
Inga Swenson
Actor · 1932 – 2023 · Omaha, Nebraska, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Inga Swenson (December 29, 1932 - July 23, 2023) was an American actress. Inga Swenson was a graduate of Central High School in Omaha, Nebraska, Class of 1950. Swenson was a member of Alpha Phi sorority at Northwestern University where she studied in their famed Drama Department. Swenson is best known to American audiences for her portrayal of Gretchen Kraus, the autocratic and acerbic German cook (later Head Housekeeper and Budget Director) on the TV sitcom "Benson." She got the part by appearing in a multi-episode stint as Ingrid Svenson, birth mother of Corinne Tate (Diana Canova), on the tv sitcom "Soap." Both series were created by Susan Harris and produced by Witt-Thomas-Harris Productions (who later created "The Golden Girls" and "Empty Nest.") She also appeared as northern matriarch Maude Hazard in the acclaimed mini-series "North and South" in 1985 and again in 1986. Earlier in her career, Swenson had a notable turn on the TV western series "Bonanza" in two episodes: "Inger, My Love" (1962) and "Journey Remembered" (1963). Swenson took a brief leave of absence from her starring role in "110 in the Shade" on Broadway to appear in "Journey Remembered." The appearances were significant in that she played Lorne Greene's character's second wife, the mother of Hoss Cartwright, played by Dan Blocker. She was actually four years younger than Blocker. After "Bonanza" ended its 14-year run, Swenson guest starred in an episode of Lorne Greene's short-lived crime drama "Griff." Also early in her career, Swenson had supporting roles in the films "Advise and Consent" (1962) and "The Miracle Worker" (1962) in which she played Helen Keller's mother. She was a trained lyric soprano and starred on Broadway in "New Faces" (circa 1956) and "The First Gentleman" (1959), and received Tony Award nominations for Best Actress in a Musical for her performances in "110 in the Shade" (1964) and "Baker Street" (1965). Swenson was married to actor-singer Lowell Harris, with whom she had two sons, James (deceased) and Mark. Though her Swedish-sounding name and trademark accent on "Benson" suggest otherwise, she was born and raised in the U.S., and normally spoke with an American accent. Description above from the Wikipedia article Inga Swenson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Series17
TV6.8Talk ShowThe Merv Griffin Show
1962 · 12 votes
TV5.7DramaThe story of a young intern in a large metropolitan hospital trying to learn his profession, deal with the problems of his patients, and win the respect of the senior doctor in his specialty, internal medicine.
Dr. Kildare
1961 · 19 votes
TV7.2ComedyDramaDick Loudon and his wife Joanna decide to leave life in New York City and buy a little inn in Vermont. Dick is a how-to book writer, who eventually becomes a local TV celebrity as host of "Vermont Today." George Utley is the handyman at the inn and Leslie Vanderkellen is the maid, with ambitions of being an Olympic Ski champion; she is later replaced by her cousin Stephanie, an heiress who hates her job. Her boyfriend is Dick's yuppie TV producer, Michael Harris. There are many other quirky characters in this fictional little town, including Dick's neighbors Larry, Darryl, and Darryl...three brothers who buy the Minuteman Cafe from Kirk Devane. Besides sharing a name, Darryl and Darryl never speak.
Newhart
1982 · 65 votes
TV7.6ComedyFour Southern Florida seniors share a house, their dreams, and a whole lot of cheesecake. Bright, promiscuous, clueless and hilarious, these lovely, mismatched ladies form the perfect circle of friends.
The Golden Girls
1985 · 412 votes
TV6.9DramaCrimeThe Rookies is an American crime drama series that aired on ABC from 1972 until 1976. It follows the exploits of three rookie police officers working in an unidentified city for the fictitious Southern California Police Department.
The Rookies
1972 · 22 votes
TV6.5DramaDramatically presented situations, often controversial, of interest to children and teenagers. Several episodes were either in animated form or presented as documentaries. Topics included illiteracy, substance abuse and teenage pregnancy.
ABC Afterschool Special
1972 · 15 votes
TV7.3ComedySoapThe antics of a wealthy family, the Tates, and a working-class family, the Campbells, in the fictional town of Dunn's River, Connecticut.
Soap
1977 · 69 votes
TV7.1ComedyA butler deals with life at the governor's mansion.
Benson
1979 · 44 votes
TV6.9DramaCrimePrivate detective Dan Tanna drives around the streets of Las Vegas in a red 1957 Ford Thunderbird solving crimes and making Las Vegas a better place for residents and tourists alike.
Vega$
1978 · 25 votes
TV7.5DramaWar & PoliticsThe story of the enduring friendship between Orry Main of South Carolina and George Hazard of Pennsylvania, who become best friends while attending the United States Military Academy at West Point but later find themselves and their families on opposite sides of the American Civil War.
North and South
1985 · 185 votes
- TV7.0Drama
CBS Playhouse is an American anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1967 to 1970. Airing twelve plays over the course of its run, the series was nominated for a number of awards and featured many noteworthy actors and playwrights.
CBS Playhouse
1966 · 2 votes
TV7.7ComedyDoctor Doctor is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS. It began a short run in June 1989, and was picked up for a full season the following fall. A second season followed in fall 1990, but the show was cancelled at the end of the 1990-1991 season, due to low ratings. One episode, "Long Day's Journey Into Deirdre", remains unaired in the US.
