron Moyers
1965
Steve Minter
1965
Dr. Karl Svenson
1965
Lee Willis
1956
Lud Greening
1956
Will Harmon
1956
1974
Hank Luz
1955
Raff
1955
Hutch
1955
Adam
1955
Tabe
1955
Ian McGovern
1955
Lars Karlgren
1955
McGruder
1955
Mr. Hubert
1955
Judge
1961
1971
George Sherston
1962
1961
1958
1959
George Haskell
1957
Captain Potter
1970
Lew Bussey
1959
1958
1966
1960
Jim Pate
1958
Andy Burke
1957
Bill Manning
1957
Alexi Sharlokov
1957
Dennis O'Hara
1957
Mr. Haskell
1963
1958
Ed Holland
1955
John
1955
Dr. Wyle
1959
1959
1957
Drunken Doomsayer in Diner
1963
Ansel Torgin
1959
Col. Harper
1964
Andre Rochambeau
1956
1958
1967
Colonel Seidner
1966
Merlin (voice)
1963
1959
1967
Dr. Kihlgren
1967
1967
1968
1962
1960
Ed Barnes
1972
1959
1963
Ben Potts
1960
Kramer
1959
1957
1968
Heinrich Geuter
1961
John Olwine
1960
1966
Tom Flaunce
1959
Train Conductor (uncredited)
1962
1963
1963
1978
The Colonel
1958
Lars Nordqvist
1960
Mr. Rudd
1965
Captain Waller
1965
Rukeyser
1972
Sheriff
1963
Chynoweth
1964
Schmidt
1962
Coley Bishop
1963
Rev. Hoskins
1962
Laredo Marshal (uncredited)
1954
1970
Sheriff Ole Olson
1960
Doc Isdell
1965
Clerk
1971
1955
1970
1954
1962
Humpty Dumpty
1951
Stricker
1959
(voice) (archive footage)
1995
Bill Bailey
1960
Hilding
1963
Dr. Charles Goodfellow
1967
Dred Pierce
1960
Insp. Bevers
1962
Theodore Roosevelt
1966
1957
1973
Hal - the Cameraman (uncredited)
1958
Asmussen
1951
Dr. Morris
1966
Adams
1974
Dr. Keller
1967
Mr. Badek
1957
1963
Frank Braddock Sr.
1970
Scotty Ballantyne
1960
Humpty Dumpty
1955
Jensen
1970
Apperson
1971
1960
Protester at Communist Meeting
1935
Merlin (voice) (archive footage)
1982
Machine-Gunner (uncredited)
1943
Merlin (voice) (archive footage)
1977
Mr. Fisherman
1972
Merlin (archive footage) (voice)
1990