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
1934
asOscar Shapeley
1940
asMcCue
1920
asDal Tucker
1942
asPhil Whittaker
1934
asOwen O'Malley
1923
asThe Boy in the Rain (uncredited)
1941
asJoe Higgins
1933
asTweedledee
1942
as'Mac' McTurk
1928
asSwatty
1941
asMonahan
1938
asCuffy
1940
asIrish McGurn
1964
asMajor Phipps
1948
asLt. Hardy
1922
asJerry Woodward
1932
asLeo
1927
asBenny Burnaway
1935
asNick Williams
1940
asJeremiah Jenkins
1933
asTony
1931
asFred Geer
1935
asJohnson
1923
asHubert
1932
asPrivate O'Brien
1933
asMcGinnis
1929
asHarry Bertrand
1935
asCarey
1933
asSnappy Downer
1940
asWillie Sands
1935
asToots O'Grady
1929
asJohnny Dolan
1932
asJim Davis
1928
asJohnny Norton II
1942
asCassidy
1946
asRed Kelly
1939
asMal Stamp
1948
asEustace Peabody
1936
asReilly
1932
asSegall, reporter
1930
asBertram Shapiro
1943
asBig-Time Morgan
1938
asGeorge Kent
1931
asArnie
1934
asSailor Burke
1948
asKangaroo
1943
asShorty
1935
asChick Moran
1935
asMan in court room (uncredited)
1937
asJoe Flynn
1937
asSergeant Heath
1940
asPete Larrabee
1936
asPeter Cary
1948
asOfficer Carmody
1938
asTom Benson aka Tommy Logan
1934
asMonk
1937
asSim Perkins
1930
asBugs
1932
asMerritt - Reporter (uncredited)
1932
asHarry Carter
1928
asDance Director
1947
asToby Gleeton
1937
asSim Perkins
1939
asRep Harrigan
1938
asDuncan
1946
asHobie Simmons
1930
asScott
1933
asAloysius Lester
1932
asS.S. Maloa Bartender (uncredited)
1947
asBill Delaney
1929
asCity Editor John Mack
1944
asArchie
1935
asBud Keene
1929
asShipwrecked Radio Operator (uncredited)
1930
asSimmons
1920
asSam Perkins
1943
asCharlie Archer
1939
asJoe Drews
1946
asStubby
1931
asSock McGuire
1939
asFelix Miller
1932
asDannie
1941
asArthur Dixon / Jerry Dixon
1942
asAl Devers
1927
asAgent (uncredited)
1928
asMan on Ship (uncredited)
1932
asDale
1926
asParty Guest (uncredited)
1936
asMopsy
1937
asClarence Smith
1943
asRoscoe Karns
1944
asLasses White
1944
asFrankie Gimble
1941
asCharley Grady
1927
asLieutenant Cameron
1931
asFrank - Twenty Questions player (uncredited)
1958
as'Windy' Woods
1933
asBlooey
1932
asBrad - Rehearsal Director (uncredited)
1932
asInsp. Redding
1928
asSol Levy
1933
asContest Radio Announcer
1932
asGambler (uncredited)
1928
asRay Hearn
1934
asSpud McGurke
1943
asFields
1936
asCalico Smith
1941
asAlfred Harmon
1941
asHenry Warren
1940
asJoe Higgins
1931
as'Scoop'
1930
asGilbert
1928
asHippo
1930
asBlair
1928
asBuddy
1924
asSwitch Hogan
1938
asAustin Brown
1928
asPvt. Terry
1922
as
1928
asLame Hoppy
1931
asStan Price
1915
asThe Sheriff
1915
as1915
asThe Girl's Father
1915
as
1928
asGeorge
as
asMr. Foley
as
asEd Church
asPolice Inspector Rocky King
asPolice Inspector Rocky King
asCharley Allen
Production
Crew
Directing
