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 Hitchcocks The Birds 1963 and as the voice of Merlin in Disneys 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 tickticktick 1970 The Wild Country 1970 Vanishing Point 1971 and Ulzanas 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 Swensons death He was interred at Center Cemetery in New Milford Connecticut