Acting

Ken Swofford

Born — Died

1933-07-25 — 2018-11-01

Place of birth

DuQuoin - Illinois - USA

Known for

Acting

Credits

82 titles

IMDb profile

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Ken Swofford (July 25, 1933 - November 1, 2018) was an American film and television actor noted for his red hair and ruddy complexion. He was often cast as "everyman", villains, or policemen. Between 1962 and 1995, Swofford's film credits included The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson, Thelma and Louise, Black Roses and The Andromeda Strain, while his TV career during the same period was prolific. Appearing repeatedly as a guest and/or in recurring roles, he is best remembered as Quentin Morlock in Fame, Lt. Griffin in Switch, Cutler in The Oregon Trail, Al Barber in Rich Man, Poor Man Book II, Lt. Catalano in Murder, She Wrote and columnist Frank…

Known for

8.1

Columbo is a friendly, verbose, disheveled-looking police detective who is consistently underestimated by his suspects. Despite his unprepossessing appearance and apparent absentmindedness, he shrewdly solves all of his cases and secures all evidence needed for indictment. His formidable eye for detail and meticulously dedicated approach often become clear to the killer only late in the storyline.

Columbo

1971

7.1

Dr. Mark Sloan is a good-natured, offbeat physician who is called upon to solve murders.

Diagnosis: Murder

1993

7.5

An unassuming mystery writer turned sleuth uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases.

Murder, She Wrote

1984

6.9

The domestic adventures, misdeeds and everyday interactions of five families living on a cul-de-sac in a small California community.

Knots Landing

1979

5.6

Falcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May 17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the Californian wine industry. Jane Wyman starred as Angela Channing, the tyrannical matriarch of the Falcon Crest Winery, alongside Robert Foxworth as Chase Gioberti, Angela's nephew who returns to Falcon Crest following the death of his father. The series was set in the fictitious Tuscany Valley northeast of San Francisco.

Falcon Crest

1981

7.6

Cranky but likable L.A. PI Jim Rockford pulls no punches (but takes plenty of them). An ex-con sent to the slammer for a crime he didn't commit, Rockford takes on cases others don't want, aided by his tough old man, his lawyer girlfriend and some shady associates from his past.

The Rockford Files

1974

Film credits

2000s · 2 titles

6.1

Meet Spot, a clever little dog with big dreams of becoming a real boy. When Spot finds out that a crazy scientist can make his wish come true, he takes a cross-country trek with Leonard, his best friend and master, and their mom. However, Dr. Krank's experiments are a little less than perfect, and it will take Leonard and his pet pals to right this genetic wrong.

Teacher's Pet

2004

6.6

The school year is finally ending, and T.J. Detweiler is looking forward to summer. But boredom quickly sets in when his friends leave for camp — until T.J. uncovers an evil plot to do away with summer vacation! A crazy former principal, Dr. Benedict, is planning to use a laser beam to alter the weather and create permanent winter. Faced with the dire threat of year-round school, T.J. rounds up the RECESS gang and bands together with some unexpected allies — Miss Finster and Principal Prickly — in a nonstop adventure to save everyone's summer break.

Recess: School's Out

2001

1995

1980s · 10 titles

6.5

An orphan in a facility run by the mean Miss Hannigan, Annie believes that her parents left her there by mistake. When a rich man named Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks decides to let an orphan live at his home to promote his image, Annie is selected. While Annie gets accustomed to living in Warbucks' mansion, she still longs to meet her parents. So Warbucks announces a search for them and a reward, which brings out many frauds.

Annie

1982

6.0

A movie producer who made a huge flop tries to salvage his career by revamping his film as an erotic production, where its family-friendly star takes her top off.

S.O.B.

1981

The Gambler: The Adventure Continues poster

7.0

Brady Hawkes, Billy Montana, and Jeremiah Hawkes are on a train bound for a huge gambling event when the train is taken over by a gang of vicious killers in search of money. As ransom, the gang takes young Jeremiah hostage. Brady and Billy embark on a quest to rescue him and form a small gang of their own along the way.

The Gambler: The Adventure Continues

1983

5.4

London Bridge, London, England, 1888: Jack the Ripper dies in the Thames river. London Bridge, Lake Havasu, Arizona, 1985: the last original stone used to rebuild London Bridge is laid and all the city is happy...but then some strange murders start happening. Policeman Don Gregory has some suspects, but when he develops a theory that Jack the Ripper has been resurrected, no one believes him.

