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Acting
Roscoe Karns
Also known as: Roscoe Karnes
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
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
September 6, 1891
Day of Death
February 6, 1970
Age at Death
78 years old
Place of Birth
San Bernardino, California, USA
Popularity Score
0.8
Filmography
Man's Favorite Sport?
Major Phipps
1964Movie
The Lucy Show
Mr. Foley
1962TV
Hennesey
Capt. Walter Shafer
1959TV
Onionhead
'Windy' Woods
1958Movie
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
Ed Church
1957TV
December Bride
1954TV
Inside Detective
Police Inspector Rocky King
1950TV
Rocky King, Detective
Police Inspector Rocky King
1950TV
Devil's Cargo
Lt. Hardy
1948Movie
The Inside Story
Eustace Peabody
1948Movie
Speed to Spare
Kangaroo
1948Movie
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
Officer Carmody
1948Movie
That's My Man
Toby Gleeton
1947Movie
Vigilantes of Boomtown
Bill Delaney
1947Movie
Avalanche
Red Kelly
1946Movie
One Way to Love
Hobie Simmons
1946Movie
I Ring Doorbells
Stubby
1946Movie
Hi, Good Lookin'!
Archie
1944Movie
Minstrel Man
Lasses White
1944Movie
The Navy Way
Frankie Gimble
1944Movie
My Son, The Hero
Big-Time Morgan
1943Movie
Riding High
Shorty
1943Movie
Old Acquaintance
Charlie Archer
1943Movie
Stage Door Canteen
Roscoe Karns
1943Movie
His Butler's Sister
Fields
1943Movie
Woman of the Year
Phil Whittaker
1942Movie
You Can't Escape Forever
'Mac' McTurk
1942Movie
A Tragedy at Midnight
Cassidy
1942Movie
Yokel Boy
Al Devers
1942Movie
Petticoat Politics
Joe Higgins
1941Movie
Footsteps in the Dark
Monahan
1941Movie
The Gay Vagabond
Arthur Dixon / Jerry Dixon
1941Movie
Road to Happiness
Charley Grady
1941Movie
Black Eyes and Blues
Alfred Harmon
1941Movie
Half Shot at Sunrise
Henry Warren
1941Movie
His Girl Friday
McCue
1940Movie
They Drive by Night
Irish McGurn
1940Movie
Double Alibi
Jeremiah Jenkins
1940Movie
Saturday's Children
Willie Sands
1940Movie
Ladies Must Live
Pete Larrabee
1940Movie
Meet the Missus
Joe Higgins
1940Movie
That's Right – You're Wrong
Mal Stamp
1939Movie
King of Chinatown
Rip Harrigan
1939Movie
Dancing Co-Ed
Joe Drews
1939Movie
Everything's on Ice
Felix Miller
1939Movie
You and Me
Cuffy
1938Movie
Thanks for the Memory
George Kent
1938Movie
Tip-Off Girls
Tom Benson aka Tommy Logan
1938Movie
Dangerous to Know
Duncan
1938Movie
Scandal Street
Austin Brown
1938Movie
On Such a Night
Joe Flynn
1937Movie
Night of Mystery
Sergeant Heath
1937Movie
Partners in Crime
Sim Perkins
1937Movie
Murder Goes to College
Sim Perkins
1937Movie
Clarence
Clarence Smith
1937Movie
Cain and Mabel
Reilly
1936Movie
Three Married Men
Peter Cary
1936Movie
Woman Trap
Mopsy
1936Movie
Border Flight
Calico Smith
1936Movie
Wings in the Dark
Nick Williams
1935Movie
Four Hours to Kill!
Johnson
1935Movie
Alibi Ike
Carey
1935Movie
Front Page Woman
Toots O'Grady
1935Movie
Two-Fisted
Chick Moran
1935Movie
The Woman in Red
Man in court room (uncredited)
1935Movie
Red Hot Tires
Bud Keene
1935Movie
It Happened One Night
Oscar Shapeley
1934Movie
Twentieth Century
Owen O'Malley
1934Movie
Shoot the Works
Sailor Burke
1934Movie
I Sell Anything
Monk
1934Movie
Come On, Marines!
