Karl Swenson
Known for Acting · 120 credits
- Born
- 1908-07-23
- Died
- 1978-10-08
- Place of birth
- Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
- Also known as
- Peter Wayne
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
TV Shows (79)
Perry Mason
1957
as Axel Norstaad / Corley Ketchum / Charles Norman / Unk Hazekian
Bonanza
1959
as Carl Harris
Lassie
1954
The Andy Griffith Show
1960
as Mr. McBeevee
The Fugitive
1963
as Axel Nielsen - Service station owner / Morgan
Ironside
1967
as Vet
Hawaii Five-O
1968
as Abel Morgan
Little House on the Prairie
1974
as Lars Hanson
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
Maverick
1957
as Captain Nares / Sheriff Griffin
Mission: Impossible
1966
as Colonel Dubov / Dr. Ziegler
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1962
as George Sherston
Hogan's Heroes
1965
as Dr. Karl Svenson
The Rifleman
1958
as Chris Manse
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
Happy Days
1974
The Virginian
1962
as Col. Theodore Roosevelt / Karl Swenson / Ben Wallace
Emergency!
1972
as Gus
Ben Casey
1961
Dr. Kildare
1961
as Judge
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Lee Willis / Lud Greening / Will Harmon
Leave It to Beaver
1957
as George Haskell
Cannon
1971
Rawhide
1959
The Big Valley
1965
as Bert Hadley / Aaron Moyers / Steve Minter
Gunsmoke
1955
as Hank Luz / Raff / Hutch / Adam / Tabe / Ian McGovern / Lars Karlgren / McGruder / Mr. Hubert
Hawaiian Eye
1959
The Odd Couple
1970
as Captain Potter
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
1964
as Col. Harper
77 Sunset Strip
1958
as Marty Kline
Bat Masterson
1958
as Jim Pate
The Rebel
1959
as Lew Bussey
Surfside 6
1960
The Westerner
1960
as Ben Potts
Sugarfoot
1957
as Andy Burke / Bill Manning / Alexi Sharlokov / Dennis O'Hara
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Ed Holland / John
The Texan
1958
Trackdown
1957
Tarzan
1966
The Mod Squad
1968
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
as Van Kemp
Bronco
1958
Lock-Up
1959
Judd, for the Defense
1967
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
1956
as Andre Rochambeau
Mr. Novak
1963
as Mr. Haskell
Black Saddle
1959
as Dr. Wyle
Riverboat
1959
as Ansel Torgin
The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967
Outlaws
1960
Johnny Ringo
1959
as Kramer
Ghost Story
1972
as Ed Barnes
The Rat Patrol
1966
as Colonel Seidner
Cimarron Strip
1967
as Dr. Kihlgren
Tightrope
1959
The Greatest Show on Earth
1963
CBS Playhouse
1966
as Dr. Keller
Mr. Lucky
1959
Sam Benedict
1962
as Barney Rosvalley / Barney Rossvalley
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954
as Laredo Marshal (uncredited)
Movies (41)
The Birds
1963
as Le prophète de malheur ivre au bar
The Sword in the Stone
1963
as Merlin (voice)
Vanishing Point
1971
as Clerk
Judgment at Nuremberg
1961
as Heinrich Geuter
How the West Was Won
1962
as Train Conductor (uncredited)
Seconds
1966
as Dr. Morris
Lonely are the Brave
1962
as Rev. Hoskins
The Sons of Katie Elder
1965
as Doc Isdell
Flaming Star
1960
as Dred Pierce
… tick… tick… tick…
1970
as Frank Braddock Sr.
North to Alaska
1960
as Lars Nordqvist
Hour of the Gun
1967
as Dr. Charles Goodfellow
The Cincinnati Kid
1965
as Mr. Rudd
Ulzana's Raid
1972
as Rukeyser
The Prize
1963
as Hilding
Major Dundee
1965
as Captain Waller
Walk on the Wild Side
1962
as Schmidt
Strangers All
1935
as Protester at Communist Meeting
The Hanging Tree
1959
as Tom Flaunce
December 7th
1943
as Machine-Gunner (uncredited)
The Spiral Road
1962
as Insp. Bevers
No Name on the Bullet
1959
as Stricker
Kings Go Forth
1958
as The Colonel
The Wild Country
1970
as Jensen
The Gallant Hours
1960
as Bill Bailey
One Foot in Hell
1960
as Sheriff Ole Olson
Ice Palace
1960
as Scotty Ballantyne
Alice in Wonderland
1955
as Humpty Dumpty
Disney's Greatest Villains
1977
as Merlin (voice) (archive footage)
The Man from Galveston
1963
as Sheriff
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
1967
as Dr. Keller
A Howling in the Woods
1971
as Apperson
The Gun and the Pulpit
1974
as Adams
Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea
1990
as Merlin (archive footage) (voice)
Disney's Halloween Treat
1982
as Merlin (voice) (archive footage)
The Sunrise Gun
1959
as Lud Greening
Four Boys and a Gun
1957
as Mr. Badek
Disney Sing-Along Songs: Colors of the Wind
1995
as (voice) (archive footage)
Brighty of the Grand Canyon
1966
as Theodore Roosevelt
Gateways to the Mind
1958
as Hal - the Cameraman (uncredited)
The New Healers
1972
as Mr. Fisherman
About Karl Swenson
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). Swe… With 120 credits spanning from 1935 to 1995, Karl Swenson has appeared in 41 films and 79 TV shows.
Fans searching for Karl Swenson movies, Karl Swenson filmography, or the latest projects starring Karl Swenson can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Karl Swenson Movies
- The Birds (1963) — as Le prophète de malheur ivre au bar
- The Sword in the Stone (1963) — as Merlin (voice)
- Vanishing Point (1971) — as Clerk
- Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) — as Heinrich Geuter
- How the West Was Won (1962) — as Train Conductor (uncredited)
Where to Watch Karl Swenson Films
Most Karl Swenson movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Karl Swenson, check our movies catalogue and browse page.