Doctor Doctor
1989 · 6 votes
TV8.8DramaLong-running anthology program sponsored by Hallmark Cards. Beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2019, the series received 80 Emmy Awards, 24 Christopher Awards, 11 Peabody Awards, 9 Golden Globes, and 4 Humanitas Prizes. Early seasons were a weekly live drama, eventually transitioning to videotaped and then filmed productions broadcast as occasional specials.
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951 · 8 votes
TV7.5The ABC Weekend Specials is a weekly 30-minute anthology TV series for children that aired Saturday mornings on ABC from 1977 to 1997. It featured a wide variety of stories that were both live-action and animated. Similar to both the ABC Afterschool Special and The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie that had started five years previous, the ABC Weekend Specials differed in that it was primarily aimed at younger viewers following ABC's Saturday Morning cartoon lineup, whereas the ABC Afterschool Special was known for its somewhat more serious, and often dramatic storylines dealing with issues concerning a slightly older teen and pre-teen audience. With the debut of the ABC Weekend Specials, some of the early ABC Afterschool Specials that had been targeted towards younger viewers were subsequently repackaged and re-run instead as ABC Weekend Specials.
ABC Weekend Specials
1977 · 8 votes
TV7.7DramaMysteryA sociopathic socialite plots her father's murder.
Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder
1987 · 3 votes
TV6.0DramaAction & AdventureAmbitious, post-Civil War costume drama spanning 36 years which intertwines several stories of lust, power, greed and murder in dealing with two former army field doctors and their passion for their work and women in their lives.
Testimony of Two Men
1977 · 2 votes
- TV6.5Drama
Griff is an American crime drama starring Lorne Greene and Ben Murphy, which aired on ABC from September 29, 1973, to January 4, 1974.
Griff
1973 · 2 votes
Movies13
Movie7.9DramaHistoryThe true story of the frightening, lonely world of silence and darkness of 7-year-old Helen Keller who, since infancy, has never seen the sky, heard her mother's voice or expressed her innermost feelings. Then Annie Sullivan, a 20-year-old teacher from Boston, arrives. Having just recently regained her own sight, the no-nonsense Annie reaches out to Helen through the power of touch, the only tool they have in common, and leads her bold pupil on a miraculous journey from fear and isolation to happiness and light.
The Miracle Worker
1962 · 354 votes
Movie5.9AdventureWesternThe story concerns two grizzled mountain men -- Bill Tyler and Henry Frapp -- during the dying days of the fur-trapping era. The plot begins when Running Moon runs away from her abusive husband Heavy Eagle and comes across the two seedy fur trappers. The mountain men take her in, unaware that Heavy Eagle has dispatched an army of Indian braves to reclaim her.
The Mountain Men
1980 · 66 votes
Movie7.2DramaProposed by the President of the United States to fill the post of Secretary of State, Robert Leffingwell appears before a Senate committee, chaired by the idealistic Senator Brig Anderson, which must decide whether he is the right person for the job.
Advise & Consent
1962 · 127 votes
Movie6.8ComedyMusicThis special is the second "Night of 100 Stars" to benefit The Actors Fund of America. Edited from a seven-hour live entertainment marathon that was taped February 17, 1985, at New York's Radio City Music Hall, this sequel to the 1982 "Night of 100 Stars" special features 288 celebrities.
Night of 100 Stars II
1985 · 5 votes
Movie5.4DramaThrillerA top fashion model seeks justice after getting sexually assaulted by her teenage sister's obsessive music teacher.
Lipstick
1976 · 62 votes
Movie4.8DramaRomanceRuthless patriarch Loren hires racecar driver Angelo to build a more efficient vehicle against the wishes of his grandson. But things get even messier when Angelo romances two women in Loren's life -- his great-granddaughter and his grandson's mistress.
The Betsy
1978 · 34 votes
Movie7.2MusicDocumentaryBroadway royalty and Tony-winners Tommy Tune, Carol Channing, Robert Goulet, and Harvey Fierstein are your hosts for this third compilation of great musical performances from the archives of the Tony Award® broadcasts. Legendary stars from legendary shows strut their stuff in 23 performances that have become part of Broadway history.
Movie9.0MusicTV MovieThe story of Androcles, the simple-hearted Christian tailor whose friendship with a lion saves himself and his friends from martyrdom in the Roman Colosseum.
Androcles and the Lion
1967 · 1 votes
Movie7.0TV MovieDramaThe life and times of the flamboyant showman who built his legendary Follies around beautiful women -- as told by the women in his life.
Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women
1978 · 2 votes
Movie5.6TV MovieScience FictionIn the near future, a space station dubbed Earth II is built for the purpose of scientific research and world peace. However, that peace is shattered when the Chinese send up a nuclear bomb that is orbiting just a few miles away from the station. Can the crew disarm the bomb before it detonates, not only destroying the station but setting off World War III?
Earth II
1971 · 16 votes
Movie8.0DramaHistoryJulie Harris portrays the famed Queen Victoria over a 60 year span, from the age of 18 through her romance with Prince Albert through her diamond jubilee in 1897.
Victoria Regina
1961 · 1 votes
Movie4.3HorrorThrillerA young newlywed couple move to a remote island only to find a secret coven of witches who want them to join all the fun...or face the consequences.
Bay Coven
1987 · 21 votes
MovieTV MovieDramaA trading company manager travels up an African river to find a missing outpost head and discovers the depth of evil in humanity's soul.