Roscoe Karns
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- September 6, 1891
- Died
- February 6, 1970 (aged 78)
- Birthplace
- San Bernardino, California, USA
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Roscoe Karns (September 7, 1891 – February 6, 1970) was an American actor who appeared in nearly 150 films between 1915 and 1964. He specialized in cynical, wise-cracking (and often tipsy) characters, and his rapid-fire delivery enlivened many comedies and crime thrillers in the 1930s and 1940s. Though he appeared in numerous silent films, such as Wings and Beggars of Life, his career didn't really take off until sound arrived. Arguably his best-known film role was the annoying bus passenger Oscar Shapeley, who tries to pick up Claudette Colbert in the Oscar-winning comedy It Happened One Night (1934), quickly followed by one of his best performances as the boozy press agent Owen O'Malley in Howard Hawks' Twentieth Century. (Six years later, he co-starred as one of the reporters in another Hawks classic, His Girl Friday.) In 1937, Paramount teamed him with Lynne Overman as a pair of laconic private eyes in two B comedy-mysteries, Murder Goes to College and Partners in Crime. From 1950 to 1954, Karns played the title role in the popular DuMont Television Network series Rocky King, Inside Detective. His son, character actor Todd Karns, also appeared in that series. From 1959 to 1962, Karns was cast as Admiral Walter Shafer in seventy-three of the ninety-five episodes of the CBS military sitcom/drama series, Hennesey, starring Jackie Cooper in the title role of a United States Navy physician, and Abby Dalton as nurse Martha Hale. His final film was another Hawks comedy, Man's Favorite Sport?, in 1964. Karns was born in San Bernardino, California, and died in Los Angeles. Description above from the Wikipedia article Roscoe Karns, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia
Known For
Photos
Filmography
Man's Favorite Sport?
Movie · as Major Phipps
The Lucy Show
TV · as Mr. Foley · 1 ep
Hennesey
TV · as Capt. Walter Shafer · 96 eps
Onionhead
Movie · as 'Windy' Woods
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
TV · as Ed Church · 1 ep
December Bride
TV · as Charley Allen · 1 ep
Inside Detective
TV · as Police Inspector Rocky King · 4 eps
Rocky King, Detective
TV · as Police Inspector Rocky King · 248 eps
Devil's Cargo
Movie · as Lt. Hardy
The Inside Story
Movie · as Eustace Peabody
Speed to Spare
Movie · as Kangaroo
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
Movie · as Officer Carmody
That's My Man
Movie · as Toby Gleeton
Vigilantes of Boomtown
Movie · as Bill Delaney
Avalanche
Movie · as Red Kelly
One Way to Love
Movie · as Hobie Simmons
I Ring Doorbells
Movie · as Stubby
Hi, Good Lookin'!
Movie · as Archie
Minstrel Man
Movie · as Lasses White
The Navy Way
Movie · as Frankie Gimble
My Son, The Hero
Movie · as Big-Time Morgan
Riding High
Movie · as Shorty
Old Acquaintance
Movie · as Charlie Archer
Stage Door Canteen
Movie · as Roscoe Karns
His Butler's Sister
Movie · as Fields
Woman of the Year
Movie · as Phil Whittaker
You Can't Escape Forever
Movie · as 'Mac' McTurk
A Tragedy at Midnight
Movie · as Cassidy
Yokel Boy
Movie · as Al Devers
Petticoat Politics
Movie · as Joe Higgins
Footsteps in the Dark
Movie · as Monahan
The Gay Vagabond
Movie · as Arthur Dixon / Jerry Dixon
Road to Happiness
Movie · as Charley Grady
Black Eyes and Blues
Movie · as Alfred Harmon
Half Shot at Sunrise
Movie · as Henry Warren
His Girl Friday
Movie · as McCue
They Drive by Night
Movie · as Irish McGurn
Double Alibi
Movie · as Jeremiah Jenkins
Saturday's Children
Movie · as Willie Sands
Ladies Must Live
Movie · as Pete Larrabee
Meet the Missus
Movie · as Joe Higgins
That's Right – You're Wrong
Movie · as Mal Stamp
King of Chinatown
Movie · as Rip Harrigan
Dancing Co-Ed
Movie · as Joe Drews
Everything's on Ice
Movie · as Felix Miller
You and Me
Movie · as Cuffy
Thanks for the Memory
Movie · as George Kent
Tip-Off Girls
Movie · as Tom Benson aka Tommy Logan
Dangerous to Know
Movie · as Duncan
Scandal Street
Movie · as Austin Brown
On Such a Night
Movie · as Joe Flynn
Night of Mystery
Movie · as Sergeant Heath
Partners in Crime
Movie · as Sim Perkins
Murder Goes to College
Movie · as Sim Perkins
Clarence
Movie · as Clarence Smith
Cain and Mabel
Movie · as Reilly
Three Married Men
Movie · as Peter Cary
Woman Trap
Movie · as Mopsy
Border Flight
Movie · as Calico Smith
Three Cheers for Love
Movie · as Doc 'Short Circuit' Wilson
Wings in the Dark
Movie · as Nick Williams
Four Hours to Kill!
