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  • BIRTH 23/07/1908
  • DEATH 08/10/1978
  • Country United States
  • SHOWS 19
  • MOVIES 25

Karl Swenson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Karl Swenson (July 23, 1908 – October 8, 1978) was an American theatre, radio, film, and television actor. Early in his career, he was credited as Peter Wayne

Swenson was born in Brooklyn, New York, of Swedish parentage. Planning to be a doctor, he enrolled at Marietta College and undertook pre-medical studies but left that field to pursue acting.

Swenson appeared extensively on the radio from the 1930s through the 1950s.

Swenson entered the film industry in 1943 with two wartime documentary shorts, December 7 and The Sikorsky Helicopter, followed by more than thirty-five roles in feature films and television movies. No Name on the Bullet (1959) is only one of the many westerns in which he performed for both film and television.

Swenson is remembered for his role as the doomsayer in the diner in Alfred Hitchcock's classic The Birds (1963) and had roles in The Prize (1963), Major Dundee (1965), The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), The Cincinnati Kid (1965) and Seconds (1966). In 1967, Swenson appeared in the western Hour of the Gun, and played the role of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt in the western film Brighty of the Grand Canyon, with co-stars Pat Conway and Joseph Cotten. His later film appearances included roles in ...tick...tick...tick... (1970), The Wild Country (1970), Vanishing Point (1971) and Ulzana's Raid (1972).

Swenson was married to actress Joan Tompkins.

Swenson 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. Swenson was interred at Center Cemetery in New Milford, Connecticut. CLR

Karl Swenson

Shows (19)

Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie
Mr. Hanson
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O
Abel Morgan
Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes
Dr. Karl Svenson
Perry Mason
Perry Mason
Axel Norstaad / Charles Norman / Corley Ketchum / Unk Hazekian
The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple
Captain Potter
The Fugitive
The Fugitive
Axel Nielsen - Service station owner / Morgan
The Virginian
The Virginian
Ben Wallace / Col. Theodore Roosevelt / Karl Swenson
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Ed Holland / John
The Rebel
The Rebel
Lew Bussey
Ironside
Ironside
Vet
The Rat Patrol
The Rat Patrol
Colonel Seidner
The Big Valley
The Big Valley
Aaron Moyers / Bert Hadley / Steve Minter
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Adam / Hank Luz / Hutch / Ian McGovern / Lars Karlgren / McGruder / Mr. Hubert / Raff / Tabe
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
George Sherston
Hallmark Hall Of Fame
Hallmark Hall Of Fame
Humpty Dumpty
Emergency!
Emergency!
Gus
Ghost Story
Ghost Story
Ed Barnes
Dr. Kildare
Dr. Kildare
Judge
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
John Olwine

Movies (25)

The Sword in the Stone
The Sword in the Stone
Merlin (voice)
The Birds
The Birds
Drunken Doomsayer in Diner
Judgment at Nuremberg
Judgment at Nuremberg
Heinrich Geuter
The Sons of Katie Elder
The Sons of Katie Elder
Doc Isdell
No Name on the Bullet
No Name on the Bullet
Stricker
The Cincinnati Kid
The Cincinnati Kid
Mr. Rudd
North to Alaska
North to Alaska
Lars Nordqvist
… tick… tick… tick…
… tick… tick… tick…
Frank Braddock Sr.
The Spiral Road
The Spiral Road
Insp. Bevers
One Foot in Hell
One Foot in Hell
Sheriff Ole Olson
Ulzana's Raid
Ulzana's Raid
Rukeyser
Ice Palace
Ice Palace
Scotty Ballantyne
Seconds
Seconds
Dr. Morris
The Prize
The Prize
Hilding
Walk on the Wild Side
Walk on the Wild Side
Schmidt
Kings Go Forth
Kings Go Forth
The Colonel
Vanishing Point
Vanishing Point
Clerk
Flaming Star
Flaming Star
Dred Pierce
Major Dundee
Major Dundee
Captain Waller
Lonely are the Brave
Lonely are the Brave
Rev. Hoskins
The Hanging Tree
The Hanging Tree
Tom Flaunce
Hour of the Gun
Hour of the Gun
Dr. Charles Goodfellow
Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland
Humpty Dumpty
The Gallant Hours
The Gallant Hours
Bill Bailey
Disney's Halloween Treat
Disney's Halloween Treat
Merlin (voice) (archive footage)