Acting · San Bernardino, California, USA · Born September 6, 1891
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
MovieMan's Favorite Sport?
1964
as Major Phipps
TVThe Lucy Show
1962
as Mr. Foley
TVHennesey
1959
as Capt. Walter Shafer
MovieOnionhead
1958
as 'Windy' Woods
TVRichard Diamond, Private Detective
1957
as Ed Church
TVDecember Bride
1954
Rocky King, Detective
1950
as Police Inspector Rocky King
Inside Detective
1950
as Police Inspector Rocky King
MovieTexas, Brooklyn & Heaven
1948
as Officer Carmody
MovieSpeed to Spare
1948
as Kangaroo
MovieDevil's Cargo
1948
as Lt. Hardy
MovieThe Inside Story
1948
as Eustace Peabody
MovieThat's My Man
1947
as Toby Gleeton
MovieVigilantes of Boomtown
1947
as Bill Delaney
MovieAvalanche
1946
as Red Kelly
MovieI Ring Doorbells
1946
as Stubby
MovieOne Way to Love
1946
as Hobie Simmons
MovieHi, Good Lookin'!
1944
as Archie
MovieThe Navy Way
1944
as Frankie Gimble
MovieMinstrel Man
1944
as Lasses White
MovieOld Acquaintance
1943
as Charlie Archer
MovieHis Butler's Sister
1943
as Fields
MovieRiding High
1943
as Shorty
MovieStage Door Canteen
1943
as Roscoe Karns
MovieMy Son, The Hero
1943
as Big-Time Morgan
MovieYou Can't Escape Forever
1942
as 'Mac' McTurk
MovieYokel Boy
1942
as Al Devers
MovieWoman of the Year
1942
as Phil Whittaker
MovieA Tragedy at Midnight
1942
as Cassidy
MovieRoad to Happiness
1941
as Charley Grady
MovieHalf Shot at Sunrise
1941
as Henry Warren
MovieThe Gay Vagabond
1941
as Arthur Dixon / Jerry Dixon
Black Eyes and Blues
1941
as Alfred Harmon
MovieFootsteps in the Dark
1941
as Monahan
MoviePetticoat Politics
1941
as Joe Higgins
MovieMeet the Missus
1940
as Joe Higgins
MovieLadies Must Live
1940
as Pete Larrabee
MovieThey Drive by Night
1940
as Irish McGurn
MovieSaturday's Children
1940
as Willie Sands
MovieDouble Alibi
1940
as Jeremiah Jenkins
MovieHis Girl Friday
1940
as McCue
MovieThat's Right – You're Wrong
1939
as Mal Stamp
MovieEverything's on Ice
1939
as Felix Miller
MovieDancing Co-Ed
1939
as Joe Drews
MovieKing of Chinatown
1939
as Rip Harrigan
MovieThanks for the Memory
1938
as George Kent
MovieYou and Me
1938
as Cuffy
MovieTip-Off Girls
1938
as Tom Benson aka Tommy Logan
MovieDangerous to Know
1938
as Duncan
MovieScandal Street
1938
as Austin Brown
MoviePartners in Crime
1937
as Sim Perkins
MovieOn Such a Night
1937
as Joe Flynn
MovieNight of Mystery
1937
as Sergeant Heath
MovieMurder Goes to College
1937
as Sim Perkins
MovieClarence
1937
as Clarence Smith
MovieCain and Mabel
1936
as Reilly
MovieThree Married Men
1936
as Peter Cary
MovieBorder Flight
1936
as Calico Smith
MovieWoman Trap
1936
as Mopsy
MovieTwo-Fisted
1935
as Chick Moran
MovieFront Page Woman
1935
as Toots O'Grady
MovieAlibi Ike
1935
as Carey
MovieFour Hours to Kill!
1935
as Johnson
MovieThe Woman in Red
1935
as Man in court room (uncredited)
MovieRed Hot Tires
1935
as Bud Keene
MovieWings in the Dark
1935
as Nick Williams
MovieI Sell Anything
1934
as Monk
Elmer and Elsie
1934
as Rocky Cott
MovieShoot the Works
1934
as Sailor Burke
MovieTwentieth Century
1934
as Owen O'Malley
MovieCome On, Marines!
