Karl Swenson

About

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...

Known for

Perry MasonSeries • 1957BonanzaSeries • 1959LassieSeries • 1954The Andy Griffith ShowSeries • 1960IronsideSeries • 1967Hawaii Five-OSeries • 1969The Alfred Hitchcock HourSeries • 1962The FugitiveSeries • 1963Mission: ImpossibleSeries • 1966Little House on the PrairieSeries • 1974The VirginianSeries • 1962Happy DaysSeries • 1974Have Gun, Will TravelSeries • 1957MaverickSeries • 1957Dr. KildareSeries • 1961Hogan's HeroesSeries • 1965The RiflemanSeries • 1958Dick Powell's Zane Grey TheatreSeries • 1956Leave It to BeaverSeries • 1957CannonSeries • 1971Emergency!Series • 1972Robert Montgomery PresentsSeries • 1950The Big ValleySeries • 1965Ben CaseySeries • 1961