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
The Andy Griffith Show
1960
as Mr. McBeevee
The Fugitive
1963
as Axel Nielsen - Service station owner / Morgan
Ironside
1967
as Vet
Maverick
1957
as Captain Nares / Sheriff Griffin
Lassie
1954
Little House on the Prairie
1974
as Lars Hanson
Hawaii Five-O
1968
as Abel Morgan
The Rifleman
1958
as Chris Manse
Mission: Impossible
1966
as Colonel Dubov / Dr. Ziegler
The Virginian
1962
as Col. Theodore Roosevelt / Karl Swenson / Ben Wallace
Hogan's Heroes
1965
as Dr. Karl Svenson
Emergency!
1972
as Gus
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1962
as George Sherston
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
Dr. Kildare
1961
as Judge
Happy Days
1974
Cannon
1971
Ben Casey
1961
The Big Valley
1965
as Bert Hadley / Aaron Moyers / Steve Minter
Rawhide
1959
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Lee Willis / Lud Greening / Will Harmon
Leave It to Beaver
1957
as George Haskell
The Odd Couple
1970
as Captain Potter
Hawaiian Eye
1959
Bat Masterson
1958
as Jim Pate
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
1964
as Col. Harper
77 Sunset Strip
1958
as Marty Kline
Gunsmoke
1955
as Hank Luz / Raff / Hutch / Adam / Tabe / Ian McGovern / Lars Karlgren / McGruder / Mr. Hubert
Sugarfoot
1957
as Andy Burke / Alexi Sharlokov / Dennis O'Hara / Bill Manning
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Ed Holland / John
The Texan
1958
Surfside 6
1960
The Rebel
1959
as Lew Bussey
The Mod Squad
1968
Judd, for the Defense
1967
Black Saddle
1959
as Dr. Wyle
Bronco
1958
Tarzan
1966
Trackdown
1957
Ghost Story
1972
as Ed Barnes
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
as Van Kemp
The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967
Mr. Novak
1963
as Mr. Haskell
Riverboat
1959
as Ansel Torgin
Lock-Up
1959
Outlaws
1960
The Lieutenant
1963
Mr. Lucky
1959
Sam Benedict
1962
as Barney Rosvalley / Barney Rossvalley
Johnny Ringo
1959
as Kramer
Tightrope
1959
The Rat Patrol
1966
as Colonel Seidner
CBS Playhouse
1966
as Dr. Keller
Cimarron Strip
1967
as Dr. Kihlgren
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
1956
as Andre Rochambeau
The Westerner
1960
as Ben Potts
The Dakotas
1963
Movies (41)
The Sword in the Stone
1963
as Merlin (voice)
Judgment at Nuremberg
1961
as Heinrich Geuter
How the West Was Won
1962
as Train Conductor (uncredited)
The Birds
1963
as Le prophète de malheur ivre au bar
Vanishing Point
1971
as Clerk
Seconds
1966
as Dr. Morris
The Sons of Katie Elder
1965
as Doc Isdell
Major Dundee
1965
as Captain Waller
North to Alaska
1960
as Lars Nordqvist
Ulzana's Raid
1972
as Rukeyser
The Cincinnati Kid
1965
as Mr. Rudd
Lonely are the Brave
1962
as Rev. Hoskins
Hour of the Gun
1967
as Dr. Charles Goodfellow
Flaming Star
1960
as Dred Pierce
The Hanging Tree
1959
as Tom Flaunce
The Prize
1963
as Hilding
Walk on the Wild Side
1962
as Schmidt
December 7th
1943
as Machine-Gunner (uncredited)
No Name on the Bullet
1959
as Stricker
The Gallant Hours
1960
as Bill Bailey
The Spiral Road
1962
as Insp. Bevers
The Gun and the Pulpit
1974
as Adams
… tick… tick… tick…
1970
as Frank Braddock Sr.
Ice Palace
1960
as Scotty Ballantyne
The Man from Galveston
1963
as Sheriff
The Wild Country
1970
as Jensen
Kings Go Forth
1958
as The Colonel
Disney Sing-Along Songs: Colors of the Wind
1995
as (voice) (archive footage)
Disney's Greatest Villains
1977
as Merlin (voice) (archive footage)
Strangers All
1935
as Protester at Communist Meeting
Disney's Halloween Treat
1982
as Merlin (voice) (archive footage)
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
1967
as Dr. Keller
One Foot in Hell
1960
as Sheriff Ole Olson
Four Boys and a Gun
1957
as Mr. Badek
Alice in Wonderland
1955
as Humpty Dumpty
A Howling in the Woods
1971
as Apperson
The New Healers
1972
as Mr. Fisherman
Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea
1990
as Merlin (archive footage) (voice)
The Sunrise Gun
1959
as Lud Greening
Brighty of the Grand Canyon
1966
as Theodore Roosevelt
Gateways to the Mind
1958
as Hal - the Cameraman (uncredited)
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 Sword in the Stone (1963) — as Merlin (voice)
- Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) — as Heinrich Geuter
- How the West Was Won (1962) — as Train Conductor (uncredited)
- The Birds (1963) — as Le prophète de malheur ivre au bar
- Vanishing Point (1971) — as Clerk
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.