Karl Swenson
Actor
Born July 23, 1908 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
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).
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.
The Mod Squad
The Outcasts
Hawaii Five-O
Abel Morgan
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
Ironside
Vet
Brighty of the Grand Canyon
Theodore Roosevelt
Seconds
Dr. Morris
Mission: Impossible
Colonel Dubov
The Rat Patrol
Colonel Seidner
Tarzan
The Cincinnati Kid
Mr. Rudd
Hogan's Heroes
Dr. Karl Svenson
The Big Valley
Bert Hadley
The Sons of Katie Elder
Doc Isdell
Major Dundee
Captain Waller
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
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
Sam Benedict
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
Lock-Up
Riverboat
Ansel Torgin
Bonanza
Carl Harris
Tightrope
The Hanging Tree
Tom Flaunce
No Name on the Bullet
Stricker
Black Saddle
Dr. Wyle
Rawhide
Gateways to the Mind
Hal - the Cameraman (uncredited)
77 Sunset Strip
Bat Masterson
Jim Pate
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
The Rifleman
Chris Manse
The Texan
Bronco
Kings Go Forth
The Colonel
Trackdown
Leave It to Beaver
George Haskell
The Walter Winchell File
Maverick
Captain Nares
Perry Mason
Axel Norstaad
Sugarfoot
Andy Burke
Have Gun, Will Travel
Four Boys and a Gun
Mr. Badek
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Lee Willis
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
Andre Rochambeau
Alice in Wonderland
Humpty Dumpty
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Ed Holland
Gunsmoke
Hank Luz
The Wonderful World of Disney
Laredo Marshal (uncredited)
Lassie
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Humpty Dumpty
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Asmussen
Robert Montgomery Presents
December 7th
Machine-Gunner (uncredited)
Strangers All
Protester at Communist Meeting