Movie · as Johnson
Alibi Ike
Movie · as Carey
Front Page Woman
Movie · as Toots O'Grady
Two-Fisted
Movie · as Chick Moran
The Woman in Red
Movie · as Man in court room (uncredited)
Red Hot Tires
Movie · as Bud Keene
It Happened One Night
Movie · as Oscar Shapeley
Twentieth Century
Movie · as Owen O'Malley
Shoot the Works
Movie · as Sailor Burke
I Sell Anything
Movie · as Monk
Come On, Marines!
Movie · as Spud McGurke
Elmer and Elsie
Movie · as Rocky Cott
Alice in Wonderland
Movie · as Tweedledee
A Lady's Profession
Movie · as Tony
Today We Live
Movie · as McGinnis
One Sunday Afternoon
Movie · as Snappy Downer
The Women in His Life
Movie · as Aloysius Lester
Gambling Ship
Movie · as Blooey
Grand Slam
Movie · as Contest Radio Announcer
Night After Night
Movie · as Leo
If I Had a Million
Movie · as Private O'Brien
Week-End Marriage
Movie · as Jim Davis
Two Against the World
Movie · as Segall, reporter
Lawyer Man
Movie · as Merritt - Reporter (uncredited)
The Crooked Circle
Movie · as Harry Carter
One Way Passage
Movie · as S.S. Maloa Bartender (uncredited)
Under-Cover Man
Movie · as Dannie
The Roadhouse Murder
Movie · as Dale
They Call It Sin
Movie · as Brad - Rehearsal Director (uncredited)
Stowaway
Movie · as Insp. Redding
Play Girl
Movie · as Gambler (uncredited)
High Pressure
Movie · as Telephone Salesman (uncredited)
Laughing Sinners
Movie · as Fred Geer
Pleasure
Movie · as Arnie
Dirigible
Movie · as Sock McGuire
Ladies of the Big House
Movie · as Frank - Twenty Questions player (uncredited)
Left Over Ladies
Movie · as 'Scoop'
Many a Slip
Movie · as Stan Price
Safety in Numbers
Movie · as Bertram Shapiro
Troopers Three
Movie · as Bugs
Man Trouble
Movie · as Scott
The Gorilla
Movie · as Simmons
Little Accident
Movie · as Gilbert
The Costello Case
Movie · as Blair
This Thing Called Love
Movie · as Harry Bertrand
New York Nights
Movie · as Johnny Dolan
Copy
Movie · as City Editor John Mack
The Flying Fleet
Movie · as Shipwrecked Radio Operator (uncredited)
Moran of the Marines
Movie · as Swatty
Win That Girl
Movie · as Johnny Norton II
The Shopworn Angel
Movie · as Dance Director
The Trail of '98
Movie · as Man on Ship (uncredited)
Jazz Mad
Movie · as Sol Levy
The Vanishing Pioneer
Movie · as Ray Hearn
Warming Up
Movie · as Hippo
Beau Sabreur
Movie · as Buddy
The Desert Bride
Movie · as Pvt. Terry
Beggars of Life
Movie · as Lame Hoppy
Something Always Happens
Movie · as George
Object: Alimony
Movie · as Al Bryant
Ten Modern Commandments
Movie · as Benny Burnaway
The Jazz Singer
Movie · as Agent (uncredited)
Wings
Movie · as Lieutenant Cameron
Ritzy
Movie · as Smith's Valet
You'd Be Surprised
Movie · as Party Guest (uncredited)
The Overland Limited
Movie · as Patrick Henry Madden
Dollar Down
Movie · as Gene Meadows
The Midnight Express
Movie · as Switch Hogan
Bluff
Movie · as Jack Hallowell
The Foolish Virgin
Movie · as Chuck Brady
The Ten Commandments
Movie · as The Boy in the Rain (uncredited)
Other Men's Daughters
Movie · as Hubert
Her Own Money
Movie · as Jerry Woodward
The Trouper
Movie
Conquering the Woman
Movie · as Shorty Thompson
The Man Tamer
Movie · as Bradley P. Caldwell Jr
The Family Honor
Movie · as Dal Tucker
The Life of the Party
Movie · as Sam Perkins
Poor Relations
Movie · as Henry
A Western Governor's Humanity
Movie · as The Sheriff
A Species of Mexican Man
Movie
From Champion to Tramp
Movie · as The Girl's Father
Mr. Carlson of Arizona
Movie