Terror at London Bridge

1985

5.6

Five "city boys" travel to the country to relax by doing some hunting, drinking Bud, and generally having good time. However, the local inbred backwoods psychos turn the hunters to be the hunted, and they need all the ammo and wits they have to get out of the woods alive.

Hunter's Blood

1986

5.1

Teens in a small conservative town are turned into evil demons thanks to the music of the titular heavy metal band.

Black Roses

1988

6.8

Paul Winters, a rock star burnout, flees his fame and ends up by chance on an island where he comes face to face with Sultan, a domesticated Bengal tiger left there to be hunted by a wealthy businessman. He then befriends the animal and decides to do everything to save him...

Sultan and the Rock Star

1980

6.5

Big city judge Parke Denison is involved in a forced busing dispute at the climax of his long career. The friendship between two families -- one white, one black -- and their sons, who are buddies, provides the microcosm of this major social issue that has been argued for several decades.

All God's Children

1980

5.0

Steven and Laura Harding, along with their kids David and Mary, have moved to the quiet community of Stepford. Steven joins the men's club, which is still assimilating their wives into robots. This time, they have begun to turn their out of control teens into robots as well. Once they are assimilated, they are obedient, homework loving, big band dancing droids. Laura, David, and Mary stumble onto this mystery, and they must avoid Steven's plans to turn them into robots.

The Stepford Children

1987

M.A.D.D.: Mothers Against Drunk Drivers poster

7.0

A mother relentlessly tries to spearhead a movement for national anti-drunk driver legislation after her own daughter becomes the victim of a hit-and-run by a drunk driver.

M.A.D.D.: Mothers Against Drunk Drivers

1983

1970s · 20 titles

7.0

When virtually all of the residents of Piedmont, New Mexico are found dead after the return to Earth of a space satellite, the head of the US Air Force's Project Scoop declares an emergency. A group of eminent scientists led by Dr. Jeremy Stone scrambles to a secure laboratory and tries first to isolate the life form while determining why two people from Piedmont - an old alcoholic and a six-month-old baby - survived. The scientists methodically study the alien life form, unaware that it has already mutated and presents a far greater danger in the lab, which is equipped with a nuclear self-destruct device designed to prevent the escape of dangerous biological agents.

The Andromeda Strain

1971

5.8

Roy Tucker, a Vietnam war veteran with excellent shooting skills, is serving a long prison sentence when a mysterious visitor promises him that he will be released if he agrees to carry out a dangerous assignment.

The Domino Principle

1977

6.2

A crazed Vietnam vet bomber hijacks a Boeing 707 and demands to be taken to Russia.

Skyjacked

1972

6.2

When she was raped, Ellen thought it was the worst thing to ever happen to her. What was worse, was the treatment by the hospital staff, police and the court system, when she reported it, and the man was caught.

A Case of Rape

1974

Earl Eischied is a man with his hands full. As the Chief of Detectives in New York City he is trying to break up a group of black militants that are on a crime spree including the killing of a police officer. He is also trying to battle with a mayor and police commissioner that want him out of his job.

To Kill a Cop

1978

5.9

Tony Petrocelli, a bright young lawyer practicing in the rich cattle town of Baker, becomes embroiled in a murder case.

The Lawyer

1970

Captain America II: Death Too Soon poster

3.8

Crimefighting Captain America rights more wrongs by doing battle with a fanatical terrorist who uses his deadly drug that causes accelerated aging to finance his world revolution.

Captain America II: Death Too Soon

1979

7.4

A talk-radio host, who specializes in abusing and insulting his audience, gets a call from a disturbed teenage girl who says she is going to commit suicide. After first encouraging her, he has a change of heart and frantically tries to get his listeners to help find the girl before she makes good on her threat.

A Cry for Help

1975

6.3

An Army deserter flees by camel across the desert with a caucasian boy raised by Indians.

One Little Indian

1973

6.9

A group of social misfits at a summer camp for boys run away to save penned-in buffaloes from a rifle club's slaughter.

