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Karl Swenson

Karl Swenson

Actor · Died October 8, 1978, aged 70 · 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). 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.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 23, 1908
Died
October 8, 1978 (aged 70)
From
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
53 on MovieCove · 119 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 27% in 30 days

What are Karl Swenson's films like?

Across their 17 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Western3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Western movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
29%
Self
26%
Bonds
15%
Society
14%
Power
8%
Survival
7%
Identity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 3 · Dark 10

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 12 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 7 · Intense 7

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 12 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 7

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 14 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
15
Dread
6
Melancholic
7
Joyful
3
Romantic
2
Other
11

How their films linger

Haunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Karl Swenson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 33 of their 53 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (14).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Karl Swenson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

119 credits, 53 with a MovieCove page.

  • Disney Sing-Along Songs: Colors of the Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as (voice) (archive footage)

  • Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Under the Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Merlin (archive footage) (voice)

  • Disney's Halloween Treat(1984)

    as Merlin (voice) (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Amazing Spider-Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Disney's Greatest Villains (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Merlin (voice) (archive footage)

  • Little House on the Prairie(1974)

    Show 40 episodes · as Lars Hanson

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • The Gun and the Pulpit(1974)

    as Adams

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Happy Days(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Doc Elliot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Ulzana's Raid(1972)

    as Rukeyser

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Ghost Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Ed Barnes

  • The New Healers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Mr. Fisherman

  • Emergency!(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Gus

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • A Howling in the Woods(1971)

    as Apperson

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Cannon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Vanishing Point(1971)

    as Clerk

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Wild Country(1970)

    as Jensen

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Immortal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Odd Couple(1970)

    Show 1 episode · as Captain Potter

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • The Young Rebels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Tick, Tick, Tick(1970)

    as Frank Braddock Sr.

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Hawaii Five-O(1968)

    Show 2 episodes · as Abel Morgan

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • The Mod Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • The Outcasts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Hour of the Gun(1967)

    as Dr. Charles Goodfellow

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Dr. Keller

  • Judd, for the Defense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • The Guns of Will Sonnett (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Cimarron Strip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 5 episodes · as Dr. Kihlgren

  • Ironside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Vet

  • CBS Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Keller

  • Brighty of the Grand Canyon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Theodore Roosevelt

  • Seconds(1966)

    as Dr. Morris

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Mission: Impossible(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Colonel Dubov · as Dr. Ziegler

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • The Rat Patrol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as Colonel Seidner

  • Tarzan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Cincinnati Kid(1965)

    as Mr. Rudd

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Hogan's Heroes(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Karl Svenson

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • The Big Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Aaron Moyers · as Bert Hadley · as Steve Minter

  • The Sons of Katie Elder(1965)

    as Doc Isdell

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Major Dundee(1965)

    as Captain Waller

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Profiles in Courage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Chynoweth

  • Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Col. Harper

  • The Prize(1963)

    as Hilding

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Sword in the Stone(1963)

    as Merlin (voice)

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Man from Galveston(1963)

    as Sheriff

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Coley Bishop

  • Mr. Novak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Haskell

  • The Bill Dana Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Fugitive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Axel Nielsen - Service station owner · as Morgan

  • The Greatest Show on Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Louis

  • The Lieutenant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Birds(1963)

    as Le prophète de malheur ivre au bar

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Dakotas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • How the West Was Won(1962)

    as Train Conductor (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • General Electric True (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as George Sherston

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • The Virginian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Ben Wallace · as Col. Theodore Roosevelt · as Karl Swenson

  • Sam Benedict (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Barney Rossvalley · as Barney Rosvalley

  • The Spiral Road(1962)

    as Insp. Bevers

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Lonely Are the Brave(1962)

    as Rev. Hoskins

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Walk on the Wild Side(1962)

    as Schmidt

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Judgment at Nuremberg(1961)

    as Heinrich Geuter

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Ben Casey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Dr. Kildare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 3 episodes · as Judge

  • Flaming Star(1960)

    as Dred Pierce

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • North to Alaska(1960)

    as Lars Nordqvist

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Klondike (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Judge Frank Weinstock

  • Surfside 6 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Andy Griffith Show(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. McBeevee

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The Westerner(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Ben Potts

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Outlaws (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • One Foot in Hell(1960)

    as Sheriff Ole Olson

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Gallant Hours(1960)

    as Bill Bailey

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Hong Kong (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as John Olwine

  • Ice Palace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Scotty Ballantyne

  • Mr. Lucky(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • Hawaiian Eye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Rebel(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Lew Bussey

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Johnny Ringo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Kramer

  • Lock-Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Riverboat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Ansel Torgin

  • Bonanza(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Carl Harris

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Tightrope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Brahn

  • The Hanging Tree(1959)

    as Tom Flaunce

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • No Name on the Bullet(1959)

    as Stricker

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Black Saddle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Wyle

  • Rawhide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show Actor

  • Gateways to the Mind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Hal - the Cameraman (uncredited)

  • 77 Sunset Strip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 3 episodes · as Marty Kline

  • Bat Masterson(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Jim Pate

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Van Kemp

  • The Rifleman(1958)

    Show 2 episodes · as Chris Manse

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The Texan(1958)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Bronco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Kings Go Forth(1958)

    as The Colonel

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Leave It to Beaver(1957)

    Show 2 episodes · as George Haskell

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • The Court of Last Resort(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Trackdown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Walter Winchell File (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Maverick(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Captain Nares · as General Josiah Warren · as Sheriff Griffin

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Perry Mason(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Axel Norstaad · as Charles Norman · as Corley Ketchum · as Unk Hazekian

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Sugarfoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Alexi Sharlokov · as Andy Burke · as Bill Manning · as Dennis O'Hara

  • Have Gun, Will Travel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 6 episodes · Actor

  • Four Boys and a Gun(1957)

    as Mr. Badek

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Lee Willis · as Lud Greening · as Will Harmon

  • The Adventures of Jim Bowie(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Andre Rochambeau

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all shows

  • Alice in Wonderland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Humpty Dumpty

  • Playwrights '56 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Ed Holland · as John

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Adam · as Hank Luz · as Hutch · as Ian McGovern · as Lars Karlgren · as McGruder · as Mr. Hubert · as Raff · as Tabe

  • The Wonderful World of Disney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Laredo Marshal (uncredited)

  • Lassie(1954)

    Show 5 episodes · Actor

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows

  • Portia Faces Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 324 episodes · Actor

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Humpty Dumpty

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Asmussen

  • Robert Montgomery Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • December 7th(1943)

    as Machine-Gunner (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Strangers All (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Protester at Communist Meeting

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 119 titles from 1935 to 1995; peak year 1962.

Biggest box office

The Sword in the Stone (1963)

$12M worldwide

Highest rated

Seconds (1966)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

The Sword in the Stone (1963)

Film career

19351995

Peak 1962 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting119 of 119: 119 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score77th

By decade

1930s1 · acting1940s1 · acting1950s41 · acting1960s55 · acting1970s18 · acting1980s1 · acting1990s2 · acting

Billing

usually 12th · top billed in 0% of 19 roles
4363

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Karl Swenson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 76th percentile, the median of all 30; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 66th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 53 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up28
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th10

Shape of the crowd

33 of their 53 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved11
  • Crowd Pleaser33
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed8

Most loved · actor

Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

Midcredits 99th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 72/100 in their films, across 17 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 51. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Karl Swenson's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 36 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 24 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 8 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 43 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 24 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Karl Swenson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Karl Swenson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jerry Goldsmith shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers