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 premedical 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 thirtyfive 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 Hitchcocks 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 US President Theodore Roosevelt in the western film Brighty of the Grand Canyon with costars Pat Conway and Joseph Cotten His later film appearances included roles in tickticktick 1970 The Wild Country 1970 Vanishing Point 1971 and Ulzanas 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 Swensons death Swenson was interred at Center Cemetery in New Milford Connecticut CLR
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