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Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

133

Gender

Male

Birthday

1891-09-06

Day of Death

1970-02-06 (79 years old)

Place of Birth

San Bernardino, California, USA

Also Known As

Roscoe Karnes

Roscoe Karns

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

Acting

It Happened One Night

1934

It Happened One Night

as

Oscar Shapeley

His Girl Friday

1940

His Girl Friday

as

McCue

The Family Honor

1920

The Family Honor

as

Dal Tucker

Woman of the Year

1942

Woman of the Year

as

Phil Whittaker

Twentieth Century

1934

Twentieth Century

as

Owen O'Malley

The Ten Commandments

1923

The Ten Commandments

as

The Boy in the Rain (uncredited)

Petticoat Politics

1941

Petticoat Politics

as

Joe Higgins

Alice in Wonderland

1933

Alice in Wonderland

as

Tweedledee

You Can't Escape Forever

1942

You Can't Escape Forever

as

'Mac' McTurk

You and Me

1938

You and Me

as

Cuffy

They Drive by Night

1940

They Drive by Night

as

Irish McGurn

Man's Favorite Sport?

1964

Man's Favorite Sport?

as

Major Phipps

Devil's Cargo

1948

Devil's Cargo

as

Lt. Hardy

Her Own Money

1922

Her Own Money

as

Jerry Woodward

Ten Modern Commandments

1927

Ten Modern Commandments

as

Benny Burnaway

Wings in the Dark

1935

Wings in the Dark

as

Nick Williams

Double Alibi

1940

Double Alibi

as

Jeremiah Jenkins

Laughing Sinners

1931

Laughing Sinners

as

Fred Geer

Four Hours to Kill!

1935

Four Hours to Kill!

as

Johnson

If I Had a Million

1932

If I Had a Million

as

Private O'Brien

Today We Live

1933

Today We Live

as

McGinnis

This Thing Called Love

1929

This Thing Called Love

as

Harry Bertrand

Alibi Ike

1935

Alibi Ike

as

Carey

One Sunday Afternoon

1933

One Sunday Afternoon

as

Snappy Downer

Saturday's Children

1940

Saturday's Children

as

Willie Sands

Front Page Woman

1935

Front Page Woman

as

Toots O'Grady

New York Nights

1929

New York Nights

as

Johnny Dolan

Week-End Marriage

1932

Week-End Marriage

as

Jim Davis

Win That Girl

1928

Win That Girl

as

Johnny Norton II

Avalanche

1946

Avalanche

as

Red Kelly

The Inside Story

1948

The Inside Story

as

Eustace Peabody

Cain and Mabel

1936

Cain and Mabel

as

Reilly

Two Against the World

1932

Two Against the World

as

Segall, reporter

Safety in Numbers

1930

Safety in Numbers

as

Bertram Shapiro

My Son, The Hero

1943

My Son, The Hero

as

Big-Time Morgan

Thanks for the Memory

1938

Thanks for the Memory

as

George Kent

Pleasure

1931

Pleasure

as

Arnie

Shoot the Works

1934

Shoot the Works

as

Sailor Burke

Speed to Spare

1948

Speed to Spare

as

Kangaroo

Riding High

1943

Riding High

as

Shorty

Two-Fisted

1935

Two-Fisted

as

Chick Moran

The Woman in Red

1935

The Woman in Red

as

Man in court room (uncredited)

On Such a Night

1937

On Such a Night

as

Joe Flynn

Night of Mystery

1937

Night of Mystery

as

Sergeant Heath

Ladies Must Live

1940

Ladies Must Live

as

Pete Larrabee

Three Married Men

1936

Three Married Men

as

Peter Cary

Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven

1948

Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven

as

Officer Carmody

Tip-Off Girls

1938

Tip-Off Girls

as

Tom Benson aka Tommy Logan

I Sell Anything

1934

I Sell Anything

as

Monk

Partners in Crime

1937

Partners in Crime

as

Sim Perkins

Troopers Three

1930

Troopers Three

as

Bugs

Lawyer Man

1932

Lawyer Man

as

Merritt - Reporter (uncredited)

The Crooked Circle

1932

The Crooked Circle

as

Harry Carter

The Shopworn Angel

1928

The Shopworn Angel

as

Dance Director

That's My Man

1947

That's My Man

as

Toby Gleeton

Murder Goes to College

1937

Murder Goes to College

as

Sim Perkins

King of Chinatown

1939

King of Chinatown

as

Rep Harrigan

Dangerous to Know

1938

Dangerous to Know

as

Duncan

One Way to Love

1946

One Way to Love

as

Hobie Simmons

Man Trouble

1930

Man Trouble

as

Scott

The Women in His Life

1933

The Women in His Life

as

Aloysius Lester

One Way Passage

1932

One Way Passage

as

S.S. Maloa Bartender (uncredited)

Vigilantes of Boomtown

1947

Vigilantes of Boomtown

as

Bill Delaney

Copy

1929

Copy

as

City Editor John Mack

Hi, Good Lookin'!