Spud McGurke
1934Movie
Elmer and Elsie
Rocky Cott
1934Movie
Alice in Wonderland
Tweedledee
1933Movie
A Lady's Profession
Tony
1933Movie
Today We Live
McGinnis
1933Movie
One Sunday Afternoon
Snappy Downer
1933Movie
The Women in His Life
Aloysius Lester
1933Movie
Gambling Ship
Blooey
1933Movie
Grand Slam
Contest Radio Announcer
1933Movie
Night After Night
Leo
1932Movie
If I Had a Million
Private O'Brien
1932Movie
Week-End Marriage
Jim Davis
1932Movie
Two Against the World
Segall, reporter
1932Movie
Lawyer Man
Merritt - Reporter (uncredited)
1932Movie
The Crooked Circle
Harry Carter
1932Movie
One Way Passage
S.S. Maloa Bartender (uncredited)
1932Movie
Under-Cover Man
Dannie
1932Movie
The Roadhouse Murder
Dale
1932Movie
They Call It Sin
Brad - Rehearsal Director (uncredited)
1932Movie
Stowaway
Insp. Redding
1932Movie
Play Girl
Gambler (uncredited)
1932Movie
High Pressure
Telephone Salesman (uncredited)
1932Movie
Laughing Sinners
Fred Geer
1931Movie
Pleasure
Arnie
1931Movie
Dirigible
Sock McGuire
1931Movie
Ladies of the Big House
Frank - Twenty Questions player (uncredited)
1931Movie
Left Over Ladies
'Scoop'
1931Movie
Many a Slip
Stan Price
1931Movie
Safety in Numbers
Bertram Shapiro
1930Movie
Troopers Three
Bugs
1930Movie
Man Trouble
Scott
1930Movie
The Gorilla
Simmons
1930Movie
Little Accident
Gilbert
1930Movie
The Costello Case
Blair
1930Movie
This Thing Called Love
Harry Bertrand
1929Movie
New York Nights
Johnny Dolan
1929Movie
Copy
City Editor John Mack
1929Movie
The Flying Fleet
Shipwrecked Radio Operator (uncredited)
1929Movie
Moran of the Marines
Swatty
1928Movie
Win That Girl
Johnny Norton II
1928Movie
The Shopworn Angel
Dance Director
1928Movie
The Trail of '98
Man on Ship (uncredited)
1928Movie
Jazz Mad
Sol Levy
1928Movie
The Vanishing Pioneer
Ray Hearn
1928Movie
Warming Up
Hippo
1928Movie
Beau Sabreur
Buddy
1928Movie
The Desert Bride
Pvt. Terry
1928Movie
Beggars of Life
Lame Hoppy
1928Movie
Something Always Happens
George
1928Movie
Object: Alimony
Al Bryant
1928Movie
Ten Modern Commandments
Benny Burnaway
1927Movie
The Jazz Singer
Agent (uncredited)
1927Movie
Wings
Lieutenant Cameron
1927Movie
Ritzy
Smith's Valet
1927Movie
You'd Be Surprised
Party Guest (uncredited)
1926Movie
The Overland Limited
Patrick Henry Madden
1925Movie
Dollar Down
Gene Meadows
1925Movie
The Midnight Express
Switch Hogan
1924Movie
Bluff
Jack Hallowell
1924Movie
The Foolish Virgin
Chuck Brady
1924Movie
The Ten Commandments
The Boy in the Rain (uncredited)
1923Movie
Other Men's Daughters
Hubert
1923Movie
Her Own Money
Jerry Woodward
1922Movie
The Trouper
1922Movie
Conquering the Woman
Shorty Thompson
1922Movie
The Man Tamer
Bradley P. Caldwell Jr
1921Movie
The Family Honor
Dal Tucker
1920Movie
The Life of the Party
Sam Perkins
1920Movie
Poor Relations
Henry
1919Movie
A Western Governor's Humanity
The Sheriff
1915Movie
A Species of Mexican Man
1915Movie
From Champion to Tramp
The Girl's Father
1915Movie
Mr. Carlson of Arizona
1915Movie