1934
as Spud McGurke
MovieIt Happened One Night
1934
as Oscar Shapeley
MovieAlice in Wonderland
1933
as Tweedledee
MovieThe Women in His Life
1933
as Aloysius Lester
MovieOne Sunday Afternoon
1933
as Snappy Downer
MovieGambling Ship
1933
as Blooey
MovieA Lady's Profession
1933
as Tony
MovieToday We Live
1933
as McGinnis
MovieGrand Slam
1933
as Contest Radio Announcer
MovieLawyer Man
1932
as Merritt - Reporter (uncredited)
MovieUnder-Cover Man
1932
as Dannie
MovieIf I Had a Million
1932
as Private O'Brien
MovieThey Call It Sin
1932
as Brad - Rehearsal Director (uncredited)
MovieNight After Night
1932
as Leo
MovieOne Way Passage
1932
as S.S. Maloa Bartender (uncredited)
MovieThe Crooked Circle
1932
as Harry Carter
MovieTwo Against the World
1932
as Segall, reporter
MovieWeek-End Marriage
1932
as Jim Davis
MovieThe Roadhouse Murder
1932
as Dale
MoviePlay Girl
1932
as Gambler (uncredited)
MovieStowaway
1932
as Insp. Redding
MovieHigh Pressure
1932
as Telephone Salesman (uncredited)
MovieLadies of the Big House
1931
as Frank - Twenty Questions player (uncredited)
MovieLeft Over Ladies
1931
as 'Scoop'
MoviePleasure
1931
as Arnie
MovieLaughing Sinners
1931
as Fred Geer
MovieMany a Slip
1931
as Stan Price
MovieDirigible
1931
as Sock McGuire
MovieThe Gorilla
1930
as Simmons
MovieThe Costello Case
1930
as Blair
MovieMan Trouble
1930
as Scott
MovieLittle Accident
1930
as Gilbert
MovieSafety in Numbers
1930
as Bertram Shapiro
MovieTroopers Three
1930
as Bugs
MovieNew York Nights
1929
as Johnny Dolan
MovieThis Thing Called Love
1929
as Harry Bertrand
MovieCopy
1929
as City Editor John Mack
MovieThe Flying Fleet
1929
as Shipwrecked Radio Operator (uncredited)
MovieThe Shopworn Angel
1928
as Dance Director
MovieObject: Alimony
1928
as Al Bryant
MovieJazz Mad
1928
as Sol Levy
MovieMoran of the Marines
1928
as Swatty
MovieBeggars of Life
1928
as Lame Hoppy
MovieWin That Girl
1928
as Johnny Norton II
MovieWarming Up
1928
as Hippo
MovieThe Vanishing Pioneer
1928
as Ray Hearn
MovieSomething Always Happens
1928
as George
MovieThe Desert Bride
1928
as Pvt. Terry
MovieThe Trail of '98
1928
as Man on Ship (uncredited)
MovieBeau Sabreur
1928
as Buddy
MovieThe Jazz Singer
1927
as Agent (uncredited)
MovieWings
1927
as Lieutenant Cameron
MovieTen Modern Commandments
1927
as Benny Burnaway
MovieRitzy
1927
as Smith's Valet
MovieYou'd Be Surprised
1926
as Party Guest (uncredited)
MovieDollar Down
1925
as Gene Meadows
MovieThe Overland Limited
1925
as Patrick Henry Madden
MovieThe Foolish Virgin
1924
as Chuck Brady
MovieThe Midnight Express
1924
as Switch Hogan
MovieBluff
1924
as Jack Hallowell
MovieThe Ten Commandments
1923
as The Boy in the Rain (uncredited)
MovieOther Men's Daughters
1923
as Hubert
MovieConquering the Woman
1922
as Shorty Thompson
MovieThe Trouper
1922
MovieHer Own Money
1922
as Jerry Woodward
MovieThe Man Tamer
1921
as Bradley P. Caldwell Jr
MovieThe Life of the Party
1920
as Sam Perkins
MovieThe Family Honor
1920
as Dal Tucker
MoviePoor Relations
1919
as Henry
A Western Governor's Humanity
1915
as The Sheriff
A Species of Mexican Man
1915
From Champion to Tramp
1915
as The Girl's Father
Mr. Carlson of Arizona
1915