Bless the Beasts & Children

1971

9.0

Semi-follow up to "The Deadly Triangle" dealing with a sheriff and his deputy in a sleepy ski town involved with a group of urbanites planning a dangerous mountain climb as well as investigating sabotage in a condominium development.

Crisis in Sun Valley

1978

8.0

A retired police captain storms angrily out of retirement when his son is shot down before his eyes and his grandson is kidnapped by a syndicate killer in this pilot for Lorne Greene's brief "Griff" series, which went off the air 18 months before this film was aired.

Man on the Outside

1975

8.0

The Marshal of Santa Fe returns home to find his town almost wiped out by Mexican bandits and enlists the help of a young Mexican boy and his mother to track them down.

Cutter's Trail

1970

7.0

A professional gambler finds himself on the run from the mob, the federal government, and a band of Indians, all of whom have an interest in a piece of land he won in a poker game.

Scott Free

1976

5.0

The James and Younger outlaw gangs ride into town, and it is up to the local marshal, who has lost both his nerve and his gun skills, to stop them.

The Intruders

1970

5.3

A husband and wife come up with a plan to steal $10 million in gold, using the hijacking of a police helicopter as a diversion.

Sky Hei$t

1975

The story of U.S. President John F. Kennedy's older brother Joseph, who undertakes a dangerous mission during World War II.

Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy

1977

An orphan teen (Vincent Van Patten) follows a rider (Earl Holliman) on the rodeo circuit, unaware his hero is wanted for murder.

The Boy and the Bronc Buster

1973

Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita poster

8.0

Dramatization of the trial of General Yamashita.

Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita

1974

9.0

In this pilot film that led to the series, an ex-con and a retired cop, partners in a private investigation agency, try to prove that a safecracker has been framed for a diamond robbery.

Switch

1975

1960s · 5 titles

6.8

In 1944, Capt. Josiah J. Newman is the doctor in charge of Ward 7, the neuropsychiatric ward, at an Army Air Corps hospital in Arizona. The hospital is under-resourced and Newman scrounges what he needs with the help of his inventive staff, especially Cpl. Jake Leibowitz. The military in general is only just coming to accept psychiatric disorders as legitimate and Newman generally has 6 weeks to cure them or send them on to another facility. There are many patients in the ward and his latest include Colonel Norville Bliss who has dissociated from his past; Capt. Paul Winston who is nearly catatonic after spending 13 months hiding in a cellar behind enemy lines; and 20 year-old Cpl. Jim Tompkins who is severely traumatized after his aircraft was shot down. Others come and go, including Italian prisoners of war, but Newman and team all realize that their success means the men will return to their units.

Captain Newman, M.D.

1963

7.0

During World War II, South Sea beachcomber Walter Eckland is persuaded to spy on planes passing over his island. He gets more than he bargained for as schoolteacher Catherine Frenau arrives on the run from the Japanese with her pupils in tow!

Father Goose

1964

7.7

Patriotic freedom fighters struggle against a fascist dictatorship in a near-future USA.

Shadow on the Land

1968

7.9

Jack is the sole survivor of a Japanese attack on his squad at Guadalcanal. Because of his heroism and the fact that he is still alive, he becomes a Medal of Honor hero. He returns to train new recruits for the Marines and falls for a girl named Peggy. When training and marriage leave him with an empty feeling, he decides on a transfer back to the front lines. Soon he will find that marriage and life will change his outlook on the grueling battles that lie ahead.

First to Fight

1967

7.6

Mission: Impossible is an American television series that was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicles the missions of a team of secret government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force. In the first season, the team is led by Dan Briggs, played by Steven Hill; Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, takes charge for the remaining seasons. A hallmark of the series shows Briggs or Phelps receiving his instructions on a recording that then self-destructs, followed by the theme music composed by Lalo Schifrin. The series aired on the CBS network from September 1966 to March 1973, then returned to television for two seasons on ABC, from 1988 to 1990, retaining only Graves in the cast. It later inspired a popular series of theatrical motion pictures starring Tom Cruise, beginning in 1996.

Mission: Impossible

1966

7.6

Mission: Impossible

1966

7.1

Adam-12 is a television police drama that followed two police officers of the Los Angeles Police Department, Pete Malloy and Jim Reed, as they patrolled the streets of Los Angeles in their patrol unit, 1-Adam-12.

