Roscoe Karns
Acting • Born 1891-09-06 – Died 1970-02-06
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
Filmography
143 credits
It Happened One Night
Movie • 1934
Oscar Shapeley
His Girl Friday
Movie • 1940
McCue
The Family Honor
Movie • 1920
Dal Tucker
Woman of the Year
Movie • 1942
Phil Whittaker
Twentieth Century
Movie • 1934
Owen O'Malley
The Ten Commandments
Movie • 1923
The Boy in the Rain (uncredited)
Petticoat Politics
Movie • 1941
Joe Higgins
Alice in Wonderland
Movie • 1933
Tweedledee
You Can't Escape Forever
Movie • 1942
'Mac' McTurk
Moran of the Marines
Movie • 1928
Swatty
Footsteps in the Dark
Movie • 1941
Monahan
You and Me
Movie • 1938
Cuffy
They Drive by Night
Movie • 1940
Irish McGurn
Man's Favorite Sport?
Movie • 1964
Major Phipps
Devil's Cargo
Movie • 1948
Lt. Hardy
Her Own Money
Movie • 1922
Jerry Woodward
Night After Night
Movie • 1932
Leo
Ten Modern Commandments
Movie • 1927
Benny Burnaway
Wings in the Dark
Movie • 1935
Nick Williams
Double Alibi
Movie • 1940
Jeremiah Jenkins
A Lady's Profession
Movie • 1933
Tony
Laughing Sinners
Movie • 1931
Fred Geer
Four Hours to Kill!
Movie • 1935
Johnson
Other Men's Daughters
Movie • 1923
Hubert
If I Had a Million
Movie • 1932
Private O'Brien
Today We Live
Movie • 1933
McGinnis
This Thing Called Love
Movie • 1929
Harry Bertrand
Alibi Ike
Movie • 1935
Carey
One Sunday Afternoon
Movie • 1933
Snappy Downer
Saturday's Children
Movie • 1940
Willie Sands
Front Page Woman
Movie • 1935
Toots O'Grady
New York Nights
Movie • 1929
Johnny Dolan
Week-End Marriage
Movie • 1932
Jim Davis
Win That Girl
Movie • 1928
Johnny Norton II
A Tragedy at Midnight
Movie • 1942
Cassidy
Avalanche
Movie • 1946
Red Kelly
That's Right – You're Wrong
Movie • 1939
Mal Stamp
The Inside Story
Movie • 1948
Eustace Peabody
Cain and Mabel
Movie • 1936
Reilly
Two Against the World
Movie • 1932
Segall, reporter
Safety in Numbers
Movie • 1930
Bertram Shapiro
My Son, The Hero
Movie • 1943
Big-Time Morgan
Thanks for the Memory
Movie • 1938
George Kent
Pleasure
Movie • 1931
Arnie
Shoot the Works
Movie • 1934
Sailor Burke
Speed to Spare
Movie • 1948
Kangaroo
Riding High
Movie • 1943
Shorty
Two-Fisted
Movie • 1935
Chick Moran
The Woman in Red
Movie • 1935
Man in court room (uncredited)
On Such a Night
Movie • 1937
Joe Flynn
Night of Mystery
Movie • 1937
Sergeant Heath
Ladies Must Live
Movie • 1940
Pete Larrabee
Three Married Men
Movie • 1936
Peter Cary
Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven
Movie • 1948
Officer Carmody
Tip-Off Girls
Movie • 1938
Tom Benson aka Tommy Logan
I Sell Anything
Movie • 1934
Monk
Partners in Crime
Movie • 1937
Sim Perkins
Troopers Three
Movie • 1930
Bugs
Lawyer Man
Movie • 1932
Merritt - Reporter (uncredited)
The Crooked Circle
Movie • 1932
Harry Carter
The Shopworn Angel
Movie • 1928
Dance Director
That's My Man
Movie • 1947
Toby Gleeton
Murder Goes to College
Movie • 1937
Sim Perkins
King of Chinatown
Movie • 1939
Rip Harrigan
Dangerous to Know
Movie • 1938
Duncan
One Way to Love
Movie • 1946
Hobie Simmons
Man Trouble
Movie • 1930
Scott
The Women in His Life
Movie • 1933
Aloysius Lester
One Way Passage
Movie • 1932
S.S. Maloa Bartender (uncredited)
Vigilantes of Boomtown
Movie • 1947
Bill Delaney
Copy
Movie • 1929
City Editor John Mack
Hi, Good Lookin'!
