Karl Swinburne did not act in movies again after the war but he remained active on stage for several years.
He joined the film business in 1927 and he made his screen debut with "Richthofen, der rote Ritter der Luft" (1927).
In the sound film era of the 30s and early 40s Karl Swinburne became a demanded support actor and he often impersonated authoritarian characters.
He began his theater career about 1900 and his engagements led him via Aachen and Magdeburg to Berlin. In Berlin he seldom played leading roles, normally he was engaged for smaller parts.