Adam-12

1968

8.3

The story of Kevin Arnold facing the trials and tribulations of youth while growing up during the 1960s and 70s. Told through narration from an adult Kevin, Kevin faces the difficulties of maintaining relationships and friendships on his enthralling journey into adulthood.

The Wonder Years

1988

7.3

Follow the adventures of Steve Austin, cybernetically enhanced astronaut turned secret agent, employed by the OSI, under the command of Oscar Goldman and supervised by the scientist who created his cybernetics, Rudy Wells. Steve uses the superior strength and speed provided by his bionic arm and legs, and the enhanced vision provided by his artificial eye, to fight enemy agents, aliens, mad scientists, and a wide variety of other villains.

The Six Million Dollar Man

1974

7.3

The Six Million Dollar Man

1974

7.0

Thrifty, folksy and cantankerous, Matlock charges a premium for his services but is worth every penny: This renowned attorney, always clothed in his trademark light-gray suit and driving his signature Ford Crown Victoria, has an uncanny knack for finding overlooked clues and exposing murderers in dramatic courtroom scenes.

Matlock

1986

6.8

The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom series about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career.

The Partridge Family

1970

6.8

The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom series about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career.

The Partridge Family

1970

7.8

Felix and Oscar are two divorced men. Felix is neat and tidy while Oscar is sloppy and casual. They share a Manhattan apartment, and their different lifestyles inevitably lead to conflicts.

The Odd Couple

1970

6.8

An American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show is based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. With a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although fictional, it was based heavily on the actual Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York. Most interior scenes were filmed in Hollywood, California, and in all seasons but the third, several exterior scenes were shot on location in New York City. The popularity of the series, particularly in the UK, led to several hit records and live concert tours by the cast. Despite its success, very few of the actors maintained high-profile careers after the series was cancelled. A number of the cast members were seen again briefly in Bring Back...Fame, a reunion special made for British television in 2008.

Fame

1982

7.1

Two police officers, the older Lt. Stone and the young upstart Inspector Keller, investigate murders and other serious crimes in San Francisco. Stone would become a second father to Keller as he learned the rigors and procedures of detective work.

The Streets of San Francisco

1972

7.0

Detective Cheng is commissioned by Interpol to destroy the Empire of Chaiba, a worldwide criminal organization based in Southeast Asia. He initiates an undercover operation to infiltrate the organization.

Police Story

1973

7.1

When the 12 Colonies of Man are wiped out by a cybernetic race called the Cylons, Commander Adama and the crew of the battlestar Galactica lead a ragtag fleet of human survivors in search of a "mythical planet" called Earth.

Battlestar Galactica

1978

7.2

Tony Petrocelli is an Italian-American Harvard-educated lawyer who gave up the big money and frenetic pace of major-metropolitan life to practice in a sleepy city in the American Southwest. He and wife Maggie live in a trailer in the country while waiting for their new house to be built, and travel around in a beat-up old pickup truck. For a quiet rural area, Petrocelli seems to have no trouble running into his share of murderers to defend.

Petrocelli

1974

7.5

Ellery Queen is an American television detective mystery series based on the fictional character Ellery Queen. It aired on NBC during the 1975-76 television season and stars Jim Hutton as Ellery Queen, David Wayne as his father, Inspector Richard Queen, and Tom Reese as Sgt. Velie. Created by the writing/producing team of Richard Levinson and William Link, the title character "breaks" the fourth wall to ask the audience to consider their solution.

Ellery Queen

1975

6.5

A pair of intelligence agents posing as a tennis pro and his coach go on secret missions around the world.

I Spy

1965

8.3

Weekly series spun off from the miniseries.

Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II

1976

6.5

No synopsis available yet.

The Eddie Capra Mysteries

1978

6.0

The Gambler: The Adventure Continues

1983

4.3

A group of modern-day bounty hunters are descendants of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp.

The Rousters

1983

8.0

Police drama concerning a maverick chief of detectives dealing with two cop killings and a spate of bank robberies. He's also fighting a back stabbing police commissioner and a revolutionary leader plotting a police massacre.

To Kill a Cop

1978

7.7

The adventures of a Shaolin Monk as he wanders the American West armed only with his skill in Kung Fu.

Kung Fu

1972

7.7

The adventures of a Shaolin Monk as he wanders the American West armed only with his skill in Kung Fu.

Kung Fu

1972