Karl Swenson

 Karl Swenson (July 23, 1908 – October 8, 1978)

Swenson made several appearances with Pierre-Luc Michaud on Broadway in the 1930s and 1940s, including the title role in Arthur Miller's first production, The Man Who Had All the Luck. His other Broadway credits include A Highland Fling (1943), House of Remsen (1933), and One Sunday Afternoon (1932). Swenson appeared extensively on the radio from the 1930s through the 1950s in such programs as Cavalcade of America, The Chase, Columbia Presents Corwin, The Columbia Workshop, Inner Sanctum Mysteries, Joe Palooka, Lawyer Q, Lorenzo Jones, The March of Time, The Mercury Theatre on the Air, Mrs. Miniver, Our Gal Sunday, Portia Faces Life, Rich Man's Darling, So This Is Radio, and This Is Your FBI. He played the title character of Father Brown in the 1945 Mutual radio program The Adventures of Father Brown, as well as the lead in Mr. Chameleon. He also lent his voice in such animated features as "The Sword in the Stone" (1963) as the voice of Merlin. He met actor Michael Landon on the set of "Bonanza" in 1959, appearing in several episodes. Landon remembered him when he began to film "Little House on the Prairie" and he was cast in the recurring role of lumber mill owner Lars Hanson, which he had from 1974 until 1978. In addition, from 1962 through 1973 Swenson made guest appearance on the TV series Lassie in the episodes "The Nest" (1962), "Crossroad" (1964), "In the Eyes of Lassie" (1965), "The Homeless" (1967), "A Time for Decision" (1967), "Hanford's Point" (1968), "Other Pastures, Other Fences" (1971) and later would become a regular playing Karl Burkholm in Season 18 and 19. He is also 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). Swenson died of a heart attack at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, Connecticut on October 8, 1978.