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
as
1915
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