- Known For
- Acting
- Born
- July 23, 1908
- Place of Birth
- Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
- Died
- October 8, 1978
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). 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 do…
Filmography
movieDisney Sing-Along Songs: Colors of the Wind
1995 · (voice) (archive footage)
movieDisney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea
1990 · Merlin (archive footage) (voice)
movieDisney's Halloween Treat
1982 · Merlin (voice) (archive footage)
tvThe Amazing Spider-Man
1978
movieDisney's Greatest Villains
1977 · Merlin (voice) (archive footage)
tvLittle House on the Prairie
1974 · Lars Hanson
movieThe Gun and the Pulpit
1974 · Adams
tvHappy Days
1974
tvDoc Elliot
1973
movieUlzana's Raid
1972 · Rukeyser
tvGhost Story
1972 · Ed Barnes
movieThe New Healers
1972 · Mr. Fisherman
tvEmergency!
1972 · Gus
movieA Howling in the Woods
1971 · Apperson
tvCannon
1971
movieVanishing Point
1971 · Clerk
movieThe Wild Country
1970 · Jensen
tvThe Odd Couple
1970 · Captain Potter
tvThe Immortal
1970
tvThe Young Rebels
1970
movie… tick… tick… tick…
1970 · Frank Braddock Sr.
tvThe Mod Squad
1968
tvThe Outcasts
1968
tvHawaii Five-O
1968 · Abel Morgan
movieHour of the Gun
1967 · Dr. Charles Goodfellow
movieDo Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
1967 · Dr. Keller
tvJudd, for the Defense
1967
tvThe Guns of Will Sonnett
1967
tvCimarron Strip
1967 · , Dr. Kihlgren
tvIronside
1967 · Vet
CBS Playhouse
tvCBS Playhouse
1966 · Dr. Keller
movieBrighty of the Grand Canyon
1966 · Theodore Roosevelt
movieSeconds
1966 · Dr. Morris
tvMission: Impossible
1966 · Colonel Dubov, Dr. Ziegler
tvThe Rat Patrol
1966 · Colonel Seidner
tvTarzan
1966
movieThe Cincinnati Kid
1965 · Mr. Rudd
tvHogan's Heroes
1965 · Dr. Karl Svenson
tvThe Big Valley
1965 · Bert Hadley, Aaron Moyers, Steve Minter
movieThe Sons of Katie Elder
1965 · Doc Isdell
movieMajor Dundee
1965 · Captain Waller
Profiles in Courage
tvProfiles in Courage
1964 · Chynoweth
tvGomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
1964 · Col. Harper
movieThe Prize
1963 · Hilding
movieThe Sword in the Stone
1963 · Merlin (voice)
movieThe Man from Galveston
1963 · Sheriff
tvThe Travels of Jaimie McPheeters
1963 · Coley Bishop
tvMr. Novak
1963 · Mr. Haskell
tvThe Bill Dana Show
1963
tvThe Fugitive
1963 · Axel Nielsen - Service station owner, Morgan
The Greatest Show on Earth
tvThe Greatest Show on Earth
1963
tvThe Lieutenant
1963
movieThe Birds
1963 · Le prophète de malheur ivre au bar
tvThe Dakotas
1963
movieHow the West Was Won
1962 · Train Conductor (uncredited)
tvGeneral Electric True
1962
tvThe Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1962 · George Sherston
tvThe Virginian
1962 · Col. Theodore Roosevelt, Karl Swenson, Ben Wallace
tvSam Benedict
1962 · , Barney Rosvalley, Barney Rossvalley
movieThe Spiral Road
1962 · Insp. Bevers
movieLonely are the Brave
1962 · Rev. Hoskins
movieWalk on the Wild Side
1962 · Schmidt
movieJudgment at Nuremberg
1961 · Heinrich Geuter
tvBen Casey
1961
tvDr. Kildare
1961 · Judge
movieFlaming Star
1960 · Dred Pierce
movieNorth to Alaska
1960 · Lars Nordqvist
tvKlondike
1960 · Judge Frank Weinstock
tvSurfside 6
1960
tvThe Andy Griffith Show
1960 · Mr. McBeevee
tvThe Westerner
1960 · Ben Potts
tvOutlaws
1960
movieOne Foot in Hell
1960 · Sheriff Ole Olson
movieThe Gallant Hours
1960 · Bill Bailey
tvHong Kong
1960 · John Olwine
movieIce Palace
1960 · Scotty Ballantyne
tvMr. Lucky
1959
tvHawaiian Eye
1959
tvThe Rebel
1959 · Lew Bussey
tvJohnny Ringo
1959 · Kramer
tvLock-Up
1959
tvRiverboat
1959 · Ansel Torgin
tvBonanza
1959 · Carl Harris
tvTightrope
1959
movieThe Hanging Tree
1959 · Tom Flaunce
movieNo Name on the Bullet
1959 · Stricker
tvBlack Saddle
1959 · Dr. Wyle
tvRawhide
1959
movieGateways to the Mind
1958 · Hal - the Cameraman (uncredited)
tv77 Sunset Strip
1958 · , Marty Kline
tvBat Masterson
1958 · Jim Pate
tvWestinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958 · , Van Kemp
tvThe Rifleman
1958 · Chris Manse
tvThe Texan
1958
tvBronco
1958
movieKings Go Forth
1958 · The Colonel
tvTrackdown
1957
tvLeave It to Beaver
1957 · George Haskell
The Court of Last Resort
tvThe Court of Last Resort
1957
tvThe Walter Winchell File
1957
tvMaverick
1957 · Captain Nares, Sheriff Griffin, General Josiah Warren
tvPerry Mason
1957 · Axel Norstaad, Corley Ketchum, Charles Norman, Unk Hazekian
tvSugarfoot
1957 · Andy Burke, Bill Manning, Alexi Sharlokov, Dennis O'Hara
tvHave Gun, Will Travel
1957
movieFour Boys and a Gun
1957 · Mr. Badek
tvDick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956 · Lee Willis, Lud Greening, Will Harmon
tvThe Adventures of Jim Bowie
1956 · Andre Rochambeau
movieAlice in Wonderland
1955 · Humpty Dumpty
Playwrights '56
tvPlaywrights '56
1955
tvAlfred Hitchcock Presents
1955 · Ed Holland, John
tvGunsmoke
1955 · Hank Luz, Raff, Hutch, Adam, Tabe, Ian McGovern, Lars Karlgren, McGruder, Mr. Hubert
tvThe Wonderful World of Disney
1954 · Laredo Marshal (uncredited)
tvLassie
1954
Portia Faces Life
tvPortia Faces Life
1954
tvHallmark Hall of Fame
1951 · Humpty Dumpty
tvSchlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951 · Asmussen
tvRobert Montgomery Presents
1950
movieDecember 7th
1943 · Machine-Gunner (uncredited)
movieStrangers All
1935 · Protester at Communist Meeting