Movie • 1944
Archie
Red Hot Tires
Movie • 1935
Bud Keene
The Flying Fleet
Movie • 1929
Shipwrecked Radio Operator (uncredited)
The Gorilla
Movie • 1930
Simmons
The Life of the Party
Movie • 1920
Sam Perkins
Old Acquaintance
Movie • 1943
Charlie Archer
Dancing Co-Ed
Movie • 1939
Joe Drews
I Ring Doorbells
Movie • 1946
Stubby
Dirigible
Movie • 1931
Sock McGuire
Everything's on Ice
Movie • 1939
Felix Miller
Under-Cover Man
Movie • 1932
Dannie
The Gay Vagabond
Movie • 1941
Arthur Dixon / Jerry Dixon
Yokel Boy
Movie • 1942
Al Devers
The Jazz Singer
Movie • 1927
Agent (uncredited)
The Trail of '98
Movie • 1928
Man on Ship (uncredited)
The Roadhouse Murder
Movie • 1932
Dale
You'd Be Surprised
Movie • 1926
Party Guest (uncredited)
Woman Trap
Movie • 1936
Mopsy
Clarence
Movie • 1937
Clarence Smith
Stage Door Canteen
Movie • 1943
Roscoe Karns
Minstrel Man
Movie • 1944
Lasses White
The Navy Way
Movie • 1944
Frankie Gimble
Road to Happiness
Movie • 1941
Charley Grady
Wings
Movie • 1927
Lieutenant Cameron
Ladies of the Big House
Movie • 1931
Frank - Twenty Questions player (uncredited)
Onionhead
Movie • 1958
'Windy' Woods
Gambling Ship
Movie • 1933
Blooey
They Call It Sin
Movie • 1932
Brad - Rehearsal Director (uncredited)
Stowaway
Movie • 1932
Insp. Redding
Jazz Mad
Movie • 1928
Sol Levy
Grand Slam
Movie • 1933
Contest Radio Announcer
Play Girl
Movie • 1932
Gambler (uncredited)
The Vanishing Pioneer
Movie • 1928
Ray Hearn
Come On, Marines!
Movie • 1934
Spud McGurke
His Butler's Sister
Movie • 1943
Fields
Border Flight
Movie • 1936
Calico Smith
Black Eyes and Blues
Movie • 1941
Alfred Harmon
Half Shot at Sunrise
Movie • 1941
Henry Warren
Meet the Missus
Movie • 1940
Joe Higgins
Left Over Ladies
Movie • 1931
'Scoop'
Little Accident
Movie • 1930
Gilbert
Warming Up
Movie • 1928
Hippo
The Costello Case
Movie • 1930
Blair
Beau Sabreur
Movie • 1928
Buddy
The Midnight Express
Movie • 1924
Switch Hogan
Scandal Street
Movie • 1938
Austin Brown
The Desert Bride
Movie • 1928
Pvt. Terry
The Trouper
Movie • 1922
Beggars of Life
Movie • 1928
Lame Hoppy
Many a Slip
Movie • 1931
Stan Price
A Western Governor's Humanity
Movie • 1915
The Sheriff
A Species of Mexican Man
Movie • 1915
From Champion to Tramp
Movie • 1915
The Girl's Father
Mr. Carlson of Arizona
Movie • 1915
Something Always Happens
Movie • 1928
George
Poor Relations
Movie • 1919
Henry
The Overland Limited
Movie • 1925
Patrick Henry Madden
The Man Tamer
Movie • 1921
Bradley P. Caldwell Jr
Ritzy
Movie • 1927
Smith's Valet
Conquering the Woman
Movie • 1922
Shorty Thompson
Object: Alimony
Movie • 1928
Al Bryant
Bluff
Movie • 1924
Jack Hallowell
High Pressure
Movie • 1932
Telephone Salesman (uncredited)
Dollar Down
Movie • 1925
Gene Meadows
The Foolish Virgin
Movie • 1924
Chuck Brady
December Bride
TV • 1954
The Lucy Show
TV • 1962
Mr. Foley
Hennesey
TV • 1959
Capt. Walter Shafer
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
TV • 1957
Ed Church
Inside Detective
TV • 1950
Police Inspector Rocky King
Rocky King, Detective
TV • 1950
Police Inspector Rocky King
December Bride
TV • 1954
Charley Allen