1944

Hi, Good Lookin'!

as

Archie

Red Hot Tires

1935

Red Hot Tires

as

Bud Keene

The Flying Fleet

1929

The Flying Fleet

as

Shipwrecked Radio Operator (uncredited)

The Gorilla

1930

The Gorilla

as

Simmons

The Life of the Party

1920

The Life of the Party

as

Sam Perkins

Old Acquaintance

1943

Old Acquaintance

as

Charlie Archer

Dancing Co-Ed

1939

Dancing Co-Ed

as

Joe Drews

I Ring Doorbells

1946

I Ring Doorbells

as

Stubby

Dirigible

1931

Dirigible

as

Sock McGuire

Everything's on Ice

1939

Everything's on Ice

as

Felix Miller

Under-Cover Man

1932

Under-Cover Man

as

Dannie

The Gay Vagabond

1941

The Gay Vagabond

as

Arthur Dixon / Jerry Dixon

Yokel Boy

1942

Yokel Boy

as

Al Devers

The Jazz Singer

1927

The Jazz Singer

as

Agent (uncredited)

The Trail of '98

1928

The Trail of '98

as

Man on Ship (uncredited)

You'd Be Surprised

1926

You'd Be Surprised

as

Party Guest (uncredited)

Woman Trap

1936

Woman Trap

as

Mopsy

Clarence

1937

Clarence

as

Clarence Smith

Stage Door Canteen

1943

Stage Door Canteen

as

Roscoe Karns

Minstrel Man

1944

Minstrel Man

as

Lasses White

The Navy Way

1944

The Navy Way

as

Frankie Gimble

Road to Happiness

1941

Road to Happiness

as

Charley Grady

Wings

1927

Wings

as

Lieutenant Cameron

Ladies of the Big House

1931

Ladies of the Big House

as

Frank - Twenty Questions player (uncredited)

Onionhead

1958

Onionhead

as

'Windy' Woods

Gambling Ship

1933

Gambling Ship

as

Blooey

They Call It Sin

1932

They Call It Sin

as

Brad - Rehearsal Director (uncredited)

Stowaway

1932

Stowaway

as

Insp. Redding

Jazz Mad

1928

Jazz Mad

as

Sol Levy

Grand Slam

1933

Grand Slam

as

Contest Radio Announcer

Play Girl

1932

Play Girl

as

Gambler (uncredited)

The Vanishing Pioneer

1928

The Vanishing Pioneer

as

Ray Hearn

Come On, Marines!

1934

Come On, Marines!

as

Spud McGurke

Border Flight

1936

Border Flight

as

Calico Smith

Black Eyes and Blues

1941

Black Eyes and Blues

as

Alfred Harmon

Half Shot at Sunrise

1941

Half Shot at Sunrise

as

Henry Warren

Meet the Missus

1940

Meet the Missus

as

Joe Higgins

Left Over Ladies

1931

Left Over Ladies

as

'Scoop'

Little Accident

1930

Little Accident

as

Gilbert

Warming Up

1928

Warming Up

as

Hippo

Beau Sabreur

1928

Beau Sabreur

as

Buddy

The Midnight Express

1924

The Midnight Express

as

Switch Hogan

Scandal Street

1938

Scandal Street

as

Austin Brown

The Desert Bride

1928

The Desert Bride

as

Pvt. Terry

Beggars of Life

1928

Beggars of Life

as

Lame Hoppy

Many a Slip

1931

Many a Slip

as

Stan Price

From Champion to Tramp

1915

From Champion to Tramp

as

The Girl's Father

The Lucy Show

The Lucy Show

as

Mr. Foley

Inside Detective

Inside Detective

as

Police Inspector Rocky King

Rocky King, Detective

Rocky King, Detective

as

Police Inspector Rocky King

December Bride

December Bride

as

Charley Allen

Production

Crew

Directing