<P> In 1962, Swenson made a one - time appearance on CBS's The Andy Griffith Show as Mr. McBeevee . He guest starred in NBC's Laramie western series and in the science fiction series, Steve Canyon, with Dean Fredericks in the title role . In 1963, he portrayed Nelson in the episode "Beauty Playing a Mandolin Underneath a Willow Tree" episode of the NBC medical drama about psychiatry, The Eleventh Hour . That same year, he was cast with Charles Aidman and Parley Baer in the three - part episode "Security Risk" of the CBS anthology series, GE True, hosted by Jack Webb . And also in 1962, he appeared as the father of Jena Engstrom in the "Chester's Indian" episode of Gunsmoke, in a story featuring Dennis Weaver . </P> <P> 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 made four guest appearances on Perry Mason, including the part of defendant Axel Norstaad, a Danish woodshop owner in the 1961 episode, "The Case of the Tarnished Trademark", and an ex-convict in the 1963 episode, "The Case of the Bigamous Spouse ." From 1959 through 1967 Swenson made guest appearance on the TV series Bonanza in the episodes "Death on Sun Mountain" (1959), "Day of Reckoning" (1960), "A Natural Wizard" (1965) and "Showdown at Tahoe" (1967). </P> <P> Swenson also worked as a voice actor . He voiced the character of Merlin in Walt Disney's 1963 animated classic, The Sword in the Stone . In 1969, he was cast as the Roman emperor Nero, sent by the Devil to assassinate Santa Claus in a KCET television reading of Norman Corwin's 1938 radio play The Plot to Overthrow Christmas . </P> <P> Swenson appeared in a 1967 episode of Hogan's Heroes entitled "How to Win Friends and Influence Nazis", in which he played a likable and friendly Swedish scientist, Dr. Karl Svenson, who is persuaded by Hogan (Bob Crane) to join the Allied war effort . Although Swenson had credits on dozens of other television series, including an appearance on the ABC / WB episode "Shady Deal at Sunny Acres" of the western Maverick, he is best known for his performance as the kindly Lars Hanson in NBC's Little House on the Prairie . He appeared in forty episodes of the show from 1974--1978 . </P>

Who played chris nelson on little house on the prairie